Description
Taking it's name from the river which starts with the joining of several small streams at Wearhead, the dale stretches from the high moors above Killhope to the flatter, lower lands just east of Wolsingham. The scenery changes as the river travels down the dale, from the bleak, heather clad moors and rocky outcrops to gently undulating stone walled fields. The river itself changing too, from a small rocky rushing flow of water it gradually absorbs tributaries on it's descent through the dale to become wider and slower as it becomes, ultimately, one of the great rivers of the North of England. Weardale is basically a farming area, although for centuries the wealth of it's minerals and underlying stone have created industries that in the past have created both riches and poverty for it's inhabitants. One of the lead dales of the North Pennines, which made Britain the centre of the world's lead industry during the 18th and 19th centuries, lead was only one of the underground treasures which kept the extraction industries going well into the 20th century when they finally met their demise. Today the population of the dale is much smaller than it was two hundred years ago and, aside from agriculture which is still a vital part of the dale's economy, much of the dale is benefiting from an increasing growth in tourism. In particular, the walker can experience here a full and varied landscape from the fields and meadows of the lower dale, the purple clad heather grouse moors in summer and, at the top end of the dale, one of the wildest and bleakest unspoilt natural landscapes in Britain. Weardale is very much an under appreciated and relatively undiscovered part of Britain and for the walker, who can really understand what this valley can offer, then long may it be so. The nine walks in this book have all been designed to explore the woods, hills and moors while showcasing the landscape and history of this dale.
