National Character Area 2

Northumberland Sandstone Hills - Key Facts & Data

Landscape and nature conservation designations section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

The Northumberland Sandstone Hills NCA contains 10,683 ha of the Northumberland National Park covering 15 per cent of the total NCA area (Natural England, 2011).


Designated nature conservation sites

The NCA includes the following statutory nature conservation designations (Natural England, Special Protection Areas; Special Area of Conservation; Ramsars; National Nature Reserves; Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Local Nature Reserves, 2021):

Please note: (i) Designated areas may overlap (ii) all figures are cut to Mean High Water Line, designations that span coastal/marine areas below this line will not be included.

Condition of designated sites

All designated sites within England are covered by Sites of Scientific Interest (SSSI) units. The condition to these SSSI units within the NCA are as follows (Natural England, Sites of Special Scientific Interest Units, 2021; 2023):



Landscape and nature conservation designations map for NCA2

View Landscape and nature conservation designations map for NCA2 full screen in a new tab
View Interactive Map Help

Landform, geology and soils section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Elevation

Elevation within the Northumberland Sandstone Hills NCA varies from a lowest point of 23m above sea level to a maximum elevation of 435m. These prominent hills generally reduce in height towards the north, from the Simonside Hills (229m) and the Harbottle Hills in the south, northwards to include Alnwick Moor, Chillingham Ridge, the Doddington Moors and Doddington North Moor-Ford Moss, which lies at 179m (Natural England, 2010).

Landform and process

The Northumberland Sandstone Hills form a distinctive skyline feature characterised by generally level tops, north-west facing scarp slopes, and craggy outcrops. They are formed of the Carboniferous Fell Sandstone. They curve across central Northumberland, forming an interrupted line of ridges which is pierced by a number of rivers and streams, including Grasslees Burn and the rivers Coquet and Aln (Northumberland Sandstone Hills Countryside Character Description).

Bedrock geology

The bedrock geology of the Northumberland Sandstone Hills is a mixture of sandstone and limestone. The Fell Sandstone is a thick sequence of sandstones deposited in a series of mainly south-east flowing rivers during Carboniferous times, about 300 million years ago. These coarse-grained sandstones contain abundant evidence of their mode of deposition in the form of inclined bedding planes (cross-bedding) which are especially conspicuous on weathered surfaces. The Fell Sandstone dips gently towards the east and south-east. Erosion of the overlying and underlying relatively weak rocks has produced the highly distinctive series of bold ‘cuesta’ landforms of which the Simonside Hills and Harbottle Crags are fine examples. The Fell Sandstone outcrop typically carries very acid soils on which heather moor is well developed. Parts of the Fell Sandstone, especially the pale pink Doddington Stone, have long been worked as building stone for use both within and outside the area. Carboniferous age limestone, deposited in tropical seas, forms the lower lying land towards the south and east of the area. The Carboniferous igneous intrusions of the Whin Sill, although not a prominent landscape feature in this NCA, can be seen in some of the disused quarries. (Northumberland Sandstone Hills Countryside Character Description Natural Area)

Superficial deposits

Large areas of the bedrock geology are covered by thick layers of sediments deposited during the last main glacial period of the Ice Age. Most of these deposits are consist of till and small areas of sands and gravels centred on existing rivers. The NCA contains small areas of peat covering 4 per cent of the NCA area (Northumberland Sandstone Hills Countryside Character Description).

Designated geological sites

The NCA includes the following geological sites (Natural England, Geological and Mixed Sites of Special Scientific Interest, 2021):

wdt_ID NCA_ID NAME NCAAreaHa Interest type Area (ha) 2021 Percent of NCA (2021) Count
2361NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAIN37,669.6Geological6.80.01
2371NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAIN37,669.6Mixed1,029.52.75
2382NORTHUMBERLAND SANDSTONE HILLS72,694.6Geological45.40.14
2393CHEVIOT FRINGE51,591.3Geological17.10.02
2404CHEVIOTS36,487.9Geological165.00.52
2414CHEVIOTS36,487.9Mixed3,488.99.61
2425BORDER MOORS AND FORESTS127,155.9Geological85.70.18
2435BORDER MOORS AND FORESTS127,155.9Mixed35.80.01
2446SOLWAY BASIN98,350.4Geological7.20.02
2456SOLWAY BASIN98,350.4Mixed5,569.25.74

Soils and agriculture classification

The sandstone bedrock slowly weathers to form thin, acidic, nutrient-poor sandy soils which support dry heather moorland, particularly above 250m (Northumberland Sandstone Hills Countryside Character Description).

The main grades of agricultural land in the NCA are broken down as follows (as a proportion of total land area) (Natural England, Provisional Agricultural Land Classification, 2019):


Landform, geology and soils map for NCA2

View Landform, geology and soils map for NCA2 full screen in a new tab
View Interactive Map Help

Key waterbodies and catchments section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Major rivers/canals

The following major rivers/canals (by length) have been identified in this NCA (Natural England, data informing the 2014 National Character Area Profiles, 2010):

wdt_ID REF_CODE NAME_1 Name Length (km) SumOfShape_Length
11NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAINRiver Aln7.67,587.2
21NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAINRiver Coquet5.55,516.0
31NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND COASTAL PLAINWhiteadder Water2.92,904.9
410NORTH PENNINESBlack Burn11.911,853.4
510NORTH PENNINESCroglin Water10.010,042.3
610NORTH PENNINESCrowdundle Beck4.34,337.4
710NORTH PENNINESDevil's Water20.520,464.6
810NORTH PENNINESHarwood Beck9.79,740.2
910NORTH PENNINESRiver Allen4.94,889.0
1010NORTH PENNINESRiver Derwent15.315,268.4

Please note: other significant rivers (by volume) may also occur. Tidal stretches of rivers are not included, which may include some major rivers.

Water quality

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) are areas designated as being at risk from agricultural nitrate pollution. These can impact surface water (waterbodies and waterways located above ground) and groundwater (water bodies and waterways located below ground).

Waterbodies such as lakes can also be designated as “eutrophic waters” if the enrichment of the waterbody by nitrate pollution causes accelerated growth of algae, impacting the quality of the water and the balance of organisms within it.

The following NVZs are located within the NCA (Environment Agency, Nitrate Vulnerable Zones Designations, 2021):

Water framework directive

River basin management plans cover river basin districts and describe the challenges that threaten the water environment and how these challenges can be managed and funded. The plans include the classification of water quality of surface waters and ground waters.



Click on the Water Framework Directive layers on the below map to view the corresponding river names.

Key waterbodies and catchments map for NCA2

View Key waterbodies and catchments map for NCA2 full screen in a new tab
View Interactive Map Help

Trees and woodlands section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Total woodland cover

Ancient woodland is any area that has been wooded continuously since at least 1600 AD. National Forest Inventory (NFI) woodland includes all forests and woodlands (0.5 hectares and over). The total woodland cover within the NCA is as follows (Forestry Commission, National Forest Inventory, 2020; 2023; Natural England, Ancient Woodland, 2021; 2024; this does not consider Natural England’s ‘Ancient Woodland – Revised (England) – Completed Counties’ data as this is being updated in tranches and no full dataset is yet available):

Distribution and size of woodland and trees in the landscape

Woodland cover is significant, a large proportion of which is coniferous plantations within the Forestry Commission estate. Broadleaved woodland is associated with rivers, scarp slopes and the parkland settings of the large country mansions that fringe the lower fellside slopes such as Chillingham, Cragside and Alnwick Castle (Countryside Quality Counts 2003).

Woodland types

A statistical breakdown of the area and type of woodland found across the NCA is detailed below (Forestry Commission, National Forest Inventory, 2020; 2023):

Area and proportion of ancient woodland and planted ancient woodland sites (PAWS) within the NCA (Natural England, Ancient Woodland, 2021; 2024):


Trees and woodlands map for NCA2

View Trees and woodlands map for NCA2 full screen in a new tab
View Interactive Map Help

Boundary features and patterns

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated.

Boundary features

Field boundaries comprise drystone walls. Sandstone rubble walls are characteristic of the late 18th and early 19th century enclosure, with hedgerows in valley bottoms (Northumberland Sandstone Hills Countryside Character Area description; Countryside Quality Counts, 2003)

Field patterns

Farmland comprises a mixture of piecemeal strip fields from the medieval period and large, rectangular fields dating from the time of the parliamentary enclosures (principally late 18th and 19th centuries), bounded by drystone walls and often subdivided by more recent post and wire fencing. However, blocks and belts of coniferous woodland interrupt the pattern (Northumberland Sandstone Hills Countryside Character Area description; Countryside Quality Counts, 2003; Northumberland Sandstone Hills National Character Area 2 Farmstead and Landscape Statement, Draft, 2013).

Agriculture section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

The following tables provide the most recently available statistics from Defra on agriculture within the NCA.

Farm type

The following farm types are located within this NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Farm size

The following table outlines the sizes of farms within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Farm ownership

The following table outlines the ownership of farms within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Land use

The following table outlines the types of agricultural land use within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Livestock numbers

The following livestock are farmed within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Farm labour

The following table outlines the types of farm labour within the NCA (Defra, Structure of the agricultural industry in England and the UK at June, 2025):

Please note: (i) Some of the Census data are estimated by Defra so may not present a precise assessment of agriculture within this area (ii) Data refers to commercial holdings only (iii) Data includes land outside of the NCA where it belongs to holdings whose centre point is recorded as being within the NCA.



Note that the below map only shows agri-environment scheme coverage, and not other schemes.

Agriculture map for NCA2

View Agriculture map for NCA2 full screen in a new tab
View Interactive Map Help

Key habitats and species section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Habitat distribution/coverage

Simonside Hills SSSI and Bewick and Beanley Moors SSSI, which cover extensive areas, have some fine examples of heathland vegetation and include several rare and important species. In damper areas of ‘flush’ and mires, heather combines with purple moorgrass and bog myrtle. These mires are important examples of sphagnum bog, exhibiting some of the characteristics of species composition found in the Border Mires (Northumberland Sandstone Hills Natural Area Profile; Northumberland Sandstone Hills, Countryside Character Area Description).

Key Habitats

The NCA contains the following areas of key main habitats, as mapped by the national Priority Habitat Inventory (Natural England, Priority Habitats Inventory, 2021; 2024; Natural England, Wood Pasture and Parkland, 2020). Note: lakes and ponds were not included in 2021 data:






Key habitats and species map for NCA2

View Key habitats and species map for NCA2 full screen in a new tab
View Interactive Map Help

Settlement and development patterns section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Settlement patterns

The Northumberland Sandstone Hills NCA is not densely settled. Settlements show a scattered pattern of isolated farmsteads hamlets and market towns (Northumberland Sandstone Hills Countryside Character Area description; Countryside Quality Counts, 2003)

Main settlements

The main settlements within the Northumberland Sandstone Hills are Alnwick and Rothbury. The total estimated population for this NCA (derived from ONS 2001 census data) is: 15,885 (Northumberland Sandstone Hills Countryside Character Area description; Countryside Quality Counts, 2003, Natural England, 2012).

Local vernacular and building materials

Local sandstone, with red pantiles or grey slate (Scottish, Cumbrian and later Welsh) roofs, is the predominant building material (Northumberland Sandstone Hills Countryside Character Area description; Countryside Quality Counts, 2003)

Settlement and development patterns map for NCA2

View Settlement and development patterns map for NCA2 full screen in a new tab
View Interactive Map Help

Key historic sites and features section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Origin of historic features

Early settlement and activity is evident in the Neolithic and bronze-age remains visible in the landscape, including standing stones, cup-and-ring marked stones, burial mounds and cairns. The area contains one of the most important concentrations of prehistoric remains in England.

Later bronze-age and iron-age settlement is indicated by distribution of hillforts and other enclosures mainly along the transitional slopes.

Earthwork remains of villages and hamlets suggest that medieval settlement – subject to shrinkage and desertion from the 14th century – Now quite extensive. Elsewhere within the hills the medieval and later settlement pattern is characterised by isolated farmsteads and small hamlets served by market towns of Rothbury and Alnwick.

Small nucleated settlements with associated townfields replaced earlier dispersed patterns. Planned settlements with 2 regular rows of house plots, tofts or garths, facing each other across roads or greens.

Large estates have been a major influence. Country houses (mainly with earlier fortified caves) and castles with extensive estates and parkland lie on the lower slopes. Extensive reorganisation of the medieval landscape driven by large estates in the 18th and 19th centuries resulted in intensive grain cultivation, cattle rearing and fattening, dairying for local and distant markets and much more wide scale sheep farming.

Sandstone quarries of many periods, mostly disused, are scattered throughout the hills.

The lower slopes and valleys to the south and east retain traces of medieval open-field agriculture (ridge and furrow cultivation) related to areas of formerly more extensive settlement.

Second World War anti-invasion defences (such as pillboxes) occur along the Coquet Valley (Draft Historic Profile, Northumberland Sandstone Hills Countryside Character Area description, Countryside Quality Counts).

Designated historic assets

The NCA includes the following designated historic assets (Historic England, National Heritage List for England, 2021; 2024):

Listed buildings

The NCA includes the following listed buildings (Historic England, National Heritage List for England, 2021; 2024):

Heritage at Risk Register

The NCA includes the following designated historic assets listed within the Heritage at Risk Register (Historic England, Heritage at Risk Register, 2021; 2023):



Key historic sites and features map for NCA2

View Key historic sites and features map for NCA2 full screen in a new tab
View Interactive Map Help

Recreation and access section contains a map

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated. The maps contain live frequently updated datasets.

Public access
The following areas of public access for recreation are located within this NCA (Natural England, 2021; National Trust, 2021):


Please note: Public access areas may overlap.
The following linear routes or public access for recreation are located within this NCA (Natural England, 2021; Sustrans; 2021):

Recreation and access map for NCA2

View Recreation and access map for NCA2 full screen in a new tab
View Interactive Map Help

Experiential qualities

Note that numbers and figures in the body of the text are based on the 2014 profiles, unless otherwise stated.

Tranquillity

Based on the CPRE map of tranquillity (2006) the highest areas of tranquillity occur towards the centre of the NCA around Harwood Forest, the lowest values are associated with the principal road network of the A1, A68, A696 and A697, and Alnwick. As can be seen from the mean value below the majority of the area experiences relatively high levels of tranquillity.

A breakdown of tranquillity values for this NCA are detailed in the table below (CPRE, Tranquillity Map, 2006):

Dark skies

Light pollution is a generic term referring to artificial light that shines where it is neither wanted nor needed, and can impact on people’s experience of the countryside within the NCAs. CPRE host an interactive map, depicting the light pollution and dark skies within the NCA.

Intrusion

The 2007 Intrusion Map (CPRE) shows the extent to which rural landscapes are ‘intruded on’ from urban development, noise (primarily traffic noise), and other sources of visual and auditory intrusion. This shows intrusion in the NCA is largely associated with the main town of Alnwick and the principal roads. A breakdown of intrusion values for this NCA is detailed in the table below.

A breakdown of intrusion values for this NCA is detailed in the table below (CPRE, Intrusion Map, 2007):

Notable trends from the 1960s to 2007 are a small decrease in undisturbed land over the last 50 years. This is particularly notable given the significant decreases seen in the rest of England.