Kershope Horse

 

The Kershope Horse trail starts from Cuddy's Hall picnic area, working uphill through grasslands to the Long Cairn. The cairn is a Neolithic funerary monument built about 5000 years ago by the first people to farm in the British Isles. Riding downhill through a conifer woodland past Blacklyne House, a typical example of a hill farmstead. The route continues uphill then winds it's way to Davidson's Monument, an engraved stone pillar erected in 1852 in memory of a gamekeeper murdered by poachers on that spot in 1849. The horse route can be shortened to 8 miles by following the short route sign between Long cairn and Blacklyne house. The horse trail can also be access from Saughtree, by using the Saughtree Link Horse Route, created to enable riders to avoid the narrow local roads with poor visability.

How to get there:

Kershope Horse can be started from Cuddys Hall picnic place in Kielder which is part of Kielder. Kershopefoot, Newcastleton, Bewcastle, and Carlisle are the nearest towns or villages.

From Newcastleton (B6357 NE of Carlisle) follow the road signs toward Roadhead and cross over the Border at Kershope Bridge and up steep tarmac bends. Take left fork at telephone box. Cuddys Hall picnic site is sign posted less than a mile on the left.

OS Grid Reference: NY520 808

Mammals: We have information about Red squirrel, Roe deer and Badger