The Grey Panthers
21 March, - Westgate & Rookhope
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10.2 miles

Explorer Map 307 - Consett & Derwent Reservoir

A walk taken from the magazine "Country Walking".
The first stage of the walk is a delight, going up the wooded valley beside the Middlehope Burn, passing various derelict mine workings.
There is then a stretch of upland / moorland walking. Although the track across the moors is reasonably clear, this stretch is best enjoyed on a day when there is good visibility and good weather. A couple of the field boundaries proved to be quite difficult to cross, due to poor or non-existent stiles.
From Rookhope back to Westgate you effectively follow the track bed of an old mineral railway for much of the way. In the past, this was shown on maps as being the Weardale Way. However, about half way between Rookhope and Weardale, the Weardale Way now follows a track over the moors.
A great walk, though best enjoyed in good weather with high visibility.

Memory Map
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!!

Quo logo

Start Point : Lay-by on the A689 road in Westgate, just opposite a caravan park. (NZ44614 22728).
At the Western end of this lay-by is a track signed "Leading to Weeds". Head up the track towards the houses, and turn right before the houses to cross the Middlehope Burn. Soon after, take the footpath on your left which then follows the East Bank of the Middlehope Burn. Continue, past old mine workings, for just over a mile until you come to open ground. Turn right up a track which leads to a minor road.
Turn right here, past the derelict farm of Shield Close.
When you meet the next minor road. Turn left and walk uphill, past Crook's Altar (seen on your right), until you come to a lane on your right (Red Road). Now head in a North Easterly direction over the moors to Rookhope.
Once down in Rookhope, take the Weardale Way footpath, initially beside the Rookhope Burn. This starts out as a track through a car repair yard, but then continues along the old railway track bed.
Follow the old railway track bed until, where it crosses a little valley on an embankment, it swings left. The newly designated Weardale Way is a footpath on your right. However, keep on the railway track bed and follow it (crossing a few stiles on the way) until you come to Herights Quarry.
Here the footpath has been diverted, - but is clearly signed, to keep you away from the industrial workings.
Continue on the old track bed until you come to a farm lane. Here turn left and then almost immediately right to Side Lane.
Continue along Side Lane until you come to a minor road, then follow this steeply downhill (CARE : Traffic) back to Westgate.