Bill's Walks

Alan Earnshaw’s Wear Valley Way

Start: Killhope Lead Mining Centre

Click to View Start Position on Google Maps

I have made numerous comments on this walk when discussing the Weardale Way and how the first waymarked route was established in the 1970s and recently whilst digging through some old files I came across the original route description by Alan Earnshaw, the Secretary of the Association of Fell Ramblers and Wayfarers. What now follows is a synopsis of the the original guide from the late 1970s…

The River Wear and its surrounding hinterlands must rate as one of Britain’s most important workshops and the area itself played an important part of our heritage and indeed development. Contrary to popular belief the industries did not confine themselves to just the lowlands, in fact the high fells and dales were just as industrialised around the turn of the century. When our association planned the Wear Valley Way we were not aware of the unique nature of the area, but as we transferred the route from paper to the actual walk we found that we had created a bleak way of moorland beauty.

The extent to which industry had penetrated the area chosen for our walk added, we felt, an interesting feature that could not be ignored, throughout the walk we would be reminded of the labours men had put in to fuel the industries of an industrial revolution. Today many of these places are little more than crumbling ruins, but still they bear in impressive testimony to the extent of industries in the upper Dale.

The walk starts from Killhope Wheel which is situated at the old Park Level Mill on the banks of Killhope Burn some distance above Cowshill, on the A689 Stanhope to Alston road. The crushing plant that once handled the lead ore from a number of seams in Cowshill has been a popular tourist spot for a number of years and accordingly has several amenities which encouraged us to use it as the walks starting point.

Killhope Lead Mining Centre

Leaving the Wheel behind we enter Weardale Forest, access is gained by a footpath several hundred yards up the A689 road (access is also gained by the forestry road which leaves the picnic site near the ford – however the Forestry Commission reserve the rights to refuse access along this track). The forest was planted from 1954 onwards and hides a good deal of the old lead workings and spoil heaps, but some of the old ‘hushes’ and turf built dams can still be seen. At the first of these dams (Kidd’s Dam) the track heads along a fire break and comes out at Cowhurst Hush. This, the largest ‘hush’ in Weardale was created like most other ‘hushes’, water was gathered in turf dams which were released when full, the escaping water tearing earth and vegetation away and exposing the lead-bearing rock below.

After crossing Cowhorse a series of good paths leads the walker into the village of Cowshill. From the village the Allendale road is followed for a short distance before a bridleway leads past Cogley and on to Burtree Fell. At a point where the county boundary is reached, the walk leaves the bridleway and heads over an undefined track to Sedling Fell and Black Hill before reaching Race Head which at 1918ft is the highest point of the walk. Below Race Head a bridleway leads into the metalled road going down Middlehope Bank. Near the bottom of the bank are some very interesting privately owned lead mines, one having a very quaint method of drawing ore to the surface. By using an old van lifted off its wheels the pit head gear is operated direct from the prop shaft. Crossing Middlehope Burn the road now starts to climb to Scarsike Head. At the junction with the Rookhope to Westgate road turn right and after a short while the Way leaves the road by way of a footpath over Red Road and Smailsburn Common which in turn leads us to Rookhope.

Rookhope still remains the centre of the local mining industry and is the home of Swiss Aluminium Mining (UK) Ltd who operate the large Redburn Mine. The walk leaves Rookhope up the old railway line, access to which is gained by a footpath near the public toilets. The railway climbs over 600ft in 17,000 yards and reaches Bolts Law Winding House (ruins). This point was the highest standard gauge railway line ever built in Britain. For the next six miles the line now snakes over Stanhope Common and comes out near to Wetherhill Engine on the B6278 road. From Wetherhill the Way crosses Collier Law and East Colliers Law Moss before reaching Rogerley Hill TV mast. From here a metalled road leads down to the outskirts of Frosterley.

Rookhope Village

Leaving Frosterley the Way passes the Tilcon Quarry at Harehope before climbing a road used as a public path (RUPP) which leads to a farm. Beyond here a path leads up to Harvey Hill and then to the old lead and copper mine shafts on Pikeston. Going by way of Doctors Gate we reach the ruins of Metcalfs House which was an old coaching inn on the Teesdale-Weardale pack route. A path now leads through Hamsterley Forest and along the banks of Ayhope Beck. From Low Redford a choice of routes is offered and the walker will eventually arrive at Bedburn from where a series of paths lead through New Hall and Park House before eventually coming out on the Hamsterley road near to the A68.

Walking down to the A68 and climbing a bank on the opposite side of the road will lead to Witton Castle. Inside the Castle grounds a further path heads down towards the River Wear and Holme House which affords excellent views of Witton-le-Wear Nature Reserve. Another path leads from here along the river bank to Witton Park. Beyond Witton Park a clearly marked path leads all the way to Escomb and then on to Newton Cap on the outskirts of Bishop Auckland.

The last lap of the walk takes to the old Durham to Bishop Auckland railway line and this should be followed all the way to Hunwick. Just beyond the old Hunwick Station a path leads down to the River Wear and then along the river banks all the way to the district boundary at Jubilee bridge near Willington. This is the site of a picnic park and you can take a well earned drink at the refreshment caravan situated here in the summer months.

With the Wear Valley Way the association of Fell Ramblers and Watfarers have attempted a mammoth feat. Hours of consultation were spent with landowners, public authorities, private companies and government departments. During the winter months of 1978 over 200 letters were sent out to every possible person, group or authority who were concerned with the walk. This has been followed by hours of voluntary work, waymarking, building cairns and repairing stiles and gates and whilst most of this work is already completed we still have a good deal of work to do before the walk is officially opened in August.

Following the Inaugural Walk on August 4th 1979 the walk will become a recreational path. That means it will be a path that will accommodate walkers who want to undertake the challenge of the full 46 miles in a 24hr period, or for those who want to do the walk a section at a time over a period of weeks or even months. badges and Certificates will be awarded to all those who complete the walk.

Alan Earnshaw

Addendum
There has been replies from Alan Stewart an ex DCC Ranger and Mike Knipe a current Ranger who has a link to this site. Both have copies of the original book which was published in 1983 by Discovery Guides Ltd of Middleton in Teesdale and printed in Cockfield. The ISBN number is ISBN 086309 016 8 and has chapters on the history of the Wear Valley Way, places of interest on the route, lead mining in the dale and the route plans as well as a appendix on Wear Valley dialects.

There is another book on the Weardale Way by Ken Piggin (JKE Piggin) from a slightly later period which takes the Wear Valley from its source to its mouth and which was published on Dalesman Books. Ken wrote several books including the Nidderdale Way which is an excellent walk. Ken Piggin’s is the best book on the Weardale Way and is in my opinion a better route than a later book published around 2000 on a lowland route. I have searched for a copy at a reasonable price but have been unsuccessful with all prices asking over £20 I`ll just have to keep rummaging around the charity shops etc.

The Weardale Way is an under promoted walk within the county and it would be good to see an updated book on the walk as well as a series of leaflets on a suitable website to complement the route similar to those produced by Hampshire C C on the Test Way.