Gallery – The Roof of England Walk

You might be lucky and spot an adder whilst following the Roof of England Walk. Find out what to do, particularly if you have a dog.

The footbridge at White Kirkley in Weardale (grid reference NZ024357) is closed until 11/9/2026 or until completion of essential repair works.

Cattle and horses may be inquisitive and approach you, especially if you have a dog.

Wildfires are possible this time of year.

Views from the Roof of England Walk

1 Appleby-in-Westmorland to Dufton

<strong>Start</strong><br>Start of Roof of England Walk Leg 1 - Appleby-in-Westmorland to Dufton.

<strong>Moot Hall, Appleby-in-Westmorland</strong><br>The Moot Hall in Appleby dates to 1596 and was built as a council chamber – a function it still fulfils today. It also serves as a Tourism Information Centre for the town.

<strong>Appleby Horse Fair</strong><br>The Appleby Horse Fair is an annual event in the town. It is a traditional gathering of Romani and Traveller people, and a major event for horse trading and showing. The fair is typically held in early June, from a Thursday to the following Wednesday, with the main days being Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Accommodation in, and near to Appleby, will be hard to come by during the fair dates.

<strong>Wainwright's Pennine Journey</strong><br>The first 3.4km of the route follows Wainwright’s Pennine Journey (WPJ).
The 200+ mile route is based on Alfred Wainwright’s original journey in September 1938 and over half is within the North Pennines National Landscape. Starting in Settle in the Yorkshire Dales, it heads up the eastern side of the Pennines to Hadrian’s Way, then south through the western Pennines back to the dales.

<strong>Flakebridge Wood</strong><br>In the spring Flakebridge Wood has some of the best bluebell displays in Cumbria.

<strong>Murton</strong><br>The village of Murton nestles at the foot of the North Pennines escarpment. The distinctive red sandstone, characteristic of the Eden Valley, is much in evidence as a building stone. These rocks formed from sand deposited in dunes and rivers when this area was a desert plain about 250 million years ago.

<strong>Murton Crag</strong><br>Murton Crag is a prominent scar on the southern slope of Murton Pike. This feature is a layer of hard limestone – itself part of the sequence of limestone, sandstone and shale layers which makes up much of the North Pennines. These rocks formed from limy ooze, sand and mud in the tropical seas and deltas that covered this area 330 million years ago.

<strong>The White Mines in Gasdale</strong><br>The valley below you is Gasdale, along which Murton Beck flows. In the 1800s and 1900s Gasdale would have been noisy and industrial. At the White Mines, which you can see from here, miners worked mineral veins for lead ore and later for baryte. The veins formed some 290 millions years ago, when fluids from deep in the Earth deposited minerals in fissures in the rocks.

<strong>Murton Pike</strong><br>Murton Pike is a conical hill made up of some of the oldest rocks in the area. Nearly 500 million years ago, mud, silt and volcanic ash were deposited on the edge of an ocean. When the continents on either side collided and the ocean closed, the mud and ash were crumpled and altered to form slaty rocks. These rocks are exposed in a belt along the escarpment, forming distinctive conical hills.

<strong>Limestone country</strong><br>Here the path passes a number of small sinkholes, also known in the North Pennines as ‘shake holes’. Limestone dissolves gradually in rainwater. Cracks channel the rainwater into the rock, and slowly widen into a cave system. The overlying soil and rock debris fall in, forming a depression on the surface. You can see many of these shake holes throughout today’s walk.

<strong>Peat restoration</strong><br>Just above the route to your right is an area of peatland which is being restored by the North Pennines National Landscape team. Peat began to form as the climate became wetter around 7,500 years ago. The work here slows down water flow and reduces erosion, allowing bare peat to then be revegetated. Peat habitats are also very important for wildlife and for water supply.

<strong>High Cup Gill</strong><br>Walking along the edge of the valley, heading towards High Cup Nick, you can really appreciate the sheer size of the glacial gill and imagine the size of the ice sheet that once filled it. The sides of the valley were widened and smoothed out as the glacier, encasing tonnes of boulders, gravel and sand, moved across the land.

<strong>High Cup Nick</strong><br>The cliffs of the Whin Sill at High Cup Nick are formed from the dark, hard rock dolerite. The ‘Nick’ itself is technically the gap in the whinstone at the head of the valley – where the beck flows from the boggy High Cup Plain above. During the last glacial period, around 20,000 years ago, the North Pennines lay under a huge ice sheet. Ice and meltwaters sculpted this classic U-shaped valley.

<strong>Nichol's Chair</strong><br>The isolated Whin Sill column is called Nichol’s Chair. It is said to have been named after a Dufton Cobbler, Mr Nichol, who not only climbed to its top, but reputedly soled and heeled a pair of boots while sitting there.

<strong>The Eden Valley</strong><br>As you descend towards Dufton – enjoy the view as it opens out in front of you. On a clear day you will be able to make out the Lake District fells in the distance. The red sandstone rocks that dominate the Eden Valley between you and those distant fells can be seen in the fellfoot villages – including Dufton and Murton.

<strong>Dufton</strong><br>As you walk into the village of Dufton notice the striking red buildings. They are made of a local red sandstone known as the St Bees Sandstone. The name comes from the village of St Bees on the Cumbrian coast. The stone dates from the Triassic Period, around 250 million years ago, and formed from sand deposited in rivers flowing over desert plains.

2 Dufton to Alston

3 Alston to Haltwhistle

<strong>Start </strong><br>Start of Roof of England Walk Leg 3 – Alston to Haltwhistle.

<strong>Alston</strong><br>If you turn right here, you will be in the centre of Alston after walking for 400m. The town has buildings dating back to the 17th century, but its main expansion came in the mid-18th century when larger scale mining developed. Today Alston has a much smaller population than its peak in the 1840s, but it retains a strong identity in its historic buildings, small businesses, and active community.

<strong>Pennine Way National Trail</strong><br>The first 18km of Leg 3 of the Roof of England Walk route coincides with the Pennine Way. The trail starts in Edale, in the Peak District, and finishes 431km (268 miles) later at Kirk Yetholm, in the Scottish Borders. A quarter of the route is within the North Pennines National Landscape. The Pennine Way was Britain’s first National Trail, and in 2025 it marked its 60th anniversary.

<strong>County boundary</strong><br>The footbridge over the Gilderdale Burn marks the county boundary between Cumbria and Northumberland.

<strong>Epiacum Roman Fort</strong><br>As you stand above Epiacum Roman Fort imagine being stationed here in Roman times, it must have felt a long way from Rome. The fort was probably built at about the same time as Hadrian’s Wall in the AD120s. Its purpose being to exercise control over lead and silver mining in the area. It has an unusual diamond-shaped layout and a series of well-preserved ramparts.

<strong>Nook Farm Shop & Cafe</strong><br>If you walk down through the Roman Fort and pick up the track down to the A689 you will find the Nook Farm Shop and Café. They are open most days but phone or check their Facebook page before walking down the hill.

<strong>South Tynedale Railway</strong><br>If you are lucky, you might see trains on the narrow gauge, South Tynedale Railway which runs up and down the South Tyne Valley between Alston and Slaggyford. The original Haltwhisle to Alston Branch Line came into service on 17 November 1952 and ran until 1976.

<strong>Isaac's Tea Trail</strong><br>You have been following the route of Isaac’s Tea Trail since Alston, as well as the Pennine Way. The routes diverge here though – with the Tea Trail heading east to cross Kirkhaugh Bridge, across the South Tyne, and up and over the hills, into the West Allen Valley.

<strong>Maiden Way Roman Road</strong><br>You are walking on the route of the Maiden Way Roman Road. It is a 32km route which linked the Roman fort of Bravoniacum (Kirkby Thore), near Penrith with Magnis (Carvoran) on Hadrian’s Wall. Epiacum Roman Fort is halfway along the road. In effect it served as a shortcut for supplies destined for the central and eastern parts of the Wall.

<strong>A689</strong><br>Take care as you turn right onto the A689 and follow it into the centre of the small settlement of Slaggyford.

<strong>Slaggyford Station</strong><br>If you keep walking up the road for about 100m you will reach the narrow gauge South Tynedale Railway and Slaggyford Station. The line extension from Lintley to Slaggyford was completed in 2017 and, during the season, regular passenger services run to the village once again. At the station you will find toilets and the Little Buffet Car – both of which are usually open when trains are running.

<strong>The South Tyne Valley</strong><br>The South Tyne Valley feels like a gloriously undiscovered place – the tumbling river fringed with ancient woods, leading the eye to the wide, open moorland beyond. In the summer months colourful hay meadows add to the flavour of the valley.

<strong>Burnstones Railway Viaduct</strong><br>As you turn left and walk along the A689 (care) notice the impressive viaduct. This is the Burnstones viaduct, a Grade II listed structure. It was constructed by Sir George Barclay Bruce in 1852 to carry the Haltwhistle to Alston branch line, over the Thinhope Burn. It has six arches, with the most northerly one having a significant skew to carry the railway over the road.

<strong>Maiden Way Roman Road</strong><br>As you make the climb up and across Lambley Common consider that you are still following the route of the Maiden Way Roman Road. After Roman rule came to a close in Britain the route would have been used as a drovers’ road. It was probably named after the Maiden Castle fort which guarded the Stainmore Pass, east of Brough.

<strong>Hartley Burn footbridge</strong><br>On the other side of this footbridge, over the Hartley Burn, the Roof of England Walk route parts company with the Pennine Way. Instead of turning left, bear right across the field.

<strong>Featherstone Castle</strong><br>As you cross over the River South Tyne if you glance to the right, you will see the impressive Featherstone Castle. It is a Grade I listed Gothic-style country mansion, with elements dating to the 13th century. The tallest tower is 14th century. The castle has its origins in the medieval period when the Featherstonehaugh family owned the manor of Featherstone.

<strong>River Tyne Trail</strong><br>On the other side of the footbridge over the River South Tyne turn left and join the route of the River Tyne Trail. The Roof of England Walk shares the same route for the rest of the leg. The River Tyne Trail is a 217km route from Warden, in Northumberland, to the sea at Tynemouth.

<strong>Featherstone Bridge</strong><br>This distinctive, lopsided bridge dates to the 18th century. The single pointed arch is high above the River South Tyne, well above flood levels. It is Grade II listed.

<strong>North Wood</strong><br>The route follows a permissive footpath through North Woods. This is part of the Bellister Estate, which is owned and looked after by the National Trust. In May these woods are fragrant with flowering bluebells.

<strong>Haltwhistle</strong><br>From the top of Bellister Bank you begin the decent to the market town of Haltwhistle. The town nestles beside the River South Tyne and occupies a stunning location between Northumberland National Park and the North Pennines National Landscape and Hadrian’s Wall is close by. It is also thought to be the geographical centre of Britain.

4 Haltwhistle to Allendale

<strong>Start</strong><br>Start of Roof of England Walk Leg 4 – Haltwhistle to Allendale.

<strong>River Tyne Trail</strong><br>The first 10km of Leg 4 of the Roof of England Walk shares the route of the River Tyne Trail, from south of Haltwhistle to the village of Beltingham. The River Tyne Trail is a 217km route from Warden, in Northumberland, to the sea at Tynemouth.

<strong>Plenmeller</strong><br>Take care as you walk through the linear settlement of Plenmeller – the road can be busy. To the south of the small village there used to be a colliery – which peaked in production in the 1920s. Latterly coal was extracted through open cast methods on Plenmeller Common. The site closed in May 2002 and has since been restored to a more natural landscape.

<strong>Unthank Hall</strong><br>Unthank Hall is Grade II listed manor house. It was owned by the Ridley family in the 16th century. Incorporating an ancient pele tower, it was extensively remodelled and extended in 1815 and 1865 and further altered 1900 and reduced in size in 1965. Pele towers are small, fortified keeps or tower houses, free-standing and built with defence in mind.

<strong>Willimoteswick Castle</strong><br>Willimoteswick Castle is a fortified manor house which was the seat of Sir Edward Blackett. The property remained in the Blackett family until the 20th century and is now a working farm. Bishop Ridley, who was burned at the stake by ‘bloody’ Queen Mary in 1555 was born here. It dates to the 16th century and is both a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade I listed.

<strong>Beltingham River Gravels</strong><br>At this point you can either continue to follow the lane or walk through this small Northumberland Wildlife Trust reserve. You will find deciduous woodland and scrub on river gravels. Heavy metal pollution from old mine spoil heaps has created a habitat which enables metal-loving plant species (metallophytes) to thrive – such as alpine penny-cress, spring sandwort and mountain pansy.

<strong>Allen Banks</strong><br>Allen Banks is a dramatic steep-sided gorge, created by the River Allen and has been looked after by the National Trust since 1942. It has extensive ancient and ornamental woodland. At 250 hectares it is the largest semi-natural woodland in Northumberland. It is known for its extensive carpets of wild garlic (also called ramsons) in the spring and early summer. Keep a look out for red squirrels.

<strong>Shingle banks</strong><br>This is a good place to find pebbles of different rocks. Local Carboniferous rocks, especially buff-coloured sandstone, are the most common. You can also find grey limestone and dark grey shale. If you are lucky, you may spot fossil plant remains or worm burrows in the sandstone, or white shelly fossils in the limestone.

<strong>Raven Crag</strong><br>These impressive cliffs are made up of beds of sandstone which were once layers of sand in Carboniferous deltas. Weathering has picked out features that give clues to conditions 320 million years ago. The beds high in the face are very thick and probably built up quickly. Lower layers show fine layering and some cross-bedding.

<strong>Briarwood Banks</strong><br>The woodland up to your right, known as Briarwood Banks, is an area of semi-natural ancient woodland, managed by Northumberland Wildlife Trust. Ash trees dominate but you will also see birch and oak. You might spot some overgrown ruins – this was part of an old industrial complex, possibly related to lead ore smelting in the 1680s.

<strong>Plankey Mill</strong><br>Cross the River Allen at Plankey Mill using the arched footbridge. The buildings were originally an 18th century corn mill, they are built of local sandstone and are roofed with thin sandstone slabs.

<strong>Staward Peel</strong><br>High on a promontory above the path is the ruin of Staward Pele tower. It was originally built as a timber structure in 1316 by Antony de Lucy of Langley. The stone structure dates to 1326 and was built by Thomas de Featherstonehaugh. The ruins of the tower and its gatehouse are Grade II listed. Its setting, including medieval ditches, is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

<strong>River East Allen</strong><br>The East Allen is a fantastic upland river set within the North Pennines National Landscape. A survey in 2022 of a 70m stretch between Allendale and Allen Mill recorded almost 1,500 fish – sea trout, salmon, eels, and stone loach. The river also supports a healthy population of water voles – so much so that it was used as a donor site to reintroduce the mammal to Kielder Water and Forest Park.

<strong>Allen Mill Bridge</strong><br>In the late summer/autumn (particularly October and November) it is possible to see sea trout and salmon trying to jump the weir and run the fish pass. The best time is after a period of rain, especially early morning or evening. It is remarkable to think that these fish are returning from the North Sea to the river of their birth. The strongest fish can leap up to 3m over rapids and waterfalls.

<strong>Allen Smelt Mill</strong><br>To visit the historic Allen Smelt Mill turn right, cross the road bridge and immediately left. Lead mining once generated huge wealth for the East Allen Valley. In the 1850s the smelt mill here was the largest in the country, capable of processing over 2,000 tons of lead ore each year. The flues are the best preserved in England and led from here to chimneys over two miles away on Dryburn Moor.

<strong>Isaac's Tea Trail</strong><br>The Roof of England Walk shares its route from Allen Bridge to Allendale with Isaac’s Tea Trail - a 58km circular walk through the North Pennines. It links Allendale, Nenthead and Alston – following in the footsteps of the legendary lead miner, tea seller and fund raiser, Isaac Holden. Isaac came from a line of West Allen miners but a downturn in the 1830s led to a career change.

<strong>The Blackett Level</strong><br>Started in October 1855, the Blackett Level was to be a seven mile tunnel draining water from the Allenheads Mine. Shafts were sunk between here and Allenheads, and miners tunnelled towards each other deep below the surface. The tunnel never reached its destination – falling 2 miles short. It was abandoned in the early 20th century, the Mine had closed and the industry had largely collapsed.

<strong>Allendale</strong><br>Allendale is a former lead mining settlement. The handsome inns, shops and stone-built houses bear witness to the huge wealth generated through the industry in the 1800s. Visit the churchyard to see Isaac Holden’s memorial. The Allendale Tar Bar’ls festival on New Year’s Eve sees ‘guisers’ – local men – carrying barrels with flaming hot tar through the town with faces blackened by soot.

<strong>Museum of Classic Sci-Fi</strong><br>On the right as you walk up the hill into Allendale notice the small museum. It charts the history of classic Doctor Who and science fiction, as told through original props, costumes and published artwork.

5 Allendale to Blanchland

<strong>Start</strong><br>Start of Roof of England Walk Leg 5 – Allendale to Blanchland.

<strong>Allendale</strong><br>The growth of Allendale was fuelled through the explosion in the lead mining industry in the 19th century. In 1869 the Hexham and Allendale Railway opened but this coincided with the decline in lead mining, on account of cheaper lead imports. The last mines closed in the 1890s and the population rapidly declined. Allendale became a popular tourist destination for Edwardian Tynesiders.

<strong>AONB bench</strong><br>Have a rest on the stone bench, engraved with North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The North Pennines was designated as an AONB in 1988. In November 2023 the area was renamed as a National Landscape – one of 38 across England and Wales. A new name but the same special place it has always been. Our mission is to protect and look after the area and to make sure everyone can enjoy it.

<strong>Roof of England waymark</strong><br>Notice the Roof of England Walk waymark on the fingerpost, as you turn onto Chat’s Lane. You will be following these waymarks for the first 12km of Leg 5 – after which your route coincides with the Way of Light and Wainwright’s Pennine Journey. Keep your eyes peeled for these purple roundels, with the white outline of a lapwing in the middle – the symbol of the North Pennines National Landscape.

<strong>Allendale Chimneys</strong><br>Look out across the East Allen Valley and notice two chimneys on the skyline. These chimneys form part of a large Scheduled Ancient Monument which includes the complex of lead smelting ore hearths, furnaces, and bingsteads next to the River East Allen and the long flues which carried lead fume more than two miles to the chimneys on top of the fell. You passed close by to Allen Smelt Mill on Leg 4.

<strong>Curlews</strong><br>From Chat’s Fell Gate in spring/early summer (May/June) the glorious, burbling sound of curlew is likely to be your constant companion. The curlew is Europe’s largest wading bird. You may see them soaring around, easily recognised by it large, downward curved beak.

<strong>Bridleways</strong><br>You are following a bridleway across the moor, so be aware that you could encounter cyclists, horse riders and all-terrain mobility scooters. In England there are different Public Rights of Way, which are waymarked using different colours. You will see blue arrows on bridleways. Yellow waymarks mean that you are on a public footpath – only for pedestrians and mobility scooters.

<strong>Lambs Rigg</strong><br>Look across the shallow valley towards Lambs Rigg. Notice the chess board appearance of the heather moorland. Large parts of the North Pennines are managed as grouse moors. As you walk notice that patches of heather have been burnt. This is carried out by gamekeepers between 1 October and 15 April, to encourage the growth of fresh heather shoots for grouse (and sheep) to eat.

<strong>Whitley Mill House</strong><br>A mill is known to have stood here since medieval times. The mill is mentioned in a document dated 1350 and then later, in 1591, when it was the property of a John Ogle. In 1598 the mill passed to his wife and it was then sold to Sir Ralph and Sir John Delaval in 1620. It has been converted to a residential property but the weir and leat survive.

<strong>Way of Light</strong><br>As you turn right off the tarmac road, to follow a stony track, the Roof of England Walk shares the route of the Way of Light (one of the Northern Saints Trails) and Wainwright’s Pennine Journey. Look out for these waymarks all the way to Blanchland.

<strong>Dukesfield Arches</strong><br>The Dukesfield lead smelting mill operated from around 1666 until 1835. It was strategically located between the North Pennines and the markets and wharves of Newcastle and it was central to the lead mining, smelting and trading business owned by generations of the Blackett and Beaumont families.

<strong>Speckled woods</strong><br>This stretch of woodland is perfect habitat for the speckled wood butterfly – partially shaded, with dappled sunlight. Adults are on the wing between April and early October and can be seen perching in sunny spots and then spiralling into the air, chasing one another.

<strong>Slaley Forest</strong><br>You enter Slaley Forest here. You might catch a glimpse of red squirrels as you wander through the trees. Grey squirrels have ousted the native reds from most of England but they still find a home in Slaley. The forest is also home to nightjars. These birds are most active at dawn and dusk when they are hunting for insects and are tricky to spot, but you might hear the male’s churring call.

<strong>Ladycross Quarry</strong><br>Many of the sandstone slabs which are used on the roofs in the village of Blanchland (your destination for today) were sourced from Ladycross Quarry – to your right. Sandstone has been quarried here for at least 300 years.

<strong>Cuckoos</strong><br>In early summer, if you are lucky, you might hear a cuckoo as you walk along the track. They are dove-sized birds with a blue-grey back, head and chest, and a stripey black and white belly. They overwinter in Africa and migrate to Britain to breed. They are brood parasites, which means that they lay their eggs in other birds’ nests and ‘con’ them to raise their chicks as if they were their own.

<strong>Derwent Reservoir</strong><br>At the gate look to your left and, on a clear day, you can see Derwent Reservoir glinting in the distance. The reservoir is within the North Pennines National Landscape and, after Kielder, it is the second largest reservoir in North East England. It supplies 28 million gallons (127 million litres) of water every day to the homes and industries of much of Wearside and South Tyneside.

<strong>Grouse butts</strong><br>Just before the track heads off down the hill notice the line of circular, dry-stone wall built, structures on the moor top. They are small shelters used by shooters during a driven (red) grouse shoot. The term ‘butts’ is believed to have originated from targets used for practice shooting.

<strong>Pennypie House</strong><br>As you go through the gate at the bottom of the hill glance to your left. The stone-built building is known as Pennypie House. The name is thought to have originated at a time when pies were sold here to passing drovers and lead miners – for a penny.

<strong>Terraced hillsides</strong><br>The hillside to the left of the track rises to a flat-topped natural terrace. Terrace features like these are characteristic of the North Pennines and are the result of the weathering and erosion of alternate layers of hard sandstone and soft shale.

<strong>Barn and sandstones</strong><br>The barn is made of local sandstone. Sandstones vary by the sizes of the sand grains in them, the type of natural cement between the grains, colours, layers and patterns. These reveal hints about what the environment was like where and when they were formed. The barn is mainly built of gritty sandstone containing small quartz pebbles. The barn roof is made of thin sandstone slabs.

<strong>Old shaft</strong><br>A fenced-off area on the right of the track marks the site of one of many deep shafts that provided access and ventilation to the underground mine workings. These long-abandoned shafts, some over 200m deep, can be dangerous – please keep well clear.

<strong>Shale</strong><br>Shale is a crumbly, fine-layered rock seen here on the right. A large portion of the North Pennines landscape is made up of repeating layers of limestone, shale and sandstone. These layers were formed from sediments such as sand and mud in shallow seas and river deltas between 300 and 360 million years ago. Shale is made up of tiny grains of mud squashed and stuck together.

<strong>Shildon Engine House</strong><br>To your right is Shildon Engine House. This housed a steam-driven engine built in 1806 to pump water from a 200m-deep shaft that connects with the workings accessed by the adit at Shildon Lead Mine. The venture was not wholly successful and steam power was eventually replaced by water power. It was then used as accommodation for lead mining families and came to be known as Shildon Castle.

<strong>Shildon</strong><br>Shildon was once a bustling mining village. It is hard to imagine now but in the 1850s over 150 people lived here. The surviving cottages are built of local sandstone and roofed with thin sandstone slabs. The area of bare ground above the cottages is a mix of old lead workings and quarries.

<strong>Shildon Lead Mine</strong><br>Just before a wooden shed, look through a gateway on the left. A few overgrown stone walls above the stream are the remains of the ore treatment areas of Shildon Lead Mine, where excess rock was removed from the lead ore. A horizontal tunnel, or adit, from the side of the stream here gave access to a complex of underground workings. Lead ore was worked here until the late 19th century.

<strong>Blanchland</strong><br>The buildings of this historic village are made of local sandstone and most of their roofs are made of thin sandstone slabs. Many of these slabs came from Ladycross Quarry in Slaley Forest – which you passed earlier in the walk.

<strong>Fossil plants</strong><br>In front of the tearoom are several large blocks of fine-grained sandstone containing fossil tree roots. This type of sandstone is known as ganister and is fossilised soil upon which lush tropical forests of giant ferns, horsetails and clubmosses grew over 300 million years ago. The fossils are the imprints left where the tree roots once grew.

<strong>Blanchland Abbey</strong><br>Blanchland Abbey was the church, but also the rest of the village. Today’s houses are built on the footprint of those medieval buildings. The abbey was founded in 1165, but very little survives from the 12th century. In the church, the tower is early 13th century, extended upwards in the 14th century. Inside you will find displays which interpret the fascinating history of the village.

<strong>Lord Crewe Arms</strong><br>The Lord Crewe’s story began in 1165 when it was the guest house to the newly-formed Blanchland Abbey. The guest house ran for 400 years until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. The building eventually passed into the responsibility of the Lord Crewe Trustees. The Lord Crewe Arms was born – becoming a place where miners enjoyed a pint. It is still a place to eat, sleep and enjoy.

6 Blanchland to Edmundbyers

<strong>Start</strong><br>Start of Roof of England Walk Leg 6 – Blanchland to Edmundbyers.

<strong>Blanchland</strong><br>As you cross over the River Derwent have a look back at Blanchland. The buildings of the village are made of local sandstone and most of their roofs are made of thin sandstone slabs. Many of these slabs came from Ladycross Quarry in Slaley Forest – which you passed yesterday on Leg 5 of the Roof of England Walk. Sandstone has been quarried here for at least 300 years.

<strong>Way of Light</strong><br>Leg 6 of the Roof of England Walk shares the same route as the Way of Light – one of six Northern Saints Trails. Keep a look out for these waymarks as you journey across the moors to Edmundbyers.

<strong>Edmundbyers</strong><br>Edmundbyers means ‘the cowshed of Edmund’. The Edmund in question is St. Edmund, king of East Anglia from 855 to 869 when he was killed by the Danes for refusing to renounce Christ. Stories abound concerning witchcraft in the village in the 17th century – including Mary Hunter who apparently transformed into a swallow, flew under her neighbours horse, cursed it - causing it to die in under a week.

<strong>St. Edmunds Church</strong><br>The church is dedicated to St. Edmund and dates to the around 1150. Although it is believed that there was a Saxon church on the site before. If you go inside the church notice the ‘eye of God’ in a triangle window. This symbolises the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit and is often seen in church architecture and Christian art.

7 Edmundbyers to Wolsingham

<strong>Start</strong><br>Start of Roof of England Walk Leg 7 – Edmundbyers to Wolsingham.

<strong>Way of Light</strong><br>For the first 4.8km today the Roof of England Walk follows the same route as the Way of Light – one of six Northern Saints Trails. Keep a look out for these waymarks as far as the right hand turn into the woods a km beyond Haverley Lodge.

<strong>Derwent Reservoir</strong><br>If you look to your left you will be able to see the Derwent Reservoir and its dam. The reservoir is within the North Pennines National Landscape and, after Kielder, it is the second largest reservoir in north east England. It supplies 28 million gallons (127 million litres) of water every day to the homes and industries of much of Wearside and South Tyneside.

<strong>Muggleswick Park</strong><br>In the 13th century, Prior Hugh de Derlington enclosed the ground to your right, Muggleswick Park, to create a hunting park. He intended it to rival the Prince Bishop’s Stanhope Deer Park across the moors in Weardale – which you will encounter on Leg 9 of the Roof of England Walk.

<strong>Muggleswick</strong><br>Muggleswick is a scattering of farmsteads. It is a designated Conservation Area with a high proportion of listed buildings and a deep historical association with Muggleswick Grange (a Scheduled Ancient Monument) and with the Priors of Durham. It has been in existence since at least the 13th century. Muggleswick is Old English which implies a settlement of some kind in Anglo-Saxon times.

<strong>Muggleswick Grange</strong><br>‘Muglingwyc’ is recorded in the Boldon Book of 1183, when it was held by the Prior of Durham. Prior Hugh de Derlington built the grange in the mid 13th century – the ruins of which you can see from here. The Grange acted as the headquarters for what became an extensive sheep and cattle ranch in the 15th century.

<strong>All Saints Muggleswick</strong><br>A church (separate from the Grange) stood in Mugglewick in the mid 13th century – probably on the site of the present church, which dates to 1728, with further rebuilding in the 19th century. The headstone surrounded by railings between the church and the lych gate is a memorial to the Mayor family, of Nanny Mayer’s Incline fame - more of this later.

<strong>Lych gate</strong><br>The lych gate was installed in 1933/4 and is dedicated to the memory of Utrick Alexander Ritson and his wife Annie, who lived at Calf Hall, just a field away from the church. It is made out of seasoned battleship teakwood from HMS Powerful. See if you can spot the initials of their sons and daughters (who erected the gate) carved into the posts.

<strong>Roof of England Walk waymarks</strong><br>The Roof of England Walk route stops following the Way of Light Northern Saints Trail route here. Turn right over a stile into the wood and follow Roof of England Walk waymarks all the way to Wolsingham.

<strong>Derwent Gorge</strong><br>If you look down the valley from here you can see the steep-sided Derwent Gorge and Muggleswick Woods National Nature Reserve. The reserve was designated in 1992 and sits between Muggleswick and the village of Castleside to the west. It contains some of the finest ancient oak woodland in North East England and also some important semi-natural grasslands and lichen assemblages.

<strong>Lapwings</strong><br>The field on your left along the North Horsleyhope Burn is alive with displaying lapwings in the late spring to early summer (mid-March to June). Lapwings (also known as peewits) have a characteristic wavering, tumbling flight and are easily recognised due to their black-and-white appearance and a splendid crest. They like wet grasslands like this where they can find abundant insect food.

<strong>Nanny Mayer's Incline</strong><br>Nanny Mayer’s Incline was named after a lady who ran a tavern by the side of the railway which was built over the moors to take ironstone and limestone to the Consett works. The ‘self-acting’ incline is three-quarters of a mile in length at a gradient of one in fourteen. The carriages travelling down were attached to a cable which pulled those on the opposite rail up.

<strong>Waskerley Way</strong><br>You are following the Waskerley Way – a 15.5km railway path from just above Stanhope in Weardale to the urban fringe of Consett. It is shared use so look out for cyclists and horse riders. You might also encounter cyclists tackling the Sea to Sea (C2C) cycle route – the UK’s most popular challenge ride from Cumbria to Tyneside (137 miles).

<strong>Burnhill Nature Reserve</strong><br>This stretch of the Waskerley Way goes through the Burnhill County Wildlife Site. If you’re walking through between June and August you may be lucky enough to spot small pearl-bordered fritillary, dark green fritillary and dingy skipper butterflies. Several species of orchids also find a home here.

<strong>Longburnford Quarry natureReserve</strong><br>Longburnford Quarry is a small heathland and wet grassland site which is important for rare butterflies and reptiles. It is owned and managed by Durham Wildlife Trust and is only 1ha in size. It was initially acquired to conserve the small pearl-bordered fritillary – the rarest butterfly in County Durham. There isn’t any access to the site but butterflies can be seen from the roadside verge.

<strong>Tunstall Reservoir</strong><br>Tunstall Reservoir is managed by Northumbrian Water Ltd to help regulate water levels in the River Wear. The dam was finished in 1879 and a £3m investment programme to maintain and improve resilience at the site was completed in 2024. The earth embankment construction, across the valley of Waskerley Beck, is 310m long and 25m high.

<strong>Backstone Bank Wood</strong><br>Backstone Bank Wood is an ancient woodland – meaning that it has been continuously wooded since at least 1600. It is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It was coppiced in the 15th century to produce charcoal for iron smelting. Charcoal gives out twice the heat of its equivalent weight in wood when burnt, providing the high temperatures needed for iron smelting.

<strong>Fishing on Tunstall Reservoir</strong><br>Fishing at Tunstall is reserved for members of the Tunstall Fly Fishers Club and operates on a catch-and-release basis after the first fish is caught. The 66-acre reservoir is home to both stocked rainbow trout and wild brown trout.

<strong>Baal Hill Wood</strong><br>The woodland you can see below you is Baal Hill Wood, a Durham Wildlife Trust nature reserve and a designated Sit of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Directly below where you are standing is the site of the Bishop’s Oak, an impressive veteran tree thought to be over 400 years old. It is a surviving ancient woodland relic and was owned in the 14th century by the Durham Prince Bishops.

<strong>Godric’s Well</strong><br>At the bottom of the hill turn left and walk 20m to visit Godric’s Well. It was built in the 18th century and is associated with St Aelric and St Godric, who lived here as hermit and trainee around 1106-7. Godric was a pedlar, merchant and sailor. After visiting Lindisfarne he decided to become a hermit and met Aelric, a former Durham monk, who taught him the hermit life here in Wolsingham.

<strong>Wolsingham</strong><br>Wolsingham sits at the confluence of the River Wear and Waskerley Beck and was one of the first market towns in Co. Durham. The first mention of the town is in Reginald of Durham’s Life of Godric in which he says the saint lived here 1106-7. In 1667 the town’s market charter was confirmed. There was a major ironworks in the town between 1864 and 1984.

8 Wolsingham to Stanhope

<strong>Start</strong><br>Start of Roof of England Walk Leg 8 – Wolsingham to Stanhope.

<strong>Wolsingham Methodist Church</strong><br>The Methodist chapel on the right of the route dates to 1862. It is actually the third Wesleyan chapel to be established in the town. The first (est. 1776) in Meeting House Lane was in use until 1836. The second (larger, with Gothic windows) on the main street was in use from 1836. Methodism was a strong movement in the North Pennines, taking root in the lead mining communities.

<strong>Weardale Railway</strong><br>The trail crosses the route of the Weardale Railway with Wolsingham Station is to your left. The line originally ran from Bishop Auckland to Wearhead, a distance of 25 miles. It was started as an offshoot of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1847 to transport material to the ironworks of Teesside and, by 1895, it had been extended along the dale as far as Wearhead.

<strong>Wolsingham</strong><br>Take a look to your right, there is a good view of Wolsingham.

<strong>Heather moorland</strong><br>Large parts of the North Pennines are managed as grouse moors. As you walk across the moor, you will notice patches of heather which have been burnt. This is carried out by gamekeepers between 1 October and 15 April. The intention is to encourage the growth of fresh heather shoots for grouse (and sheep) to eat.

<strong>Adders</strong><br>You might see adders along tracks like this. They are the only venomous snake in the country. Adults are usually 60–80cm long, with a zigzag pattern along the centre of the back. If you do see one, remember ‘SSS’ – Stop, Step back, Smile. They are shy and will usually move away. Keep dogs on leads and never try to touch or pick one up. You can submit any sightings to iRecord.

<strong>The Elephant Trees</strong><br>The route turns right downhill just before you reach the small clump of trees, known locally as the Elephant Trees. You will have seen this prominent feature on the skyline yesterday on leg 7 as you approached Baal Hill House in the Tunstall Valley.

<strong>View of Frosterley</strong><br>As you walk downhill, notice the village nestled in the bottom of the dale. This is Frosterley, a small village of stone-built terraces, former quarrymen's cottages. The Great Limestone outcrops at river level here and so it was a focus for quarrying in the 19th century. Originally it was the terminus of the Weardale Railway, which opened from Witton Junction on 8 August 1847.

<strong>Frosterley</strong><br>The route turns left here and follows the track along the top of Harehope Quarry. If you want to visit Frosterley carry straight on, downhill, past the entrance to the disused quarry, cross over the railway and the River Wear and turn left on the A689. It is about a km away. To rejoin the route either retrace your steps or follow the minor road to White Kirkley.

<strong>Harehope Quarry</strong><br>Harehope Quarry is a Local Wildlife Site with areas of wet woodland, species-rich limestone grassland and ponds and rivers. A former limestone quarry which began on a small-scale in the 12th century with larger-scale quarrying between 1901-31 and 1954-87. It is now run and managed by Aquatic Environments, with the help and support of the Harehope Quarry Project, a workers’ co-operative.

<strong>Frosterley Marble exposure</strong><br>This is an optional out and back to see an exposure of Frosterley Marble in the stream bed. Continue downhill for 100m (on a permissive path) through a gate and down some stone steps to a wooden footbridge. Frosterley Marble is a fossil-rich limestone that is found near the top of the Great Limestone and is exposed and polished by the riverbed at the western end of the quarry.

<strong>Harehope Gill Lead Mine</strong><br>To the right of the panel is the remains of the old mineshop. Just as you cross the stream look left and glimpse the old horse level mine entrance. The mine dates back to 1769 when the London Lead Company first leased this land. The mineshop is where miners lodged during the week, while their family stayed at home and worked the land.

<strong>Bishopley Limekilns</strong><br>The limekilns were built around 1847 and were originally owned by the Wear Valley Railway Company. Limestone came by rail from the quarries nearby. They eventually fell into disuse with production later reinstated in a couple of kilns. In the last period of working, ending around 1975, limestone came from Broadwood Quarry, and lime was sent in lorries as far afield as Dumfries.

<strong>Fine Burn Quarry cutting</strong><br>This path and the cutting you are walking through is the old route of the railway which was used to transport limestone to the Bishopley Limekilns less than a kilometre away. In the kilns the limestone was processed to produce quicklime, for use in agriculture and for mortar in the building industry.

<strong>Parson Byers Quarry</strong><br>The rock face stretching out in front of you is the disused Parson Byers Quarry. It is one of many in Weardale which worked the 20m-thick Great Limestone. The rock won has been used as a flux in iron and steel making, and for making lime, cement, aggregate and roadstone. The industry flourished with the coming of the railway in the mid 1800s and continued for 100 years.

<strong>To visit Stanhope</strong><br>At the entrance to Heather View Caravan Park, the Roof of England Walk continues following the Weardale Way but if you intend visiting Stanhope you can continue following the minor road, downhill and to the right. Cross over the Weardale Railway and the Wear and when you reach the A689 turn left.

<strong>Stanhope</strong><br>As you approach the end of leg 8, the settlement on the other side of the River Wear is Stanhope, the ‘capital of the upper dale’. St. Thomas’ Church dates to the 13th century. The fossil tree in the church yard is worth seeing. Stanhope Old Hall was founded in the 13th century and was one of the largest fortified houses in Weardale. Stanhope Castle in the market place was built in 1798.

10 St. John’s Chapel to Saur Hill Bridge

<strong>Start</strong><br>Start of Roof of England Walk Leg 10 – St John’s Chapel to Saur Hill Bridge.

<strong>Coronation Bridge</strong><br>This bridge across the Wear was opened in 1837 and commemorates the coronation of Queen Victoria. If you look uphill to the right, you can see Newhouse (with its stone-framed windows) on the dale side. This grand house was built towards the end of the 17th century by the WB Lead Company for its chief Weardale agent and was the lead mining headquarters until 1882.

<strong>Weardale Museum</strong><br>The Manse (clergyman’s house) in Ireshopeburn, built in 1804, is now the Weardale Museum. Its well worth a visit to find out more about the life, landscapes and heritage of the dale. Volunteer-led, the Weardale Museum is dedicated to preserving the history & heritage of Weardale and its people. Open seasonally between April and October.

<strong>Grasshill Causeway</strong><br>The Grasshill Causeway is the highest legal through-road in the UK. The route is tarmac in places but it is mostly a rough ‘green lane’. Be aware as you climb up and over into Teesdale that there may be motorised traffic on the route.

<strong>Burnhope Reservoir</strong><br>The reservoir was created by the construction of an earth embankment dam across the Burnhope Burn, a tributary of the River Wear. It was completed in 1937. It is owned and operated by Northumbrian Water Ltd and supplies drinking water to Weardale communities, via a treatment works at Wearhead. It is also connected, by pipeline, to Waskerley Reservoir, almost 18km away as the crow flies.

<strong>Cottongrass</strong><br>During May/early June you are likely to see drifts of cottongrass on the left side of the track. It is actually a member of the sedge family and so isn’t a true grass. The fluffy white seed-heads resemble cotton as they bob in the wind, bringing the moors alive in the summer. An alternative name for this characteristic plant is bog cotton, indicating that it likes to grow on peat bogs.

<strong>Line of grouse butts</strong><br>The line of black, wooden sunken features just to the right of the track are grouse butts. Butts are small shelters used by shooters during a driven (red) grouse shoot. The term ‘butts’ is believed to have originated from targets used for practice shooting.

<strong>Golden plover</strong><br>You are quite likely to see golden plovers here during spring and early summer. They are medium-sized birds with a distinctive gold and black summer plumage. They visit the North Pennines seasonally, returning to the moors to breed. Typically they are very upright birds which run in short bursts. They can be shy and wary on their breeding grounds. Their main call is a clear, sad sounding whistle.

<strong>Great Stony Hill</strong><br>An optional out and back route from the watershed between Weardale and Teesdale (0.5km each way following the fence line to the white trig point at NY 82368 35940). This viewpoint at 708m high has panoramic views of Upper Teesdale, Weardale and the Pennine escarpment of Great Dun Fell (with its ‘golf-ball’ radar station), Little Dun Fell, and Cross Fell (the ‘top’ of the Pennines at 893m).

<strong>Coldberry End hush</strong><br>On the left side of the track, as you begin your descent, notice the rocky, linear feature. This was probably small-scale opencast mining for lead ore. It is associated with the Coldberry High Level, a disused lead mine. As you walk down into Teesdale there are lots of similar areas of old workings and spoil heaps dotted about in the landscape.

<strong>View of Cow Green Reservoir</strong><br>As you contour along the stone track, look to the southwest (straight ahead) and on a clear day you will just be able to see a body of water glinting in the distance. This is Cow Green Reservoir. Keep walking and in about 7km you will be walking alongside it.

<strong>Meldon Hill</strong><br>As you reach the road look to your right and notice the hill in the distance. This is Meldon Hill, on the other side of Cow Green Reservoir. Smooth hill shapes like this are a legacy of the last ice age. About 20,000 years ago ice up to one kilometre thick streamed across the landscape, scouring and scraping the fells and dales.

<strong>Cow Green viewpoint</strong><br>If you keep walking straight ahead on the road (instead of bearing left), in 0.5km you will reach a panoramic viewpoint overlooking Cow Green Reservoir. There are interpretation boards which explain the geology, wildlife and heritage of the area. It is also a Dark Sky Discovery Site. The North Pennines is the darkest mainland National Landscape, making it a great place for stargazing.

<strong>Cow Green Reservoir</strong><br>Cow Green is a 3km long reservoir completed in 1971. It is a regulatory reservoir, meaning it releases water into the Tees during dry conditions. Its construction was controversial as campaigners were concerned that rare plants, such as the Teesdale violet, would be threatened. About a tenth of the Teesdale violet's habitat was destroyed by the reservoir's construction.

<strong>Slapestone Sike</strong><br>Cross over Slapestone Sike. Here the water emerges out of the limestone bringing with it dissolved minerals. This mineral-rich water produces flushes where bryophytes (mosses and liverworts), sedges and plants, such as bird’s-eye primrose, grow.

<strong>Rod's Vein</strong><br>At point 6 on the numbered nature trail you can see a spoil heap and the concrete cap of Rod’s Vein, the remains of a baryte mine. The main entrance to the mine is now submerged under the reservoir. Veins are vertical bands of mineral that fill up fissures and faults within the surrounding rocks. Baryte was mined here until 1952 for use in the paint and chemical industries.

<strong>Sugar limestone</strong><br>The crumbly white rock to the left of the road is known locally as sugar limestone. It is technically a marble, i.e. a limestone (in this case Melmerby Scar Limestone), that has been altered and recrystallized by intense heat from the Whin Sill. Such rocks are called metamorphic rocks. This special rock supports the ‘Teesdale Assemblage’, famous amongst botanists.

<strong>Flat-topped hills</strong><br>Look across the reservoir at the distant flat-topped fells. Their bulky shapes and flat tops reflect horizontal layers of limestone, sandstone and shale.

<strong>Cow Green Dam</strong><br>Because of the different geology on each side of the River Tees, the eastern (right) half of the dam is built of concrete tied into the Whin Sill, while the western (left) half is a earth dam built over boulder clay.

<strong>Top of Cauldron Snout</strong><br>The waterfall at Cauldron Snout is formed as the River Tees flows across a very hard outcrop of the Whin Sill dolerite. Notice the vertical cracks in the rock which are known as columnar joints. They formed as the magma contracted during the final stages of cooling. This is similar to the formation of the famous columns at the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland and Fingal’s Cave in Scotland.

<strong>Bottom of Cauldron Snout</strong><br>The Whin Sill dolerite forms both the lip of the waterfall and many small craggy outcrops. The smooth, grassy western bank is the old channel of the river, dating back to before the last glacial period, beginning around 115,000 years ago. The old valley filled up with boulder clay deposited by the ice. When the ice melted the river diverted and cut a new channel through the hard dolerite.

<strong>Falcon Clints</strong><br>Between Cauldron Snout and Widdy Bank Farm the river flows in a steep-sided valley cut through the Whin Sill on the left. Downstream from the waterfall more sugar limestone may be seen beneath the dark grey crags of the Whin Sill. Notice the striking vertical columns of dolerite in the cliffs on Falcon Clints, and further downstream on Cronkley Scar.

<strong>Conglomerates</strong><br>The footpath here crosses small outcrops of a darker, rubbly-looking rock known as a conglomerate. It is made up of pebbles of older rocks set in mud. The conglomerate dates back to the Carboniferous Period (350 million years ago) when an ancient mountain chain was being eroded. Over time the sea level rose and the conglomerate was buried beneath layers of limestone, shale and sandstone.

11 Saur Hill Bridge to Middleton-in-Teesdale

<strong>Start</strong><br>Start of Roof of England Walk Leg 11 – Saur Hill Bridge to Middleton-in-Teesdale.

<strong>View of Cronkley Scar</strong><br>If you look across the Harwood Beck to the southwest you will see the crags of Cronkley Scar. This dramatic feature in Upper Teesdale is made out of whinstone (a form of dolerite). It formed 295 million years ago when molten rock solidified underground. After millions of years of erosion it is now exposed at the surface.

<strong>Whitewashed</strong><br>Notice that Wheysike House, on the other side of the Harwood Beck, is whitewashed. This indicates that it is part of Raby Estate, owned by Lord Barnard of Raby Castle. Legend records that a former Duke of Cleveland was refused shelter in a Teesdale farmhouse, which he thought he owned. Feeling humiliated he decided that all of his buildings should be painted white to allow easy identification.

<strong>Spring gentians</strong><br>Between April and early June you might see these small (15-30mm across), deep-blue flowers on this bank beside the Harwood Beck. Best seen on warm, bright days, look out for a delicate plant with a solitary, intense-blue flower, like a tiny, five-pointed star. It is a striking symbol of Teesdale and is found in only a few other places in Great Britain, such as the Burren in Western Ireland.

<strong>Confluence</strong><br>Notice that the Harwood Beck/Langdon Beck joins forces with the River Tees here. Just over 80 miles (130km) later the rushing water you see here reaches the North Sea at Tees Mouth, Middlesbrough.

<strong>Moor House-Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve</strong><br>As you cross over the Tees you are entering one of the largest National Nature Reserves in England. Moor House-Upper Teesdale is famous for its unique Arctic-Alpine plants which have survived in this part of northern England since the last Ice Age. The reserve encompasses an almost complete range of typical upland habitats typical of the North Pennines – from hay meadows to summit heaths.

<strong>Juniper wood</strong><br>As you reach the top of the short, rocky, climb notice the prickly, evergreen shrubs. You have entered England’s largest juniper wood. Some of the bushes are pretty vintage, over 250 years old. This wood is a relic of the woods that grew here after the ice age ended around 15,000 years ago. Berries on the bushes provide welcome food for mice, voles and migrating birds like fieldfares.

<strong>Force Garth Quarry</strong><br>Force Garth Quarry opened in 1932 and is the sole remaining whinstone (dolerite) quarry in the North Pennines. The quarry produces between 250,000 and 300,000 tonnes a year.

<strong>Bleabeck Force</strong><br>If you glance to your right as you cross the footbridge opposite Force Garth Quarry you will see the waters of the Blea Beck tumbling over Bleabeck Force.

<strong>Top of High Force</strong><br>Take care as you approach the top of High Force – one of the most impressive waterfalls in England. Be aware of natural hazards, sheer drops, slippery rocks and fast-flowing water. High Force is considered to be the biggest waterfall in England - by volume of water dropping 21m over the Whin Sill lip. J.M.W Turner painted it in 1822 and people are still drawn to witness its sheer power.

<strong>High Force viewpoint</strong><br>High Force plunges over the Whin Sill – a hard dolerite rock. Below the Whin Sill you can see layers of sandstone and limestone, part of the sequence of rocks that make up most of the North Pennine landscape. ‘Force’ comes from ‘foss’, the Old Norse word for waterfall.

<strong>Coldberry Gutter</strong><br>The v-shaped notch on the skyline is called Coldberry Gutter. This huge landscape feature was probably first cut by flowing water as glaciers melted at the end of the last ice age. A lead vein also runs through it which was worked by miners from at least the mid-18th century.

<strong>Dippers</strong><br>Keep your eyes open as you walk along this stretch of the river as you are quite likely to see dippers. Look for a compact, short-tailed, bird with a characteristic whirring flight. When it perches on rocks it tends to bob up and down, with its tail sticking up. Its white breast contrasts with darker body plumage. They dive in and out of the rapids hunting insect larvae and freshwater shrimps.

<strong>Low Force</strong><br>Low Force tumbles over the Whin Sill, a layer of hard rock called dolerite, known locally as whinstone. The Whin Sill formed 295 million years ago, when molten rock rose up from within the Earth and spread out between layers of limestone, sandstone and shale. The molten rock cooled and hardened underground. Millions of years of erosion have exposed the Whin Sill at the surface here at Low Force.

<strong>Wynch Bridge</strong><br>The Wynch Bridge was originally built, in 1741, so that lead miners from Holwick could cross the river to work in mines on the north side of Teesdale. In August 1802, as a party of haymakers was crossing, one of the chains snapped; three men fell into the river and one drowned. It was repaired, but in 1830 it was replaced by the present bridge.

<strong>Low Force bluebells</strong><br>The best displays of bluebells, near Low Force, are found here. If you’re walking in late April or early May you are likely to see them at their best. Please stick to the path – bluebells can take many years to recover from being trampled. Because they flower earlier than many other plants they are very beneficial to bees, butterflies and hoverflies which all feed of their nectar.

<strong>Mine entrances</strong><br>In the fields on your right there are two gated mine entrances with small spoil heaps. These are old trial mines which explored some minor mineral veins. The miners were originally looking for lead ore, but there is very little in the veins here. The veins are, however, rich in zinc and iron ores. Unfortunately the deposits were not large enough to be worked economically.

<strong>Crinoids at Scoberry Bridge</strong><br>Cross the bridge over the Tees and have a look for fossils in the flat Cockleshell Limestone outcrop by the river. The picture is a cross section of a crinoid stem. Crinoids were anchored to the sea floor and swayed in the currents, catching particles of food with bony arms. They are common fossils in North Pennine limestones. Tip: splash some water on the fossils to make them stand out.

<strong>Hay meadows</strong><br>In early summer hay meadows like this one are full of colourful wild flowers like yellow rattle, meadow buttercup and red clover. The North Pennines has over 40% of the UK’s upland hay meadows, which survive because many farmers practise traditional low-intensity farming methods.

<strong>Crossthwaite Quarry</strong><br>The quarry you can see from here is a disused whinstone quarry called Crossthwaite Quarry. It is one of two old quarries off the road between Middleton and Holwick. In the 1920s it employed nearly 150 men. The whinstone was used to make ‘setts’ i.e. brick-shaped blocks used to cobble roads. It was ideal for this use because whinstone is a very hard rock.

<strong>Bluebells</strong><br>When the bluebells bloom in late April-early May you can be confident that spring is in full flow in the North Pennines. This section, with fringes of woodland, is an especially good for a bluebell display. Bluebells are associated with ancient woodland – so if you see them it is possible that there’s been woodland thereabouts since 1600.

<strong>Ash trees</strong><br>Ash trees are very prominent in the Teesdale landscape – often occurring as field trees. As the fungal disease, ash dieback, spreads it is likely that the visual character of the dale will change. However, it is thought that 1-5% of trees may show reasonable tolerance of the disease – so there is hope that this iconic English tree species could eventually recover.

12 Middleton-in-Teesdale to Tan Hill Inn

<strong>Start </strong><br>Start of Roof of England Walk Leg 12 – Middleton-in-Teesdale to Tan Hill Inn.

<strong>The Pennine Way</strong><br>Leg 12 of the Roof of England Walk route coincides with the Pennine Way National Trail. The trail starts in Edale, in the Peak District, and finishes 431km (268 miles) later at Kirk Yetholm, in the Scottish Borders. A quarter of the route is within the North Pennines National Landscape. The Pennine Way is Britain’s first national trail and in 2025 marked its 60th anniversary.

<strong>View of Middleton-in-Teesdale</strong><br>If you pause and take a look behind you there is a good view of Middleton-in-Teesdale. Middleton was an important centre for the North Pennines’ lead mining industry. It was developed by the London Lead Company. Lead mining dominated employment between the 1700s and 1900s. At its height, 90% of Middleton’s employed people were directly involved in mining.

<strong>Kirkcarrion</strong><br>When you reach the cairn look to your left and notice the wooded hill top, known as Kirkcarrion. It is a local landmark in Upper Teesdale. The origin of the name is believed to be from Carreg Caryn, which translates to ‘Caryn’s burial mound’. It dates to the Bronze Age and the trees contain a burial site.

<strong>Lunedale view</strong><br>As you cross the line of a tumbled down wall you will be greeted by spectacular views of Lunedale. The River Lune flows through the dale stretched out in front of you before it joins the River Tees. The flow of the river is broken by the two reservoirs of Selset and Grassholme. Broadly parallel to Lunedale, and to the south, is the remote Baldersdale.

<strong>Wythes Hill tuck shop</strong><br>The honesty box tuck shop at Wythes Hill Farm is one of several along the length of the Pennine Way. Whilst not to be relied upon, they can be a welcome treat for weary walkers who bring cash. It is also possible to fill up with water at the farm using an outside tap.

<strong>Grassholme Reservoir</strong><br>Notice the small picnic site at the end of Grassholme Reservoir. There’s a great view and also a circular walk around the water, although you’re unlikely to have spare energy for it today. The reservoir is owned and run by Northumbrian Water and is one of the top ‘any method’ fisheries in the country.

<strong>Grassholme Observatory</strong><br>If you turn left here and walk for 2.3km along the southern side of the reservoir, you will reach a small visitor centre and the Grassholme Observatory. The North Pennines is the darkest mainland National Landscape and is a great place for stargazing.

<strong>Hannah's Meadow nature reserve</strong><br>Hannah’s Meadow is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is owned and managed by Durham Wildlife Trust. The meadow is best visited in June and early July to see traditional hay meadow flowers, such as ragged robin, wood crane’s-bill, marsh marigold, yellow hay-rattle, and globe flower. Visit the barn which houses some interpretation boards to find out more.

<strong>Low Birk Hatt</strong><br>The original owner of the hay meadow you’ve just walked through, Hannah Hauxwell, lived alone at this farmhouse without the luxury of electricity and running water. She found fame in a 1973 ITV documentary ‘Too Long A Winter’. When she retired in 1988, her smallholding became a nature reserve. The house is private, please don’t try and visit.

<strong>Blackton Reservoir</strong><br>A range of wildfowl can bee spotted on Blackton Reservoir, including mallard, teal, tufted duck, wigeon and goosander. Look out for moorhen, heron and reed buntings around the margins of the water. As you cross the bridge at the end of the water and climb up the track towards Clove Lodge keep an eye out for buzzards soaring overhead.

<strong>The Bowes Loop</strong><br>If you have decided to follow the alternative Bowes Loop this is where you will strike out east to pass closer to the south of Goldsborough.

<strong>Goldsborough</strong><br>If you glance to your left (northeast) you will spot the prominent crags of Goldsborough, about a mile away. This flat-topped hill is made up of gritty sandstones. These hard rocks formed in vast, ancient deltas some 300 million years ago. To you right is its ‘sister’ Shacklesborough – but this hill is 3km distant so harder to spot.

<strong>God's Bridge</strong><br>Your route crosses this remarkable natural bridge in the Great Limestone – spanning the River Greta. It is probably the relic of a collapsed valley floor cave system.

<strong>The Bowes Loop</strong><br>The Bowes Loop re-joins the main Pennine Way route here.

<strong>Sleightholme Moor</strong><br>Sleightholme Moor is perhaps one of the most windswept, bleakest places on the Pennine Way and certainly on the Roof of England Walk. You will be lucky to escape its clutches without getting wet feet. Apparently Alfred Wainwright described it as a ‘journey of despair’. But fear not because at the end of it you will get a warm welcome at the Tan Hill Inn.

<strong>Tan Hill Inn</strong><br>The Tan Hill Inn is Britain’s highest pub. The building dates to the 17th century and it was used as a hostelry by working digging coal pits. Nearby miners’ cottages formed its clientele, as well as farmers, pedlars and cattle drovers. The last mine closed in 1929 and the cottages were demolished in the 1930s but local farmers and the development of tourism/the car saved the inn.

13 Tan Hill Inn to Kirkby Stephen

<strong> Start</strong><br>Start of Roof of England Walk Leg 13 – Tan Hill Inn to Kirkby Stephen.

<strong>Yorkshire Dales National Park</strong><br>Whilst the majority of the Roof of England Walk is within the North Pennines National Landscape. Leg 13 briefly ventures into the northern dales. When you step out of the front door of the Tan Hill Inn and head south you are in the National Park. The park covers 2,178 sq km and is renowned for its spectacular limestone landscapes, extensive cave systems, hay meadows and broad upland dales.

<strong>Keld</strong><br>Keld is a small village in Swaledale – its name comes from the Old Norse word ‘Kelda’ which means spring or well. Here you will find the Keld Resource Centre, which includes heritage exhibitions next door in the old school. Local volunteers also run a self-service café in the village hall.

<strong>Swaledale</strong><br>Swaledale is one of the most northerly of the dales with perhaps the wildest, most unspoilt scenery in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The River Swale flows through a patchwork of traditional hay meadows and drystone walls and field barns. Like the North Pennines, Swaledale also supported a thriving lead mining industry until it collapsed in the late 19th century.

<strong>Oven Mouth</strong><br>The route passes above ‘Oven Mouth’ where the Whitsundale Beck has carved a deep cleft or gully.

<strong>Ravenseat</strong><br>Ravenseat Farm is the home of Amanda Owen – known as ‘the Yorkshire Shepherdess’. She is a writer and presenter. The original series on Channel 5 called 'Our Yorkshire Farm' was first broadcast in 2018. It became one of the channels most popular programmes with over 3 million viewers per episode.

<strong>Nine Standards</strong><br>The Nine Standards have stood here, on the historic boundary between Westmorland and the North Riding of Yorkshire, for more than 500 years. It’s quite a spot – with far-reaching views north to Cross Fell, Great and Little Dun Fell and across the Eden Valley to the flat-topped Wild Boar Fell. On a clear day it is a place to pause and consider how far you’ve come on the Roof of England Walk.

<strong>Hartley Quarry</strong><br>Hartley Quarry is a 40-hectare limestone quarry, with a history of operations back to 1860. About 8 million tonnes of mineral has been extracted from the site.

<strong>Kirkby Stephen</strong><br>At the end of the leg cross over Frank’s Bridge and make your way up to the centre of Kirkby Stephen. It’s an old market town, with a charter since 1351. There is a range of shops, cafes and other services which might be of interest to walkers. Kirkby Stephen has been a Walkers are Welcome town since 2009 and so you should feel at home here.

14 Kirkby Stephen to Appleby-in-Westmorland

<strong>Start </strong><br>Start of Roof of England Walk Leg 14 – Kirkby Stephen to Appleby-in-Westmorland.

<strong>Wainwright's Pennine Journey</strong><br>Leg 14 shares the route of Wainwright’s Pennine Journey. Starting in Settle in the Yorkshire Dales the 200+ mile route heads up the eastern side of the Pennines to Hadrian’s Way and then heads south through the western Pennines back to the Dales. Over half of WPJ is within the North Pennines National Landscape. It is based on Alfred Wainwright’s original journey in September 1938.

<strong>Belah Scar</strong><br>On the opposite side of the River Belah notice the outcrop of red Penrith Sandstone. This formed in the Permian – between 251 and 299 million years ago. When these rocks were being laid down Britain was part of a vast continent known as Pangaea and northern England lay near the equator. The spherical sand grains in this rock formed in deserts where they were rounded by relentless wind-blasting.

<strong>Church Brough and Market Brough</strong><br>Brough’s importance lies in its position below the pass of Stainmore, over which a major Roman road ran. The Normans planned a settlement around the castle – Church Brough. But a market developed just to the north and by the early 14th century ‘Market Brough’ (aka Brough) was the dominant settlement. The parish church of St Michael’s is Grade II* listed, sandstone-built, and dates to 1150.

<strong>Brough Castle</strong><br>The first ‘castle’ at Church Brough was the Roman fort of Verterae, which guarded the road from York to Hadrian’s Wall at Carlisle. Founded in c1100 the present ruins date largely to the late 12th century. It was rebuilt by Lady Anne Clifford between 1659 and 1661, although much of the structure has been re-purposed, and used in local buildings.

<strong>St. Theobald's Church</strong><br>St. Theobald’s Church has always been subject to flooding and eventually it was rebuilt on higher ground in 1845. The field between the church and the bridge ‘Musgrave Church Field’ still floods regularly.

<strong>Musgrave Bridge</strong><br>This has been a crossing point across the River Eden since historic times. Originally via a stone-paved wath, or ford and then over a wooden bridge – which was often damaged by floods. The stone bridge dates to 1825 – after ‘the great flood’ of 2 February 1822 swept away all the bridges on the River Eden (apart from at Warcop).

<strong>Hares</strong><br>If you keep your eyes peeled by might be lucky enough to spot brown hares in fields like these. They’re golden brown, with a paler belly and a white tail, bigger than a rabbit, with longer legs and longer ears – with black tips. They like open farmland, grassland habitats – especially near woodland edges. They are superfast, reaching speeds of up to 45mph when running away from predators.

<strong>North Pennines escarpment</strong><br>Pause here and take in view of the North Pennine escarpment - one of the most prominent landscape features in northern England. Look closely and you can spot the conical Murton Pike, which you climbed on Day 1. It formed due to different rates of erosion over millions of years - the Carboniferous rocks of the North Pennines being generally harder than the Permo-Triassic rocks in the Vale of Eden.

<strong>River Eden</strong><br>Much of leg 14 follows the River Eden. The river, unlike most of the country’s rivers, flows north from its source above Kirkby Stephen to the sea via the Solway Firth. It is 80 miles long and provides a home for a variety of aquatic plants and animals. It supports salmon spawning areas, wild Atlantic salmon, sea lamprey, river lamprey, white-clawed crayfish, bullhead and otter.

<strong>Appleby Castle</strong><br>The extensive Grade I listed Appleby Castle dates to the 12th century. The keep, known as Caesar’s Tower, and a mansion house are arranged around a courtyard which is surrounded by curtain walls. Lady Anne Clifford is perhaps the castle’s most renowned resident – in the mid-17th century. She held the office of High Sheriff of Westmorland between 1653 and 1676.

<strong>Boroughgate</strong><br>Boroughgate links Appleby Castle to St. Lawrence’s Church and forms the main street in the town – around which the market developed.

<strong>Moot Hall</strong><br>Moot is an old English word meaning ‘meeting’. The Moot Hall in Appleby dates to 1596 and was built as a council chamber – a function it still fulfils today. It is one of only two Moot Halls in the country which are still used for council meetings. It also houses a Tourism Information Centre for the town.