Hedleyhope Fell is a nature reserve

Nature reserve

A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...

 to the north-east of Tow Law

Tow Law

Tow Law is a town and civil parish in County Durham, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,952. It is situated a few miles to the south of Consett. Tow Law Town football team are based in the town. The town constituted an urban district from 1894 until 1974...

, County Durham

County Durham

County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...

, England. The reserve, which is managed by Durham Wildlife Trust

Durham Wildlife Trust

Durham Wildlife Trust, founded in 1971, is a registered charity which aims to protect wildlife and promote nature conservation in parts of County Durham and Tyne and Wear, England...

, consists of some 200 acres of mainly mid-altitude heathland. It occupies the steep slope on the right bank of Hedleyhope Burn, between the stream and the B6301 Tow Law–Cornsay Colliery

Cornsay Colliery

Cornsay Colliery is a village in County Durham, England. It is situated a few miles to the west of Durham, close to Cornsay, Quebec and Esh Winning....

 road.

The reserve is common land

Common land

Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...

and forms part of Hedleyhope Fell and Cornsay Common.