Author Topic: North Pennines - Tow Law and Tunstall Moors  (Read 3989 times)

mike knipe

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North Pennines - Tow Law and Tunstall Moors
« on: 15:00:24, 23/02/08 »
No pics for this one as I forgot my camera. It wasnt such a photogenic day anyway.
This was a Durham County Council walk which started at High Houselop picnic area on the A68 near Tow Law. This picnic area is closed due to naughty nightime behaviour by some kind of dog club - not quite sure exactly what this [censored] business is, but  maybe they had to close it because of all the barking??
Anyway, we had it opened specially for the occasion of this walk and, for security, our cars were locked in by the Rangers..
There were 3 stewards, (Steve, Kathy and me), the leader, Maria and 45 walkers plus a dog.
We walked along the old railway trackbed of the Crook-Consett line which runs roughly along the 1000 foot contour and which, today, was being batterred by a gale strong enough to make walking quite difficult.
After a mile or two of walking sideways, we descended into the valley containing Tunstall reservoir which provided enough shelter for a breezy lunch.
Tunstall reservoir is quite an old one and has nature reserves and woodland around it and provides a really nice 2 mile circuit for a summer's evening or a short, easy outing for anybody passing through Weardale. It has "no dogs" signs and is a really good place to walk your dogs.
Having gone down into the dale, of course, we had a long slog back out again, and over some heathery moors to get back to the start. But with the wind behind us, we did it quite quickly!.
6 miles and 700 feet of climbing.
Very refreshing.
I'm not allowed to take the dawg on these walks, so he's sulking.

STOP PRESS - I found a pic of Weardale in similar weather to day. Just pretend eh?
« Last Edit: 11:54:11, 08/03/08 by mike knipe »
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

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