10.4 miles.
Explorer Map No 307 - Consett
This walk is very much for experienced walkers. There
are considerable sections over rough moorland or rough pastureland,
where footpaths are faint at the best. Altogether, the waymarks
designating footpaths are fairly poor, and it is essential to use
the 1 : 50000 scale map to navigate your way around.
It is recommemnded to do this walk when the visibility is high,
- partly because there are some superb views to be had, but also
because finding the faint tracks and footpaths is helped by good
visibility.
For a Memory Map overlay of the walk described, please select the
above link.
(Overlay made with Version 5
of Memory Map)
Some new mapping software is now availabe which you may want to try, - QUO mapping. You can download the software for free from the link below, complete with demonstration maps. Having installed QUO, you can import and export Memory Map overlays. Thus YOU DON'T NEED Memory Map to use any of the overlays provided on the Grey Panthers website, - just use QUO!!
Start from Church Lane in Edmunbyers (NZ01490 49942).
Head Westwards along the road towards the Youth Hostel.
Just past the Youth Hostel, a footpath sigh beside the gate indicates
the path to be followed. Follow the footpath down to where the footbridge
crosses the Burnhope Burn. After crossing the Burn, immediately turn
left and follow thefootpath waymarks to eventually meet the minor
road leading to Muggleswick.
In Muggleswick, take time to view the Parish Church. Then continue
down the lane to Grange Farm. Take the waymarked footpath South to
Calf Hall. At this farm, the footpath South is NOT clear, but a girl
working on the farm directed us to climb over some fncing to enable
us to continue on our way.
When you meet the minor road, turn left and continue until you come
to Dyke House. Opposite this house is a signposted footpath to the
track that leads to Birkhot Farm. The footpath crosses rough moorland,
and you need to use a compass to follow the faint tracks accurately.
From Birhot Farm, take the footpath South East to Cushat Leazes (
a ruined farm) and on to the waterworks at Blackpool Hill.
Walk along the road a short ditance to the Moorcock Inn. Just past
the Moorcock is a footpath to Smiddy Shaw Reservoir.
Walk round the Reservoir to Smiddy Shaw House, then along the reservoir
walls until you come to a set of steps leading you down to the footpath
across the rough pasture land.Head North along this footpath until
you come to a wall, and her turn left. Follow the faint footpath along
the wall, and then North down the valley of the Backstone Burn.
Cross the Hisehope Burn at the footbridge, then take the North West
footpath to Lamb Shield Farm.Continue from Lamb Shield Farm to the
road at East Cot House. To the left of East Cot House is the footpath
that returns you to Edmundbyers.