A wee walk from Wolsingham in Weardale

 A wee walk from Wolsingham in Weardale.

Still in lockdown the nation waits for limited release to be announced by Boris Badunov on Monday February 22nd.

To keep my spirits up and perhaps those of others I have revisited a walk done sometime last year. It's fairly easy going, family walk, tables for a picnic too. The walk starts and finishes in Wolsingham, a market town in Weardale County Durham.

The name is derived from that of a Saxon family who lived here, Waelsingas, meaning, apparently, "the sons of Wael". The locals worked hard producing food for themselves and for the Bishop of Durham who spent a lot of time hawking and hunting red deer in the area. The Weardale hunting forest was second only to the New Forest in size. The bishop had his palace in Bishop Auckland, a retreat at Beau Repair (now Bear Park) and a Sunday job.

To get to Wolsingham from base: A69 west A68 South, watch out for signposts for Stanhope and turn east through that town. There is a free car park close to the Waskerley Beck in the Upper Town and also one on the A689 heading west.

The walk is covered by OS Explorer 31 North Pennines and OS Explorer 307 Consett and Derwent Reservoir.

            Parking and preparing in Wolsingham close to the Waskerley Beck. (Heading south! it would be a burn in Northumberland)

But before we set off we breakfasted at the welcoming Number 10, a short distance from the car park, which did a great line in bacon sandwiches.

                                     Ben and Harry outside number 10. 

Filled with food we set off, staying on the footpath on the south side of the beck. After clinging close to the bank and passing waterfalls we headed north west (315 degrees) on a footpath across the fields passing through the High Doctor pasture to park Wall where we turned through a right angle and headed north eastish past High Joffless towards Tunstall Reservoir.

                                  The start

                          Or is it?

                          First sight of Tunstall Reservoir

Having reached the Reservoir Dam we walked alongside the water to a site which contained a hut for fishermen and several picnic tables, seemed like a good spot for a Herbie.

            With a full turn out we fed well. Ginger biscuits from Ben, apple pies, flapjacks, almond slices, cookies and chocolate cake from Mrs A.

Lunch over we struggled on to the north end of the reservoir  where we headed south through Backhouse Wood.

                   A weak and watery sun over Tunstall Reservoir

The walk here is alongside the reservoir through Backstone Bank Wood to Backstone Bank itself.

               A walk in the woods. Well manicured dam too.

From Bankstone Bank the path is across fields for a little over two miles back to Wolsingham passing Baal Hill House and Hollywood and a Holy Well. (See last three photos)  At the edge of the town is a footbridge and once over the car park is close.

On the way home we stopped at the Boathouse pub in Wylam. In dreams

Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2021

The walk is about 7.5 easy going miles.

                      So good I put it in twice.