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Daniel Hall

What is a bothy and where can you find them in Northumberland?

If you're looking to leave your tent at home, sleep with a roof over your head and not have to shell for your stay in the countryside, you might feel as if you're out of options.

However, that's not the case. Ever heard of a bothy?

These simple buildings up in the hills are way off the beaten track, giving shelter for those who are on long hikes, mountain biking, and on occasion, people who can't quite get the hang of using their map and compass.

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Bothies are little more than a place to sleep - they're usually small and the may have been buildings used by estate workers on owners' land. Often described as camping without a tent, many come without lights, toilet facilities, and even if there's a fireplace, there may not be anything to burn.

But if you don't mind roughing it, they're the perfect shelter for those out on a countryside adventure, so long as they stick to the Bothy Code.

According to the Mountain Bothies Association, of the twelve in England, six are in Northumberland - all located in Northumberland National Park. Here they are!

Haughtongreen

Grid reference: NY 788 713

Haughtongreen Bothy in Northumberland (Mountain Bothies' Association)

Located about 4km north of Hadrian's Wall, Haughtongreen is popular among those walking the Pennine Way.

Green

Grid reference: NY 740 786

Green Bothy in Northumberland (Mountain Bothies' Association)

Green Bothy is located in the Wark Forest and has three rooms and a wood burning stove.

Roughside

Grid reference: NY 745 833

Roughside Bothy (MBA)

Roughside is 3 miles southeast of Falstone, a village close to Kielder Reservoir. To the west of the bothy, there's the amusingly named hills Heathery Buttocks and Farewell Hill.

Flittingford

Grid reference: NY 754 886

Flittingford Bothy in Northumberland (MBA)

Flittingford was adopted by the Mountain Bothy Association in 2016. It is thought to have been used as a shepherd's shelter and is close to the drovers trail to Bellingham.

The bothy may have been used as a stopping point for drovers who would tidy their sheep up ready for market.

Wainhope

Grid reference: NY 671 925

Wainhope Bothy in Northumberland (Mountain Bothies' Association)

Wainhope is in Kielder Forest and to the North East of the reservoir. Users can park at Kielder Castle, but overnight parking is not allowed at Kielder Dam.

Please note, Wainhope is closed from April to September each year for conservation reasons.

Spithope

Grid reference: NT 769 057

Spithope Bothy in Northumberland (Mountain Bothies' Association)

The most northerly bothy in Northumberland, Spithope is just two miles from the Scottish Border. Access is only possible along a marked bridleway.

The bothy is thought to have been a open night resting place for drovers and their stock on their journey to market in the south. It's also have believed to have been a shooting hut before the forest was planted.

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