Kershope Burn is a small river; a tributary of both the Liddel Water and the River Esk; its final destination is the Solway Firth. The early stages begin in the Border Forest, from where it flows in a south westerly direction, followed in its entirety by the border between England and Scotland.

Quick Facts Location, Country ...

Kershope Burn
The burn near Scotch Kershope
Location within Cumbria
Location
Country	United Kingdom
Part	England, Scotland
Physical characteristics
Mouth
• location	Liddel Water
• coordinates	55.138069°N 2.823846°W / 55.138069; -2.823846

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Maps for Kershope Burn and the surrounding area, showing Administrative Geographies, Designations and other criteria from Natural England: ^{[lower-alpha 1]}

• MAGiC MaP : Anglo-Scottish border – Bloody Bush Road.^{[1] [lower-alpha 2]}

• MAGiC MaP : Source – Clarks Sike – Hobbs Flow.^{[2] [lower-alpha 4]}

• MAGiC MaP : Hobb's Flow – Kielder Mires SSSI.^{[3] [lower-alpha 5]}

• MAGiC MaP : Anglo-Scottish border – Limy Sike.^{[4] [lower-alpha 6] [lower-alpha 7]}

• MAGiC MaP : Kershopehead – Bothy – Forest Inventory.^{[5] [lower-alpha 8]}

• MAGiC MaP : Kershopefoot – Liddel Water.^[6]

The toponym for Kershope Burn might be:

• Small river of the water−cress valley.

The name element Kers is from Old English êacerse (êa..cerse) "water−cress". ^{[lower-alpha 9] [lower-alpha 11]}

The name element hope is from Old English hōp or Middle English hope ( " valley " ). ^{[lower-alpha 12]}

Place names with the name element hope are common in the North Pennines, especially in the lead mining areas of Weardale. ^{[lower-alpha 13]}

Overview of course of burn:^{[lower-alpha 14]}

• Bloody Bush Road – Toll pillar.^[1]
• Source – Clark's Sike – Hobb's Flow.^[2]
• Confluence of Limy Sike.^[4]
  • English county boundary; Northumberland – Cumbria
• Kershopehead (Bothy).^[5]
• Scottish Kershope – English Kershope
• Kershope Bridge
• Kershopefoot
• Confluence with Liddel Water.^[6]

The river rises, as Clark's Sike, in a marshy area in Kielder Forest Northumberland known as Hobb's Flow, before becoming Kershope Burn after running by Kershopehead, a farmstead in Cumbria.

The river runs into Liddel Water at Kershopefoot, after which Liddel Water marks the boundary between England and Scotland. The final few metres (yards) of the river flow past the hamlet at Kershopefoot and underneath the railway bridge of the former Waverley Line. Between 1862 and 1969 a passenger station variously known as Kershope or Kershope Foot was located here.^[9]

There is evidence to suggest that the burn may have some characteristics that are typical of a chalk stream, for example a high alkaline mineral content:

• The name Kershope ( "Watercress valley" ).^{[lower-alpha 20]}
• The citation for the Kielder Mires SSSI mentions lime-rich influence.^{[lower-alpha 21]}
• The existence of grade C petrifying springs within the Kielder Mires SSSI.^[12]
• The name of the tributary Limy Sike suggests that the water contains limestone.^[4]
• There are remains of Lime kilns in the local area.^{[lower-alpha 22]}

The mires are situated within and around the huge forestry plantations of Kielder Forest and Wark Forest.^[11]

The Kielder Mires SSSI is designated:^[14]

• National nature reserve.
• Ramsar site.
• Special Area of Conservation.^[15]

• List of rivers of Scotland
• List of rivers of England