Weardale

Weardale is one of the three major Durham Dales and is the one that lies at the heart of the county. The source of the wear is at Wearhead where the waters of Killhope Burn, Welburn and Burnhope merge to form the infant River Wear. From Wearhead the Wear winds itself through sixty five miles of countryside to meet the sea at Sunderland some forty miles away and 1100 feet below its source. Weardale perhaps one of the least visited of the Pennine dales and yet is one of the greatest being surrounded by more fells over 2000 feet than any other dale in the chain. The sheer size of the dale may be daunting, it is not without its dangers, and the normally pleasant moors and fells can rapidly be transformed into a wild scary place where swirling mists, biting cold winds and blizzards may threaten the unwary visitor. Much of this landscape is a high wilderness and must be treated with the respect it deserves.

Historically the dale was associated with the Prince Bishops of Durham. Stanhope Park was the hunting ground of the Prince Bishops where they would hold their famous great chases. The modern villages of Eastgate and Westgate mark the boundaries of the ancient park. These great chases, lead by the Prince Bishops, were grand affairs and the entire Weardale community would be involved, providing the hunters with hounds and food wine and beer.

Weardale is rich in minerals and has a long history of mining, going back to Roman times. The Prince Bishops from the thirteenth century onwards encouraged and benefited from lead mining. But lead mining had its heyday in the nineteenth century. The relics of this activity are littered throughout the dale. The most famous of these is the Park Level Mine at Killhope, which is the best preserved lead mining centre in the country. This site is dominated by the 34 foot water wheel that is used to power the ore crushing and dressing mills.

Map of Weardale

Satellite View of Weardale