The Grey Panthers

A walk with some fantastic views, and much interest. Certainly, the walk is best undertaken on a day when the weather is good and the visibility is clear.
We found that it was almost essential to have a 1 : 25000 OS map to hand in order to follow field patterns, as some of the footpath signs are either missing or poor.
Another area of difficulty was crossing the rough ground from the wind turbines near South Shields Farm to Tow Law, where the footpath is totally hidden by long, coarse grass. Here it was essential to follow a bearing in order to follow the path.
There is a section of road walking along the B6301 between Tow Law and Corsay Colliery which needs a good deal of care.
All-in-all, though, a thoroughly enjoyable walk, - especially the views from hedley Hope Fell.

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 Tow Law, - find a suitable parking place near Dan's Castle (NZ119 393).
Head down the farm lane by the local RC Primary School and follow it all the way to Low West House Farm.
Continue from here along the farm footpath and farm lane to East Hedleyhope.
At East Hedley hope walk up the private road to Stanley Hall Farm. Just past the farm, there is a stile in the wall that allows access to a footpath to the village of Waterhouses. We found that it helped to have a 1 : 25000 OS map in order to follow the footpath correctly.
From Waterhouses, take the road Northwards, and just before the sharp bend in the road take the farm lane towards Hazlet House Farm. Just before the bend in this lane on the approach to the farm, there is a stile which provides access to the footpath West. Where the footpath reaches a small plantation, turn right to follow the footpath up a hill, by-passing the farm.
Now take the lane Northwards to the B6301 Hedley Hill Lane road. Follow the road Westwards (great care needed due to traffic) until you reach the Hedley Hope Nature Reserve.
In the reserve, follow the indicated tracks at the bottom of the valley that head in the direction of Tow Law.
Where you reach the stile that provides access to the footpath to South Shields Farm, head Northwards to the farm.
In the farmyard there is a gate that leads to a track that heads to the wind turbines that have been erected in the farm's fields. Head South Westwards along this track to the wind turbines.
Past the wind turbines, there is a footpath that crosses very rough ground to Tow Law.
You need to follow a bearing on this footpath (access is by a ladder stile).