Hen Hole Waterfall flow through a deep ravine creating small pools just big enough for a refreshing plunge. The slopes are clad in vibrant purple heather in the summer months making the whole scene even more picturesque. Although the valley you traverse to the reach the gorge is used for farming, once you turn off and begin climbing up alongside the waterfall, it definitely starts to feels wild.
We visited on a sunny weekend in August and only passed one family all day, leaving all the pools and waterfalls for us alone which was an unexpected treat!
Here’s how to find the waterfall and what to expect from the trail.
The walk to the Hen Hole Waterfall pools
The stats
Distance: 2 miles (3.3km) each way
Elevation gain: 250m
Difficulty: Easy - moderate
Trailhead: Car Park next to Mounthooly Bunkhouse
Summary: The walk to Hen Hole gorge from the closest car park (as described below) is pretty easy going. It’s either flat or uphill, but the gradient is very gentle.
It begins as a road (which you are not permitted to drive on) and then cuts across the valley on grassy tracks. These were all dry in August but sections could be boggy at other times of year or after heavy rain.
Once you head into the ravine there is a bit of rock hopping as you cross the creek and the path is not so well formed. Reaching the upper waterfall pool requires traversing a narrow track above a bit of a drop, as well as two further creek crossings and some rocky terrain. This section is moderate rather than easy.
The walk is not signposted but we have included directions in the trail notes below.
Know before you go: the College Valley permit
In order to follow our route, you will need to purchase a vehicle permit for the College Valley road. If you don’t do this, you will add an additional 6 miles to the total walking distance, and all of this is on a road. It’s an absolutely gorgeous road with virtually no cars and stunning scenery, but it makes for a very long walk. It also involves additional uphill walking.
The permit for College Valley allows you to park at the Mounthooly Bunkhouse, allowing much easier access to the waterfall. The current fee is £10 per car and it can be booked online here. Not many permits are issued each day, but we had no problem booking it two hours before we arrived and that was in August.
I am writing this article on the August bank holiday weekend and you can still get permits for this weekend so I think you’d have to be very unlucky not to get one.
If you don’t have access to a printer you need to stop by the Cheviot Centre in Wooler and they will write out a paper permit for you to put on your dashboard - you have to display the permit for it to be valid.
There is no additional charge for this (despite the fact the website tells you there will be). You can’t purchase the permit at the centre but the online booking system is very straightforward.
Starting the trail: along the gravel road
From the car park at the Mounthooly Bunkhouse, you head onto the gravel road in the opposite direction to the way you drove in.
While the first part of the walk is on a road, almost no one drives down it, so it’s both quiet and very scenic. The hills rise up around you and the road is wide and flat so you can really enjoy the views.
You’ll pass through a couple of gates as you make your way through the valley.
After 0.6 miles (1.1km) you will reach the river and we were a little worried given how low the water was that the waterfall wouldn’t be running.
Happily this wasn’t the case, so I imagine it must flow pretty well all year round as it had been a relatively dry summer.
Finding the ravine
Roughly 1 mile (1.6km) into the walk you will see a wooden marker which points right. Do not follow this path and instead continue straight.
You will soon see a little wooden hut and from here the track is not clear cut, with lots of cattle tracks that look like walking paths as you cross the moorland.
Keep bearing straight (ish) as the path heads gradually uphill. You are aiming for the cleft in the cliffs you can see in the far distance to the left.
Crossing the moorland was completely dry for us, but I could see where boggy patches would form after rain.
Just over 1.5 miles (2.4km) into the walk you will get your first view of the waterfall as you begin making your way into the ravine.
The gorge is beautiful, with rugged rock walls and picturesque clusters of heather.
Reaching the first waterfall
We’ve visited a lot of gorgeous spots in Northumberland and Hen Hole Gorge is up there with the best of them. It has a remote and untouched feel with no sounds but that of the river and waterfalls.
The path (which is on the right side of the water when facing the gorge) gets a bit rougher as you make your way up to the first waterfall pool, with some brief rocky sections.
There is one creek crossing required to reach the first waterfall (at the 1.7 mile/2.8km mark). There are rocks to use as stepping stones, but they are not evenly spread and require a bit of a leg stretch to avoid one of the smaller wobbly rocks. It’s not difficult but it can be a touch slippery.
When you’ve crossed over you will be on the left side of the river and from here it’s a 50m straightforward walk to the bottom of the first waterfall pool (reached just over 1.7 miles/2.8km after leaving the car park).
Lower Hen Hole Falls
The first waterfall you will come to is really pretty, three separate ribbons of water (it’s sometimes referred to as the Three Sisters Waterfall) flow into a tiny pool hemmed in by craggy rocks.
I had seen photos of it before visiting and it was smaller than I had pictured it to be, but it was no less beautiful. The water in the pool is very shallow, but you could paddle your feet or have a little dunk, and the setting really is special.
It’s also the easier spot to reach so if you don’t fancy a few hundred metres of rougher track then this would be an ideal place to stop and relax.
If you were hoping for a dip you might be disappointed, but I think the scenery more than makes up for it.
Climbing up to the upper waterfall
The upper falls is located about 400m further on from the lower falls. It’s a stunning waterfall that flows all the way down a steep cliff into a small pool.
The pool is much deeper than the one at the lower falls and though definitely not swimmable, you can have a proper plunge here.
To reach it you need to continue up the path on the left side of the lower falls.
It’s set slightly back from the waterfall and though it looks overgrown, it’s quite easy to follow. It’s steep at first but only for 50m and then it largely levels out.
It’s a good track for roughly 100m and then it’s a rougher, rocky path. Part of this next section is narrow and there’s a bit of a drop to the right.
It’s not a difficult path, but tread carefully to avoid any loose soil. Roughly 100m later you need to cross the creek again.
You can use the rocks as stepping stones which isn’t too difficult. On the way there I just walked through the water for ease, but on the way back I used the stones and realised it wasn’t too slippery so that would have been the better bet both ways to avoid wet boots.
The path continues for 100m on the other side of the creek and then you need to cross again. This crossing is also possible to do with dry shoes using the stepping stones and it’s the easier of the two.
After you’ve crossed the creek it’s a 50m stretch of decent track to reach the waterfall (which is just over 2 miles or 3.3km from the car park).
The upper falls
The upper waterfall is impressive, with particularly steep cliffs surrounding it. It’s a lovely spot to soak up the tranquility and it feels very secluded.
To get into the pool, you need to climb down a bit of rock wall which is easy. It’s just two steps and you’re down, and it’s nicely tiered with good foot placements.
The first part of the pool is rocky and shallow so you have to shuffle over that to reach the deeper water.
I could still stand up in the deeper part of the pool, but the water is definitely high enough for a full body plunge. There are a couple of larger rocks you can use as a little perch too.
If the pool was larger and deeper, it would be one of the best wild swimming spots in Northumberland, but as it’s not, it can’t really compete with places like Linhope Spout. However, I enjoyed it and unlike at Linhope Spout you likely won’t have to share it with anyone else!
Although you could scramble up above the waterfall, the terrain is steeper and looser than anything up to this point so we didn’t go any further.
Extending the walk
We opted to turn back after the upper falls but you could walk up to the Cheviot if you wanted a longer and more strenuous walk.
You can continue on by scrambling up past the upper falls, but most people return the way they came and then pick up the footpath to the Cheviot. The turn for the Cheviot is at the wooden post we referred to earlier (right at that junction will take you on to the correct path).
Alternatively, if you’re looking for another easy walk in the area which also has an amazing swimming spot, stop at Hethpool Linn.
You will have passed the car park on the drive in, it’s the last place you can park without a permit for the College Valley road. All the details on how to find the pool are in this guide.
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the area, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Parking for the Hen Hole Waterfalls
The closest car park to the trailhead is at the Mounthooly Bunkhouse in the College Valley, postcode NE71 6TU, you can see the exact spot on Google maps here. As outlined at the start of the article you need to obtain the College Valley permit first.
College Valley is located close to the town of Wooler, around a 30 minute drive away. It’s just over an hour from Alnwick, 1 hour 15 from Morpeth and 1.5 hours from Newcastle.
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The Hen Hole Waterfalls flow through a deep ravine creating small pools just big enough for a refreshing plunge. We’re sharing the quickest route to get there as well as where to park and how to obtain the College Valley permit.