Beamish - Stanley - Maiden Law - Edmondsley - Beamish

Alan Anderson

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Beamish - Stanley - Annfield Plain - Maiden Law - Holmside - Edmondsley - Pelton - Beamish

Beamish is the home of the Beamish Open Air Museum, an international, award-winning museum and one of County Durham's main tourist attractions. The museum recreates life as it was in the North of England during the 19th and early 20th Centuries.

The walk starts from the main street in Beamish in the area called Peggy's Wicket, where a misdirected bomb dropped by the Luftwaffe killed eight inhabitants of the village in May 1942

The route west from Beamish follows the line of the Consett and Sunderland Railway Path. The outward bound railway path initially runs through a wooded cutting before emerging to fine views of the surrounding hills to the north and west. The path also includes a couple of interesting rural sculptures.

The walk leaves the flat railway path at Annfield Plain and becomes undulating and certainly more reflective of the surrounding terrain. Just west of Maiden Law there are good sightings of the region's two principal TV transmitters.

Soon after, the route passes through Chapman‘s Well Local Nature Reserve and is followed by a period of pleasant field- and wood-walking before the route emerges at the interesting Edmondsley Minewater Treatment Plant, a project that treats contaminated water from old, flooded mine workings.

Just after Edmondsley the walk enters Cong Burn Wood that borders the unusual Waldridge Fell, one of the few remaining areas of lowland heath in the North East of England. Like most fells, Waldridge Fell is designated as 'Access Land' and as such you can wander freely.

The walk then skirts Chester-le-Street and re-intersects the Consett and Sunderland Railway Path, passing through Pelton on the final lap back to Beamish.

England - North England - Durham - Countryside

Features

Birds, Butterflies, Flowers, Great Views, Hills or Fells, Moor, Nature Trail, Pub, Public Transport, Restaurant, River, Wildlife, Woodland

5/8/2018 - christine gale

A great walk - well described and easy to follow instructions. 2 busy road sections with no path as described. The only issue was a difficult to find stile at section 17 and a slightly awkward navigation through Holmside Hall Equestrian Centre.