9.7 miles.
Explorer Map OL31, - North Pennines (Teesdale and Weardale)
Choose a day with good visibility and you will have
a walk which is immensely rewarding in terms of scenery.
on the outward leg, mostly using the South Tyne Trail footpath, you
follow the river to its source.
The return leg is very direct, using the minor road from the source
of the South Tyne all the way back to Garrigill.
There are no particularly sttep gradients, though there are one or
two slippery sections where you follow the stone footpath downhill.
There are quite a number of stiles along the way, some of which cross
stone walls and might prove to be slightly tricky.
Navigation is very straightforward, though it will help immensely
to have a 1 : 25,000 scale map with you.
At one point, - at Hole House Farm, it definitely helps to have a
map to help you find the correct footpath.
For a Memory Map overlay of the walk described, please select the above
link.
(Overlay made with Version 4 of Memory
Map)
Start from the centre of Garrigill village (NY74487 41548).
Head for the road bridge over the River South Tyne to the East of the
village. On the other side of this bridge is a walled lane that heads
uphill.
A hundred yards or so up the hill, a signed footpath on your right leads
through the front garden of a house to Pasture Houses Farm.
From Pasture Houses Farm continue along the waymarked farm footpaths
to Ashgillside Farm, and then onwards to the road North of Ashgill Bridge.
Cross Asgill Bridge and take the footpath that leads you in a South
Westerly direction to the South Tyne Trail footpath. (Do NOT cross the
Ash Gill by the footbridge).
The South Tyne Trail footpath is marked along most of its length by
waymark signs, and the occasional finger post. Basically, keep the river
on your right and you can't go too far wrong.
However, at Hole House Farm the footpath ISN'T marked too well, and
you may need to check your map.
Past Tyne Head Farm the footpath is permissive.
When the footpath meets a farm road, continue along the road to the
sculpture that marks the source of the South Tyne River.(NY753 352).
Now return to Garrigill along the farm road, which becomes a minor road
after a mile or two.
We found that there was virtually no traffic on this road, so although
there are footpaths which run parralel to the road it is reasonably
safe to walk on this road.