Weardale Way
Encyclopedia
Weardale Way is a footpath
that follows the River Wear in the North East of England. It is 73 miles long, starting at the Lindesfarne Memorial on the sea wall at Roker
(a part of the City of Sunderland). It then passes through Chester-le-Street
, Durham
, Bishop Auckland
, Wolsingham
and Stanhope
. The path ends outside the Post Office in the village of Wearhead
in County Durham
.
Within the area administered by the City of Sunderland local authority, the route is meant to follow that marked as the River Wear Trail; unfortunately, many of the markers for this route have been removed by vandals. Once the route goes into the area administered by the Durham County Council, it is waymarked
to some extent by plastic disks attached to wooden and metal posts, trees and street furniture
. There are several wooden 'finger' signs along the route that countdown the distance along the footpath
in both directions.
This path is marked on the latest series of Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps, Explorer sheets 305, 307, 308 and OL31 cover the walk.
A guide to the walk is available: The Weardale Way, A Pictorial Walking Guide by Alistair Wallace (Jema Publications, 1997).
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
that follows the River Wear in the North East of England. It is 73 miles long, starting at the Lindesfarne Memorial on the sea wall at Roker
Roker
Roker is a tourist resort and affluent area of Sunderland, North East England, bounded on the south by the River Wear and Monkwearmouth, on the east by the North Sea, to the west by Fulwell and on the north by Seaburn. It is administered as part of the City of Sunderland.The majority of the...
(a part of the City of Sunderland). It then passes through Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street is a town in County Durham, England. It has a history going back to Roman times when it was called Concangis. The town is located south of Newcastle upon Tyne and west of Sunderland on the River Wear...
, Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
, Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland is a market town and civil parish in County Durham in north east England. It is located about northwest of Darlington and southwest of Durham at the confluence of the River Wear with its tributary the River Gaunless...
, Wolsingham
Wolsingham
Wolsingham is a small market town in Weardale, County Durham, England. It is situated by the River Wear, between Crook and Stanhope in North West Durham.-History:Wolsingham sits at the confluence of the River Wear and Waskerley Beck...
and Stanhope
Stanhope
-Places:* Stanhope, Victoria, Australia* Stanhope, Prince Edward Island, Canada* Stanhope, Quebec, Canada* Stanhope, County Durham, England, UK* Stanhope, Kent, England, UK* Stanhope, Peeblesshire, Scotland, UK* Stanhope, Iowa, US* Stanhope, New Jersey, US...
. The path ends outside the Post Office in the village of Wearhead
Wearhead
Wearhead is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated at the top of Weardale between Cowshill and Ireshopeburn. It is named after the nearby source of the River Wear which runs eastwards for approx 40 miles to Sunderland....
in 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...
.
Within the area administered by the City of Sunderland local authority, the route is meant to follow that marked as the River Wear Trail; unfortunately, many of the markers for this route have been removed by vandals. Once the route goes into the area administered by the Durham County Council, it is waymarked
Waymarking
Waymarking is an activity where people locate and log interesting locations around the world, usually with a GPS receiver and a digital camera. Waymarking differs from geocaching in that there is no physical container to locate at the given coordinates. Waymarking identifies points of interest for...
to some extent by plastic disks attached to wooden and metal posts, trees and street furniture
Street furniture
Street furniture is a collective term for objects and pieces of equipment installed on streets and roads for various purposes, including traffic barriers,...
. There are several wooden 'finger' signs along the route that countdown the distance along the footpath
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
in both directions.
This path is marked on the latest series of Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 maps, Explorer sheets 305, 307, 308 and OL31 cover the walk.
A guide to the walk is available: The Weardale Way, A Pictorial Walking Guide by Alistair Wallace (Jema Publications, 1997).
Points of interest on or near the route
- Roker Pier
- Penshaw MonumentPenshaw MonumentPenshaw Monument is a folly built in 1844 on Penshaw Hill between the districts of Washington and Houghton-le-Spring, within the City of Sunderland, North East England...
- Lumley CastleLumley CastleLumley Castle is a 14th century quadrangular castle at Chester-le-Street in the North of England, near to the city of Durham and a property of the Earl of Scarbrough. It is a Grade I listed building.-History:...
- Chester-le-Street Riverside Cricket GroundDurham County Cricket ClubDurham County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Durham. Its limited overs team is called the Durham Dynamos. Their kit colours are blue with yellow trim and the shirt sponsor was...
- Finchale PrioryFinchale PrioryFinchale Priory was a 13th century Benedictine priory. The remains are sited by the River Wear, four miles from Durham. It is a Grade I listed building.-Current Situation:...
- Durham CathedralDurham CathedralThe Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093...
- Durham CastleDurham CastleDurham Castle is a Norman castle in the city of Durham, England, which has been wholly occupied since 1840 by University College, Durham. It is open to the general public to visit, but only through guided tours, since it is in use as a working building and is home to over 100 students...
- Croxdale HallCroxdale HallCroxdale Hall is a privately owned country mansion situated at Croxdale near Sunderland Bridge, County Durham. It is a Grade I listed building....
- Escomb ChurchEscomb ChurchEscomb Saxon Church is one of the oldest Anglo-Saxon churches in England, located in Escomb, approximately 2.5 km to the west of Bishop Auckland, County Durham.-History:...