Follow is on Facebook

Rookhope Walks

 

Rookhope Field and Fell PDF (5.56mb)

Weardale Way 2: Westgate to Eastgate PDF (537kb)

Weardale Way 3: Eastgate to Stanhope PDF (508kb)

Westgate, Slitt Wood Geotrail PDF (1.22Mb)

 

The County Durham Definitive Public Rights of Way

This website is not a PDF but it will provide maps of the definitive rights of way for all of County Durham's footpaths - Rookhope form the list of towns/villages.

The publication of the public rights or way is a guide for visitors but not a guarantee that the footpath will be open. Please report any issues.

 

Cycling around Rookhope

WARNING! The A689 up the main valley is a busy main road and the road to Eastgate is the main service road for Rookhope so it can carry heavy and fast traffic.

Take a leisurely ride along the back lanes to Allenheads, Westgate, Blanchland and Stanhope. There are some steep hill climbs on these roads.

The C2C cycle route comes through Rookhope and there is an off road section across the moors to the north of Stanhope and beyond to Rowley.

Visit Hamsterley Forest and try their off road cycling tracks.

 

Click here to seek out the quieter C roads in and around Weardale.

Rookhope is a small, picturesque village nestling in its own valley just off the A689 route through Weardale. It's separation from the main valley has created a strong sense of community among the residents. The village is large enough to have a primary school, Working Men's club and a small village shop to cover your basic needs with other shops and a range of services at Stanhope (6 miles)

A local landmark is the Rookhope Arch at Lintzgarth, a few hundred yards west up the valley; one of the few remaining parts of the two mile (3 km) Rookhope Chimney. This "horizontal" chimney, parallel to the ground, was used to carry poisonous flue gases from the Rookhope lead smelting works up onto the high moor.

The great poet, W.H. Auden, visiting Rookhope in 1919 at the age of 12  described Rookhope as 'the most wonderfully desolate of all the dales'.  In his poem New Year Letter (1941) he wrote that it was in Rookhope that he first became aware of himself as a poet: In ROOKHOPE I was first aware 'Of self and not-self, Death and Dread...'

The Rookhope Burn cuts through the village which has some lovely walks up into the hills, including the Weardale Way.

Places to Stay

Chestergarth B&B, Rookhope
 

Places to Eat

Che Restaurant, Stanhope
Dales Centre Tearoom, Stanhope
Various takeaways and pubs in nearby villages

Places to Visit

The Weardale Railway

The Durham Dales Centre

Durham Dales Craft Centre, Stanhope

The Weardale Museum, Ireshopeburn

Killhope Lead Mining Museum

The Bowlees Visitor Centre

Harehope Quarry

Auckland Castle

Spanish Gallery

Mining Art Gallery

Auckland Tower

Kynren

High Force in Teesdale

Low Barns Nature Reserve

Tanfield Railway

Locomotion

Nenthead Mine (pre-book Open Days)

Hamsterley Forest

Hall Hill Farm

The Open Air Swimming Pool, Stanhope