This is the website of the Weardale Visitor Network --- Bringing Tourism to Weardale.

For more information about the Network click here.

Weardale was once the hunting forest for the Prince Bishops of Durham, second only in size to the the King's New Forest. By the sixteenth century deer-parks had gone out of fashion and the Bishop was reaping huge rewards from Weardale's lead-mining industry and later in the nineteenth century from limestone quarrying in Weardale, which have both left a rich industrial heritage in the valley.

Today, as a tourist you can enjoy shopping in the Durham Dales Centre at Stanhope, Weardale, before taking a leisurely trip on the heritage railway line to Wolsingham with its cafe culture; explore underground at Killhope, Weardale's award-winning Lead-mining Museum or experience the peace and tranquility of the historic High House Chapel and Weardale Museum in Ireshopeburn.

Weardale is at the heart of the Durham Dales. With Teesdale on one side, and derwentside and Allendale on the other, it is the perfect location for getting outdoor and active with a walking or cycling holiday. Discover our Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty extending from the gentle rolling hills and valleys of  lower Weardale to the high, wild fells of the North Pennines with its beautiful hay-meadows and nesting sites for some of Britain's rarest birds, while Hamsterley Forest offers a fantastic adventure playground of woodland walks, cycle routes and horse riding.

Click here to find more information about the Durham Dales.

For those who wish to travel further afield Weardale is an ideal centre from which to explore other Durham Dales, such as  Teesdale, Derwentside and Allendale, the World Heritage Centre of Durham, Hadrian's Wall Country and The Lake District.

Weardale Visitor Tourism Attraction News

Killhope North of England Lead-mining Museum
Weardale Museum and High House Chapel
The Weardale Railway
Hamsterley Forest

Banner Image courtesy of Tom Nattrass