Discover Weardale

Walking in Westgate

This website is not a PDF but it will provide maps of the definitive rights of way for all of County Durham's footpaths - just select Westgate 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.

Cycle from Westgate

WARNING! The A689 is a busy main road

Take a leisurely ride along the back lanes between Stanhope Cowshill.

Try your hand at some really tough climbs like Peat Hill on the road from Westgate to Rookhope.

Visit Hamsterley Forest and try their off road cycling tracks.

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

Westgate is a small village in the heart of the North Pennines with a polulation of about 300 people. It has a church St. Andrew's, a village hall, and a pub - The Hare and Hounds - which brews its own beer and serves evening meals.

Slitt Wood, an ancient woodland, to the north of the village is a place of peace and relaxation. It follows the Middlehope Burn and provides one of Weardale's favourite walks with a series of attractive waterfalls and over 100 varieties of wild flower during the spring and summer.

Westgate gets its name from the time when the Bishop of Durham created a hunting park in Weardale and this was its west gate. Eastgate marks its eastern entrance.

Click on the images below to enlarge them

This fortified house was built as a residence for the Bishop's hunting parties and later was the Forest Court. It fell into decay and ruin during the 17th century and is now completely overgrown.
In 2013 an excavation uncovered the foundations of huge walls and a spiral staircase. These were covered up after excavations finished.
Now closed for services, but open on request by prior arrangement, the chapel was such a fine example of 19th Century architecture that it is preserved by The Historic Chapels Trust.
Services are at 3pm
Slitt Wood is a small dene of ancient woodlad which follows Middlehope Burn to the north of Westgate. In the spring and summer it is adorned with over 100 species of wild flower. A series of small waterfalls along the route make this one of the most beautiful walks in Weardale.
About a mile upstream from Westgate Middlehope Burn and Slitt Wood are traversed by the Slitt mineral vein where for centuries lead and iron ore were mined. These are described by on site information boards and in the downloadable Slitt Wood and West Rigg Geotrail.