10.5 miles
Explorer Map OL31, - North Pennines, Teesdale & Weardale.
This walk is definitely one that should only be attempted by
experienced walkers.
Although the walk starts and finished on Forestry Commission roads
and tracks which are gentle and easy to navigate, the journey
across the moors from Hamsterley Forest to the Elephant Trees,
and back again, is one which involves trekking across heather
and rough ground with no proper tracks to guide you.
The journey should not be made in poor weather, and it is essential
to have thorough navigational ability to attempt this walk.
If the weather is good, there are some excellent views to reward
you.
For a Memory Map overlay of the walk described, please select the
above link.
(Overlay made with Version 4 of Memory Map)
Some new mapping software is now available 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 the main car park in Hamsterley Forest, near
the Information Centre (NZ09258 31191). Fee to pay.
Follow the road West until you come to the clearing by Low Redford.
Here the footpath leaves on the right by some wooden sculptures, and
continues through woodland until you come to the ruins of Metcalfe's
House.
Here turn left and cross the beck by the footbridge, and continue
uphill for a short distance.
Take the signposted footpath West that leaves Hamsterley Forest and
heads towards Ayhope Shield. Initially the footpath is very faint,
but just past a cairn it becomes a braod, clear track.
Cross the beck at Ayhope Shield, then ascend the gentle grassy slope
using a broad track past a prominent oak tree.
The track takes you to a gate, just past which is a broad shooters'
track.
Immediately turn right at this point and follow the faint footpath
for a hundred yards or so,
To continue, you need to navigate almost due North to the North Grain
Beck. After crossing the beck, set a course of about 340 degrees towards
the Trig Point (387m) that is just short of the Weardale Way footpath.
Once on the Weardale Way track, turn righ past the Elephant Trees.
A little way past the Elephant Trees there is a shooters' track thta
heads SSW across the moors. You may find it easier to follow this
track than take the footpath across the moorland at a bearing of about
135 degrees.
At NZ053 336, take the shooters track that crosses the moors in a
SE direction.
After a short distance, continue in this SE direction, aiming for
the cairn at 375M on top of the small hill.
From the summit of this small hill, set a course across the moors
dor Doctor's Gate on a bearing of about 130 degrees.
At Doctor's gate a track heads due South to Hamsterley Forest.
Follow this track all the way into the Forest, and return to the car
park by Forestry tracks.