Weardale Way
A 77-mile long-distance path in Durham and Tyne and Wear which follows the River Wear from sea to source. Beginning at Marine Walk in Roker, the walk passes through or close to Sunderland, Chester-le-Street, Durham, Bishop Auckland, and Stanhope, before reaching the river’s source springs at Wearhead, near Killhope. With map, statistics, and GPX route file.
Statistics and Files
Grid Ref: NZ 407 590
Distance: 77 miles (124 km)
Time: 32–39 hours
Duration: 5–7 days
Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps (1:25,000):
OL31 North Pennines – Teesdale and Weardale
305 Bishop Auckland
307 Consett and Derwent Reservoir
308 Durham and Sunderland
Summary
The Weardale Way long-distance footpath in the North East of England follows the River Wear upstream. It is approximately 77 miles long, starting at the Lindisfarne Memorial on the sea wall at Roker and ending outside the North of England Lead Mining Museum in Killhope.
From Roker to Killhope, significant places visited on the route include Sunderland, Penshaw Monument, Lumley Castle, Finchale Priory, the City of Durham, Croxdale Hall, Sunderland Bridge, Spennymoor, Willington, Bishop Auckland, Escomb Saxon Church, Witton Park, Paradise Woodland Park, Witton-le-Wear, Harperley Prisoner of War Camp, Wolsingham, Stanhope, Rookhope, Westgate, Wearhead, and Cowshill.