Carter Pike Cairn

When having a wander up the Cheviots it's always smashing to have find something that marks the top of a hill. It might be a trig point, a hillfort if you're lucky, or just a small pile of rocks. (Although usually it's a puddle and some long grass!) It's nice to have something to aim for and also signify that your efforts are almost over. But sitting on top of Carter Pike on Whitelee Moor is something different.

This smashing man-made cairn is unimaginatively named the Carter Pike Cairn.

If you do like to head up into the Cheviots you will find quite a few cairns on top of hills such as Windy Gyle, Hedgehope Hill or Hogdon Law. As the weather can be a bit blowy up there at times (well let's face it, most of the time!), then I assume they are also made to give a bit of protection while you hastily trough your Fruity Malt and question your life choices.

These are usually just a surround of scattered stones, probably made over time by hikers carrying stone up the hill. Let me show you what I mean with a picture of the cairn on the top of Windy Gyle.

But Carter Pike Cairn is different, as it's obviously been carefully designed and built. We did a bit of digging and found the chap who actually built it!

From the top of Carter Pike there are magnificent views over the Scottish lowlands, the Cheviot Hills and also Catcleugh Reservoir.

Before Jonny started on the new Carter Pike Cairn he took a photo of the cairn that stood there before.

After the foundations are laid a centre pin and wooden arm are used to map out the circle. No just winging it by eye here. I hope he measured twice and cut once.

Starting to take shape nicely now with the seating area being complete. Also we read that Jonny had to lug his tools 2 miles every day, uphill!

While working on the cairn, Jonny uncovered a base stone that was carved with the name G Hedley.

Jonny explained on his Facebook page that Bob Hindmarsh, who is the current farmer of this area, believes that George Hedley started farming the land in 1894/6 and most probably built the cairn. His son Cecil farmed after him and Bob himself was employed by Cecil in the 1970's to farm Whitelee and eventually took on the tenancy in the 1990's when Cecil died.

So what happened to this stone?

Another interesting stone with a benchmark was discovered in the rubble.

And just like that, it's all done! The cairn was started in the autumn of 2021 and took 5 weeks to complete. You might be wondering why the original stones were grey, but the cairn is brown. I definitely was, so we asked Jonny and he explained the colour of the stone is simply an effect of weathering. He took the original grey stones and dressed them (hammered and chiselled into shape) revealing its 'true' unweathered colour, orange/brown in this case. But over time it will continue to weather to the grey colour of the original cairn.

He added that the cairn was totally rebuilt using the stone already there, however, the Wildlife Trust also wanted to add a seating area, so the flat slabs around the base are new and were brought up by quad bike.

It's a fabulous cairn and you can just make it out when you park at Carter Bar. It's maybe a 40 min walk to to it, past the Redesdale Goat and then there is a clear path up towards the top.

Defo need a little rest at the seating area after a slog up in the snow. It's also a special area for a lot of people as we spied some little memorial trinkets on top of the cairn.

A huge thanks to Jonny Lloyd for all the information and the construction photos. The snowy photos are ours, the rest are his. For more information on his projects or even to hire him, check out his website at Northumbrian Stonework.

I definitely think we should petition him to go and titivate all the cairns in the Cheviots, although climbing up Hedgehope Hill every day for 5 weeks would be a serious workout.

Just over 2.5km and 143m of ascent.