Seven Sisters

The Seven Sisters are actually now just five and a half sisters, sitting on Copt Hill near Houghton-le-Spring, but there were once seven beech trees at the top.

The mound which they are sitting on is known as a bowl barrow, which is a type of burial ground, or tumulus. A tumulus is a mound of stones and earth built on top of ancient graves, measuring around 3m high.

The site was first excavated in 1877 by Canon William Greenwell of Durham Cathedral Library (cool job). At this point, it was thought to be a burial ground dating back to the Neolithic period (2400-1500 years ago).

However, after further excavations in 2003, evidence was unearthed that dated it's origins to the Mesolithic period (7000 years ago). Due to it's significant history, the site is now a scheduled monument.

There are a couple of benches if you fancy a sit, and there are some waymarked paths that surround the area if you want to extend your walk. The views from the top are fantastic too and there's not too much effort involved in getting to the top, but be aware there might be some cows mooching about.

If you fancy a quick 360, then check out our video from Red5.

Here is a quick map showing you how to get to the Seven Sisters from the Copt Hill pub. Around 300m walk.