Silver Challenge Walk 5
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LANDRANGER 92 O/S Crown copyright 2016 CS-30288-W3Z2M1
This walk crosses two short sections of rough grassed moorland. Whilst they are short and give wonderful views over the two valleys, in places the route ahead is unclear. In addition low cloud and mist can at times make navigation even more difficult. You should therefore make sure that you have at least a fully charged phone with gps and a compass and preferably an OS map with you.
Leaving the car park turn left on the pavement towards Middleton. In a few yards take the first road to the left (Hude) which rises steeply and in about a hundred yards reaches a finger post on the right. Follow the sign up steep steps between the houses and continue along the path past three houses on your left to enter Hudeshope Woods. The beech trees form a wonderful canopy of pale green in Spring and golden brown in Autumn, whilst down the in the valley the beautiful Hudeshope Beck speeds on towards the Tees. In about fifty yards leave the track and take a small path that branches off to the left, following close beside a dry stone wall as it rises up out of the wood. The path remains clear as you enter pasture. Watch out for the well-maintained stiles as you continue up the hill towards the attractive Aukside Villa and its distinctive Monkey-Puzzle Tree. A gate leads you alongside the villa and having reached the end of the garden wall turn right onto an access lane.
After a few yards, ignoring the first snicket to the left (this just goes into a private seating area), take that on the second which runs through a small wooded area to emerge in a field. The path continues in the same direction, crossing the pasture diagonally to reach the road via a few steps on the left hand side of a house. On reaching the road turn right and follow it towards the old Coldberry lead mines, enjoying the wonderful views of Hudeshope Valley. After 2/3 km you will come across a fingerpost to your left. Climb the wooden steps up to the stile and follow across in the direction of the post towards a stile over a fence.Look ahead and to your left for a stile in the wall and head towards it, crossing a small stream on your way. Having crossed the stile head in a roughly SW direction a short distance uphill to the next stile and cross over into Tinkler's Allotment.
Cross Tinkler's Allotment following a roughly WSW direction for about 500m. The land rises to begin with and whilst there are fine views back over the Hudesbeck valley, there is no sight of the Teesdale valley for some time. Once the walls ahead become visible look for a wooden gate with an open access sign attached to the far side. Go through the gate and follow the path down the side of the wall to the ruins of High Stonygill farm, passing through the gate at the bottom and turning right onto an old track. From here you follow the track as it become progressively clearer though five fields to Miry Lane (Middleside) enjoying the views and the easy walking. On reaching the road turn right and follow it past Bell House and then Low Revelin House on the left. Soon after Low Revelin House the lane soon turns sharply left and descends to Newbiggin. Just at the turn two fingerposts point off to the right. Take the first and ascend through the field to right of the old barn and go through to the next field. From here follow across in an easterly direction to find a stile about three quarters of the way up the right hand wall. It is then a short walk up to the next stile in the wall above - a few yards in from the top left corner. Continue at the same angle through the next two fields reaching the top right hand corner of the field where a stile takes you onto Hardberry Hill Allotment. Close over the wall you'll see a large circular stone sheep pen.
Cross Hardberry Hill Allotment in a roughly ENE direction. A fence near the stream that drains the allotment is itself crossed by a wooden stile a few yards to the left of a gate. Further on a wall of a field juts up into the allotment. Head round the top corner of this field and turn down its side. Keep its wall on your right for a few yards to meet another wall. A stile at the junction allows you into a field. Follow the wall down through three fields, enjoying the fine views of Hudeshope Valley and Coldberry and passing Hardberry Farm on your right, to arrive at a road. Pass through a gate directly opposite and follow a rough track down beside the waste tip for the old higher gallery of the Low Skears lead mine. Where the track starts to bend away look for a wooden ladder stile into the field on your right. Cross it and head down the field heading for the right of an old barn. Here a stile leads into another field. Continue down this field for about 200 yards to meet a path crossing your route. Turn right down the slope to enter Skears Plantation. Storm Arwen caused considerable damage here. The stile in now largely a heap of stone, an old wire fence has been torn out of position and many trees lie strewn cross the old route. So follow the new route carefully as it works its way around the debris to rejoin the old path. From here descend steeply through the woods on a series of wooden steps to reach Hudeshope Valley where on your left you'll see one of the two entrances to the lower gallery of Low Skiers lead mine. The mine buildings and another entrance were just a little further up the Hudeshope valley, whilst the spoil was dumped along the valley to the right. Turn right, crossing the small stream, and follow the track until it becomes a road and crosses Hudeshope Beck at the Miners' Bridge. Continue along the road walking alongside Hudeshope Beck and passing Horseshoe Falls on your right as you pass through the woods. After about 1/2 mile look out for a metal road bridge to your right. Take it to cross the beck once more and follow the track to return to the point at which you broke away to go up to Aukside. From here you simply retrace your steps.
Leaving the car park turn left on the pavement towards Middleton. In a few yards take the first road to the left (Hude) which rises steeply and in about a hundred yards reaches a finger post on the right. Follow the sign up steep steps between the houses and continue along the path past three houses on your left to enter Hudeshope Woods. The beech trees form a wonderful canopy of pale green in Spring and golden brown in Autumn, whilst down the in the valley the beautiful Hudeshope Beck speeds on towards the Tees. In about fifty yards leave the track and take a small path that branches off to the left, following close beside a dry stone wall as it rises up out of the wood. The path remains clear as you enter pasture. Watch out for the well-maintained stiles as you continue up the hill towards the attractive Aukside Villa and its distinctive Monkey-Puzzle Tree. A gate leads you alongside the villa and having reached the end of the garden wall turn right onto an access lane.
After a few yards, ignoring the first snicket to the left (this just goes into a private seating area), take that on the second which runs through a small wooded area to emerge in a field. The path continues in the same direction, crossing the pasture diagonally to reach the road via a few steps on the left hand side of a house. On reaching the road turn right and follow it towards the old Coldberry lead mines, enjoying the wonderful views of Hudeshope Valley. After 2/3 km you will come across a fingerpost to your left. Climb the wooden steps up to the stile and follow across in the direction of the post towards a stile over a fence.Look ahead and to your left for a stile in the wall and head towards it, crossing a small stream on your way. Having crossed the stile head in a roughly SW direction a short distance uphill to the next stile and cross over into Tinkler's Allotment.
Cross Tinkler's Allotment following a roughly WSW direction for about 500m. The land rises to begin with and whilst there are fine views back over the Hudesbeck valley, there is no sight of the Teesdale valley for some time. Once the walls ahead become visible look for a wooden gate with an open access sign attached to the far side. Go through the gate and follow the path down the side of the wall to the ruins of High Stonygill farm, passing through the gate at the bottom and turning right onto an old track. From here you follow the track as it become progressively clearer though five fields to Miry Lane (Middleside) enjoying the views and the easy walking. On reaching the road turn right and follow it past Bell House and then Low Revelin House on the left. Soon after Low Revelin House the lane soon turns sharply left and descends to Newbiggin. Just at the turn two fingerposts point off to the right. Take the first and ascend through the field to right of the old barn and go through to the next field. From here follow across in an easterly direction to find a stile about three quarters of the way up the right hand wall. It is then a short walk up to the next stile in the wall above - a few yards in from the top left corner. Continue at the same angle through the next two fields reaching the top right hand corner of the field where a stile takes you onto Hardberry Hill Allotment. Close over the wall you'll see a large circular stone sheep pen.
Cross Hardberry Hill Allotment in a roughly ENE direction. A fence near the stream that drains the allotment is itself crossed by a wooden stile a few yards to the left of a gate. Further on a wall of a field juts up into the allotment. Head round the top corner of this field and turn down its side. Keep its wall on your right for a few yards to meet another wall. A stile at the junction allows you into a field. Follow the wall down through three fields, enjoying the fine views of Hudeshope Valley and Coldberry and passing Hardberry Farm on your right, to arrive at a road. Pass through a gate directly opposite and follow a rough track down beside the waste tip for the old higher gallery of the Low Skears lead mine. Where the track starts to bend away look for a wooden ladder stile into the field on your right. Cross it and head down the field heading for the right of an old barn. Here a stile leads into another field. Continue down this field for about 200 yards to meet a path crossing your route. Turn right down the slope to enter Skears Plantation. Storm Arwen caused considerable damage here. The stile in now largely a heap of stone, an old wire fence has been torn out of position and many trees lie strewn cross the old route. So follow the new route carefully as it works its way around the debris to rejoin the old path. From here descend steeply through the woods on a series of wooden steps to reach Hudeshope Valley where on your left you'll see one of the two entrances to the lower gallery of Low Skiers lead mine. The mine buildings and another entrance were just a little further up the Hudeshope valley, whilst the spoil was dumped along the valley to the right. Turn right, crossing the small stream, and follow the track until it becomes a road and crosses Hudeshope Beck at the Miners' Bridge. Continue along the road walking alongside Hudeshope Beck and passing Horseshoe Falls on your right as you pass through the woods. After about 1/2 mile look out for a metal road bridge to your right. Take it to cross the beck once more and follow the track to return to the point at which you broke away to go up to Aukside. From here you simply retrace your steps.
