About the Guide
By Keven Shevels
Mid-Teesdale, that area of land lying between Barnard Castle and Middleton-in-Teesdale, and one of the most popular walking areas in County Durham.
In a series of eight new walks this book explores the varied countryside and history of this small area with walks that traverse the high and low moors that surround the valley, the low lying cultivated farmland of the valley itself, the deep wooded gorges of the tributaries that feed into the Tees and even a railway walk.
The Walks
WALK 1: THE RIGG AND DEEPDALE
A walk exploring a number of small woods in the lower reaches of Teesdale and along the way visits a little-known and isolated piece of prehistoric rock art.
DISTANCE: 6.9 miles (11.1 km). ASCENT: 620 feet (189 metres).
START: Tourist Information Centre, Barnard Castle. (GR NZ 049 166).
TERRAIN: A complete mixture ranging from tarmac drives to field and woodland paths.
FGS Grading: T3 [D1, N1, T0, R1, H0]
WALK 2: GOLDSBOROUGH
Although small in terms of height, the craggy outcrop of rock that is Goldsborough dominates the wild moorland on the south side of the river Balder, one of the major tributaries of the Tees.
DISTANCE: 9.7 miles (15.5 km). ASCENT: 883 feet (269 metres).
START: Cotherstone. (GR NZ 013 194).
TERRAIN: Mainly open moor although there are two stretches of road walking one of which is quite lengthy.
FGS Grading: F5 [D1, N2, T1, R1, H0]
WALK 3: THRINDLE HILLS
Thrindle Hills are a series of low-lying hillson the moors above Eggleston that lead down to Spurlswood Gill and across to Hamsterley Forest.
DISTANCE: 7.7 miles (12.3 km). ASCENT: 1,375 feet (419 metres).
START: The Three Tuns, Eggleston. (GR NZ 000 238).
TERRAIN: Mainly moorland paths and tracks with some short stretches on open moor.
FGS Grading: F9 [D1, N2, T2, R2, H2]
WALK 4: KIRKCARRION
This walk follows a circuit round Kirkcarrion which illustrates the positioning which prompted the use of the hill as a monument to the dead during the prehistoric.
DISTANCE: 7.9 miles (12.6 km). ASCENT: 948 feet (289 metres).
START: Middleton-in-Teesdale. (GR NY 947 254).
TERRAIN: Paths over rough pasture and alongside Grassholme reservoir.
FGS Grading: F5 [D1, N1, T1, R1, H1]
WALK 5: HUNDERTHWAITE
A varied walk that takes in the countryside around the small village of Hunderthwaite, this area being the scene of a battle between the men of Teesdale and the marauding Scots back in 1070.
DISTANCE: 7 miles (11.2 km). ASCENT: 791 feet (241 metres).
START: Hury Reservoir car park. (GR NY 966 192).
TERRAIN: The majority of this walk is on field paths over rough pasture.
FGS Grading: T4 [D1, N1, T0, R1, H1]
WALK 6: TEES VALLEY RAILWAY WALK
In common with many parts of County Durham, Teesdale has a defunct railway line that has been converted into a walkway for public use.
DISTANCE: 10 miles (16 km). ASCENT: 351 feet (107 metres).
START: Middleton-in-Teesdale. (GR NY 947 254).
FINISH: Barnard Castle. (GR NZ 049 166)
TERRAIN: The vast bulk of this walk is on disused railway track with field paths being used at either end of the walk.
FGS Grading: T3 [D1, N1, T0, R1, H0]
WALK 7: STANDING STONES AND A ROMAN ROAD
An open moorland walk that follows the route of an old Roman road over Eggleston Common.
DISTANCE: 9.6 miles (15.3 km). ASCENT: 1,119 feet (341 metres).
START: Parking space alongside the B6282 road. (GR NY 977 248).
TERRAIN: A deceptively tough walk the vast bulk of it being across open moorland.
FGS Grading: F8 [D1, N2, T2, R2, H1]
WALK 8: THREE HIDDEN VALLEYS
This is a special walk and visits three quiet little valleys, all of which are that small that they don't even have a name, well at least not on the OS map.
DISTANCE: 9.4 miles (15.1 km). ASCENT: 1,240 feet (378 metres).
START: The Hagg parking space, Cotherstone. (GR NZ 012 200).
TERRAIN: A complete mix ranging from field paths, tarmac lanes, moorland path and pathless moor which can be a bit boggy in places.
FGS Grading: T6 [D1, N1, T1, R1, H2]
