5 Wonderful Waterfalls to Visit in Northumberland

We headed up north to the county of Northumberland, situated in the North East of England. Our trip lasted 4 days and each day was started with a very early morning hike with the reward of a waterfall at the end. I personally think that every day should start like this, alas we, living in the South East of England, don’t really have waterfalls at all. This is what makes it even more special when we do come across them on our travels.

I find with waterfalls they can sometimes be slightly over-rated. You can never tell in the photos just how high or dramatic they are and often on arrival it can be a rather anticlimactic experience. But not with the waterfalls we found in Northumberland!

NORTHUMBERLAND WATERFALLS

We’ve had such a blast with all 5 of these waterfalls, some well-known and signposted and others less known and off-the-beaten-track.

Apart from the occasional dog walker, we’ve always had every waterfall completely to ourselves for a good couple of hours. To avoid others we came to these waterfalls just after sunrise and during the week so we’d definitely recommend this if possible.

So below are 5 waterfalls we explored and some handy info for your next trip.

Read our article “8 WONDERFUL REASONS TO VISIT NORTHUMBERLAND” for more information on why you should visit and what there is to see and do! From Roman ruins and ancient history to one incredible national park.

Harthope Linn

Difficulty: Hard
Walk distance there and back: 4 miles
Coordinates: 55.4754088, -2.1171550
Duration: 2h
Wild swimming? Yes

This was our favourite waterfall out of the 5. I loved how tall the falls were, and how enclosed it felt. With the morning light beaming down on us and the greenery, we really did feel like we had our own piece of paradise for the morning. The water above plunges into a partly hidden gorge making the location feel extra secluded.

Harthhope Linn is situated in the Harthhope Valley in the Cheviot Hills. There are two waterfalls here, one being a two-tier waterfall, with a grassy bank at the side, perfect for picnics and one a couple of hundred metres upstream. Both of these falls are ideal for wild swimming.

There’s no better feeling after a long hike than taking off your big hiking boots and dipping your feet into the stream! Better still, bring your swimwear and take a swim!

The first waterfall you come to is easier to access and can be found by following the stream uphill. The second waterfall further up is harder to access as you approach the waterfall from the top and have to climb down. For the latter waterfall, you can walk downstream to the top of the first waterfall but you can’t make your way down the falls, but you can climb back up the hill from there.

WARNING: This area is known for adders, Britain’s only venomous snake. It’s suggested to wear hiking boots for safety and stick to the path when there is one. There are various warning signs about the snakes for good reason, Brock nearly stepped on one!

Linhope Spout

Difficulty: Moderate
Walk distance there and back: 3 miles
Coordinates: 55.4477878, -2.0669545
Duration: 1.5 hours
Wild swimming? Yes

The waterfall or “spout” is a 60-foot chute of water that falls into a plunge pool below. Perfect for wild swimming. This waterfall is actually mentioned in booking.com's article about wild swimming in the UK so bring your swimwear!

Out of the 4 waterfalls, this is the most well known and most visited. It’s also the easiest as most of the walk is following a road and gravel pathway and there are signposts directing you the way.

By the side of the waterfall is a grassy bank which is a great area to bring your picnic and relax on a sunny day.

Routin Linn

Difficulty: Moderate
Walk distance there and back: Less than 1 mile
Coordinates: 55.6247837, -2.0296661
Duration: 20 minutes
Wild swimming? No

This secluded waterfall is definitely a hidden gem, with no signposts, you wouldn’t be able to find this waterfall unless you knew it was there. It’s a short 10-minute walk from the road, passing by beautiful wildflowers. Following a small muddy path downwards and ducking under fallen trees, this path will lead you straight to the impressive falls.

The water is shallow so not suitable for swimming but you can awe at the high water falling from above.

There is another waterfall nearby on private land with a similar name called Roughting Linn (coordinates: 55° 32’ 52”N 001° 52’ 16”W) I found there was a lot of confusion between these two waterfalls, even when speaking to locals they were confused or only knew of 1 waterfall. But Routin Linn is larger, more impressive, and easier to get to in our opinion.

Read our article A GUIDE TO THE FARNE ISLANDS, NORTHUMBERLAND for another reason to add Northumberland to your travel bucket list!

Hareshaw Linn

Difficulty: Easy
Walk distance there and back: 3 miles
Coordinates: 55.1626397, -2.2499087
Duration: 2 hours
Wild swimming? Yes

Hareshaw Linn, in Bellingham, is a scenic walk through the woods to a 9-metre high waterfall. The journey is speckled with colourful wildflowers and the smell of wild garlic fills the air. Along the way, you cross 6 bridges offering beautiful views of the water below. The journey takes you through ancient woodlands with rare plant life and an abundance of wildlife meaning this is designated a Site of Special Scientific Importance.

The walk itself is very straightforward, from the car park you just follow the path all the way to the falls and back.

The waterfall is a great place for a swim. There are rocks to sit on along the way to stop for a bite to eat or to just take in the scenery and listen to the sound of the birds. Keep your eye out for red squirrels and woodpeckers!

Hindhope Linn

Difficulty: Easy
Walk distance there and back: 1 mile
Coordinates for Hindhope: 55.293803023296846, -2.34895667276452
Duration: 20 minutes to see both
Wild swimming? No

The Hindhope Linn has been called “One of the area’s best kept secrets”, by the Kielder Forest Park trails guide. The narrow waterfall is nestled in amongst the green forest undergrowth and is a peaceful spot to visit. This waterfall is located on the northern end of the Kielder forest drive. The Forest Drive is one of England's highest roads, spanning 12 miles and starts near these waterfalls and ends near Kielder water.

The route is an easy circular walk with a signposted route past Blakehopeburnhaugh Farm. The walk takes you through a scenic gorge that forks and brings you to the bottom of Hindhope Linn and the middle of the main river, Blakehope Burn.

There are places to park next to the toilets and picnic area making these waterfalls very easy to visit.

WHERE WE STAYED

Accommodation

For waterfalls 1- 3 we stayed at one of the shepherd huts at the Wooler Hostel which we would highly recommend!

Linhope Spout was a 30-minute drive but for numbers 1 and 3 the drive was less than 20 minutes to where we parked. We chose this accommodation because of how central it was to the 3 waterfalls and the Northumberland National Park but also it was only a 30-minute drive to the coast.

For waterfall 4 we stayed at the Brown Rig Guest Rooms. These rooms are less than a 10-minute drive to the car park for the waterfall.

➜ Link to Northumberland accommodation here