A muddy walk in Weardale (Durham) Nov 1st.
The young lady on local TV promised us a wet morning and a drizzly afternoon. Undaunted six of us left Tyneside for Weardale to walk part of the Weardale Way. (Ray, John H., Harry, Dave, Ben and me.) A two car expedition we met in the car park behind the Durham Information in Stanhope. (A69, A68 at Corbridge, turn off to the right when you spot the sign for Edmondbyers and Stanhope.)
The walk is covered by OS OL Explorer 31, The North Pennines and it's a good idea to take one, we didn't and had some problems. Our original plan was to drive to Wolsingham, catch a bus to Stanhope and walk the winding Wearside Way back. This route climbed uphill at one point and the cloud was low so we had a rapid change of plan and no breakfast. We all had maps for the Wolsingham walk, because we are sensible sixty and seventy year olds.
We arrived in Stanhope with ten minutes to catch the bus to Cowshill further up the valley. It's quite amazing how six elderly but fairly fit gentlemen can get their boots out of a boot and get them on and hurry for a bus , especially when the next one is in one hour and forty five minutes. But we did it, aided by a patient bus driver.
Stanhope car park behind the information centre, free but limited in time. Nobody told us.
At Cowshill the bus stopped by the Cowshill Hotel and so we got off. Walking downhill for a short distance we then turned right up a lane past a few attractive houses to Burtreeford bridge, crossed it and spotted the sign post saying Wearside Way. We were off.
Down the road and turn right
Ready to start.
Initially the way crosses several fields and is on the south side of the river. Easy to follow as there are markers on every gate and stile.
Changing views along the way.
At Wearhead the path crosses to the north of the river but soon returns to the south, crossing more fields to West Blackdene. At some point we stopped at a useful pile of stones for a Herbie.
Dave, Ben and Harry prepare to get going again after lunch; Titans, Ben's ginger biscuits, flapjacks and toffee Bakewell tarts. In spite of this I lost one pound weight on the day
Back on the north and still walking over fields mostly we recrossed by footbridge just beyond Ponderlane.and remained on the south to Westgate village, once the west marker for the Bishop of Durham's hunting range.
It was here that we made a mistake. Unable to spot a marker and not having a map we assumed the footpath remained close to the river. It doesn't, it heads north east to Rookhope and then returns to the Wear by the way of Rookhope burn.
We did however spot the copy of a Roman Altar found in Rookhope in 1869.It is not clear where the original is, Newcastle's Great North Museum probably, it has a large selection of Roman artifacts, being close to the wall.
We walked along the road a short distance before spotting a sign saying Public Footpath. Thinking this was the Weardale Way we wandered across fields to the river and followed a footpath close to the water. Several old mine workings later we realised our mistake and climbed up to the road. We do not like walking on roads, especially those with a lot of traffic and so we were o
Need a telephoto lens really but Young Shep was learning his trade.
Back on the Weardale Way we walked through a caravan park, mostly deserted it being late Autumn and then followed the narrow, stony path next to the Weardale Railway all the way back to Stanhope.
Fossilised tree stump outside St Thomas's church Stanhope.
On the way home we stopped at the Punchbowl in Edmondbyers for light liquid refreshment or coffee.
Although the forecast had been for a rainy day we escaped a soaking. Only towards the end of the walk did the drizzle set in.
Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right, 2019
Matrix for the day
steps miles
NAK 31849 11.56
Dave's Nak 1 24519 11.60
"""""""""""""2 24520 11.60
SM 24510 11.61
OUTDOOR GPS 11.41
The young lady on local TV promised us a wet morning and a drizzly afternoon. Undaunted six of us left Tyneside for Weardale to walk part of the Weardale Way. (Ray, John H., Harry, Dave, Ben and me.) A two car expedition we met in the car park behind the Durham Information in Stanhope. (A69, A68 at Corbridge, turn off to the right when you spot the sign for Edmondbyers and Stanhope.)
The walk is covered by OS OL Explorer 31, The North Pennines and it's a good idea to take one, we didn't and had some problems. Our original plan was to drive to Wolsingham, catch a bus to Stanhope and walk the winding Wearside Way back. This route climbed uphill at one point and the cloud was low so we had a rapid change of plan and no breakfast. We all had maps for the Wolsingham walk, because we are sensible sixty and seventy year olds.
We arrived in Stanhope with ten minutes to catch the bus to Cowshill further up the valley. It's quite amazing how six elderly but fairly fit gentlemen can get their boots out of a boot and get them on and hurry for a bus , especially when the next one is in one hour and forty five minutes. But we did it, aided by a patient bus driver.
At Cowshill the bus stopped by the Cowshill Hotel and so we got off. Walking downhill for a short distance we then turned right up a lane past a few attractive houses to Burtreeford bridge, crossed it and spotted the sign post saying Wearside Way. We were off.
Initially the way crosses several fields and is on the south side of the river. Easy to follow as there are markers on every gate and stile.
At Wearhead the path crosses to the north of the river but soon returns to the south, crossing more fields to West Blackdene. At some point we stopped at a useful pile of stones for a Herbie.
Back on the north and still walking over fields mostly we recrossed by footbridge just beyond Ponderlane.and remained on the south to Westgate village, once the west marker for the Bishop of Durham's hunting range.
It was here that we made a mistake. Unable to spot a marker and not having a map we assumed the footpath remained close to the river. It doesn't, it heads north east to Rookhope and then returns to the Wear by the way of Rookhope burn.
We walked along the road a short distance before spotting a sign saying Public Footpath. Thinking this was the Weardale Way we wandered across fields to the river and followed a footpath close to the water. Several old mine workings later we realised our mistake and climbed up to the road. We do not like walking on roads, especially those with a lot of traffic and so we were o
Need a telephoto lens really but Young Shep was learning his trade.
Back on the Weardale Way we walked through a caravan park, mostly deserted it being late Autumn and then followed the narrow, stony path next to the Weardale Railway all the way back to Stanhope.
On the way home we stopped at the Punchbowl in Edmondbyers for light liquid refreshment or coffee.
Although the forecast had been for a rainy day we escaped a soaking. Only towards the end of the walk did the drizzle set in.
Matrix for the day
steps miles
NAK 31849 11.56
Dave's Nak 1 24519 11.60
"""""""""""""2 24520 11.60
SM 24510 11.61
OUTDOOR GPS 11.41
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