Drinking Water In The Cheviot Hills

Q. At the end of July we are planning a hike on the last part of the Pennine Way in the Cheviot Hills an like to do some wild camping there. Can anybody tell us if there is enough drinking water on or nearby the trail in that part? Thanks for responding,

Fred Jager,

A. hi Fred, I am still planning on finishing the last part in September, my guide says that in both mountain refuge there should be instructions on how to get water, and recently you now have a halfway stop possible at the cocklawfarm b&b, i know you want to wild camp, but I can imagine they would be willing to provide you with some water. Inge

Inge Hernie, Ghent , Belgium

A. I did that part last year and nearly ran out of water.You have to drop down into the valley to find water. If you can make it to the refuge hut to the west of cheviot then drop down into the Hen Hole you will find decent water there, just remember to take your water purifying tablets. A very good walk but be prepared for the first climb out of Byrness it is steep. Enjoy.

David Boardman, Newcastle Upon Tyne

A. I've not walked on that route so can't give you a 100% correct answer regarding where to find water on tap in that area. But one thing that's always handy to carry in your rucksack are some water purification tablets. They are standard Army/NATO issue & available off ebay for just a few pounds. If you do run out of water while walking, just find some more in a stream, river or even a pond - fill your water bottle & add a tablet (1 tablet per litre) then after 30 mins standing the water is perfectly safe to drink. I use them myself from time to time & have no problems at all

Steven Gill, Leeds

A. Thank you for the tips on wild camping. But can anyone also answer our original question about the drinking water in the Cheviot Hills?

Thanks again

Fred Jager

A. Wild Camping and The Law in England, Scotland and Wales.

Tents cannot be pitched just anywhere because every piece of Britain is owned by some individual or some organisation and according to the strict letter of the law permission must be obtained prior to pitching tent and camping.

In practice however, this is often impractical and wild camping is usually tolerated in the more remote areas - typically, more than half a day's walk from an official campsite or other accommodation providing you:

Keep groups small
Camp as unobtrusively as possible
Leave camp as you found it
Remove all litter (even other people's)
Carry out everything you carried in
Carry out tampons and sanitary towels (burying them doesn't work as animals dig them up again)
Choose a dry pitch rather than digging drainage ditches around a tent or moving boulders
Toilet duties should be performed 30m (100ft) from water and the results buried using a trowel
At all time, help preserve the environment
And if you are in any doubt about what you're doing, find out more

In Scotland, the current access legislation (which came into effect in early 2005) is explicit about your right to wild camp on hill land. However, there are exceptions. Since March 2011 you are not permitted to wild camp between Dryman and Rowardennan on the shore of Loch Lomond. See Loch Lomond Wild Camping Ban for more information.

There appears to be an exception to this with respect to camping in Dartmoor National Park where the right to wild camping is actually enshrined in the National Parks & Access to the Countryside Act, 1949 amendment Dartmoor Commons Act, 1985 - see Wild Camping in the UK for more details.

For the definitive answer with respect to wild camping in Scotland see the answer supplied by the Scottish Natural Heritage

For a few (tongue in cheek) tips on wild camping see Some Wild Camping Tips.

NB. go4awalk.com cannot offer any advice on suitable locations for wild camping - but click here for walks from exisiting campsites.

Hope this helps

Mike (Editor)

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