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5.0 miles
Explorer Map OL31, - North Pennines Teesdale
and Weardale
This walk takes in the old quarrying remains in Frosterley.
Although these relics of past industry are visited, much of the scenery
is highly pastoral. A disused railway track through an old quarry,
in particular, gives you an opportunity to see Nature at its best.
The walk takes you beside the Bollihope Burn for a goodly pat of the
way.
Although there are a few gradients these are fairly gentle.
There are a couple of stiles, but these are well managed and should
present little difficulty.
A map of the route followed has been plotted on the Ordnace Survey
mapping website, By selecting the ink below you will be taken to this
map, - complete with distances and heights marked on the route.
OS
Link
The route shown is on a standard map. To view the route
on an Ordnace Survey map, select the icon in the lower right of the
screen. If the route is dispkayed on a 1:50 OS map, zoom in to see the
details on a 1:25 OS map.
There is also the option to view the route in a satellite image.
Park at the Western end of Frosterley's main street (NZ026
369). This only a small car park, so you may be unlucky at busy times.
Walk Westwards along the main street and a short distance along a road
heads downhill towards Frosterley Station.
Cross the bridge over the River Wear, past the station, and continue to
the Methodist Chapel on your left.
Just past the chapel is a footpath heading East.
Where another footpath leaves this footpath and heads uphill in a Southerly
direction, take this footpath.
At the top of the hill (looking down into a disused quarry) pass through
a gate and then turn right.
Keeping the fence on your right, continue until you come to a field gate.
Now take the path and track towards the road at Low Bishopley Farm.
Turn left on the road and walk down the hill to the entrance to the field
footpath (on your right) to the track beside the Bollihope Burn.
Continue over a footbridge and old quarry workings until you come to a
second footbridge.
Just before the footbridge there is a track that ascends up some steps
to a field footpath that returns you to Low Bishopley Farm.
You may choose to avoid this footpath and simply return beside the Bollihope
Burn to the road at White Kirkley.
Here, head over the bridge to the group of houses, and take the footpath
on your left that is part of the Weardale Way.
Continue on the Weardale Way footpath past the Harehope Gill Lead Mine
(ruins), until you come to where the Weardale Way branches off sharply
to the right.
Here head down the road on your left and continue along the road, crossing
the railway line and then the River Wear,
As you meet the main road, turn sharp left and there is a (hidden) footpath
to the right of an industrial building.
Now continue Westwards on minor roads and footpaths through Frosterley
to return to the car park from where you started.
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