Bill's Walks

Rookhope to Westgate (Weardale Way)

Distance: 12 miles

Start: Rookhope Village, County Durham (NY 937428)

Click to view start position on Google Maps

Map : OS 87 – Hexham & Haltwhistle

This section of the Weardale Way is the last remaining section to be completed on my walks and means that we have walked the whole of the route from the A19 roadbridge at Hylton to just short of the Killhope Mine.

The reason that this section is last, is that until the advent of the Open Access incorporated in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act there was no satisfactory return route. We do descend through easy open access country back down to the Rookhope Valley but we are on a Right on Way. However there is now a footpath back for most of the way to Rookhope recently created from funds from the Mineral Valleys Project. This is a £5 million grant to improve the environment of the mineral valleys to the west of Co. Durham and evidence of this is abundant in Rookhope. The improved pavements and street furniture in places like Frosterley are all part of the scheme.

Rookhope is an old mining village with a long history. There is evidence that the Romans were active hereabouts. There was a famous skirmish here in 1569. During the Rising of the North, when the local men had been called away to defend Barnard Castle against pro Catholic rebels there was a raid on Rookhope by Border Reivers who stole 600 sheep. The raiders were intercepted on Nookton Fell and four of the Reivers were killed and eleven captured. Such events were not uncommon in the region but this one has remained alive due to the incident being recorded in a 24 verse ballad called the Rookhope Ryde.

As mentioned earlier there was no satisfactory return route and indeed the Weardale Way has had to leave the main Weardale route as there is no path between Eastgate and Westgate. The probable reason for this is this area was a hunting park and the Bishop of Durham excluded any settlement in the area. The village names note the two entrances to the park.

We leave the village just to the north of the pub and cross the burn following the new signs erected under the Mineral Valleys Project and after a brief loop on a lesser walked path emerge onto an old railway line. The railways in this area are interesting. The original line was the Stanhope and Tyne Railway which transported stone, iron ore and lead to the coalfields and reached Stanhope by the Crawleyside Incline. Indeed Stanhope was reached by this route well before the easier route up the Valley. The Weardale Iron Company then built from Rookhope to the Stanhope Railway, connecting at Parkhead before eventually going to Tow Law – this was the highest standard gauge ever built in the UK where it contours Bolts Law. This was built in 1847 and in 1850 they built a further extension to Westgate via Smailsburn and Northgate, to arrive at Scutters Hill and then down a 1 in 5 incline to Westgate. This is the route that we follow.

There are fine views to the south on this section looking over to Westernhope Burn and then Chapel Fell. The section between Smailsburn and Northgate was operated by a water balance system. We then reach Park Burn where the bridge was removed as has much of Park Plantation. The route to here was completed in 1854. The Boltslaw section was closed in 1941 and as a consequence Rookhope was cut off from the rail network. The problem was solved by erecting an aerial ropeway down the valley from Rookhope to Eastgate.

Before Chesterhouse there has been a diversion in the route of the Weardale Way to eliminate roadwalking (March 2007) and the route goes through Warden Hill and along the valley floor, just to the north of the main road, to arrive at Westgate past the side of the church of St Andrew built in 1869.

We proceed across the road and follow the path up Middlehope Burn. This is a fine woodland walk and in Spring is particularly interesting for its great flora which has led to its designation as a SSSI. We pass a beautiful waterfall where the burn descends over slatey sandstone, the subsequent falls being over limestone and in a short distance reach the bousesteads where the individual teams stored their winnings. A short distance further we reach the site of Slit Mine where there are remains of the pit for the waterwheel and the washing floors. On the right note the entrance to Whites Level which was an access to the mine where ponies could be taken in. We continue northwards past disused mine workings and turn up to the open country access road just before Whitley Hills. These roads were created following the enclosures of the lower ground to give access to the higher fells.

A steady pull up (the only one on the walk) takes us to Waltons Allotments and straight over, descending to Wolfscleugh. All of this area bears evidence of the extensive mining in the area and Rispey Mill, which we go through, was the original smelt mill built in the 1600s. A larger one was built in 1700 and served until 1740 when it was replaced by the new smeltmill at Lintzgarth nearer Rookhope built in 1737. The mines here were all owned by the Blackett family until 1883 when they were taken over by the Weardale Lead Company. Prior to the railways the lead had been transported by packhorse to Gateshead on routes such as the Carriers Way and other routes where now only the names of Pack Horse Inns indicate the route taken.

A short section of roadwalking takes us to Lintzgarth and here we cross the river to pick up the new path to Rookhope. The arch over the burn is a remnant of the viaduct that carried the flue and its further course can be traced easily up the hill proceeding in a north-west direction. This whole area was heavily mined and the Boltsburn Mine where flats were discovered under the main vein made this one of the richest mines in England in the early 20th century. The area remained active until quite recently when large quantities of Flourspar were mined at Groverake.

If you feel a shade lighter when you return you are correct as Rookhope has the lowest gravity of anywhere in England. The reason for this was thought to be the presence of bulk granite, which is lighter than most rocks and this was verified quite recently when a borehole reaching down 600 metres (1900ft) found a massive amont of granite under the whole area.

The whole of this area is great for birdlife with many curlew and peewit present. Both of these species are in decline nationally. Wheatear and Meadow Pipits are common as well as the occasional Snipe, and a Merlin was seen during the our last visit.

Much of the information given in this handout is from “The North Pennines: Landscape and Legends” by Iain Brown which l have previously recommended on other walks and which was published in 2006 by Summary House Publications of Woodland, Co.Durham, DL13 5HR.