Weardale Tourist Information

Weardale Tourist Attractions & Guide

The drive from the Alston heights just in Cumbria along the A689 into County Durham through the heart of Weardale is one of the most stunning drives in the North East. Various North Pennines and Weardale historic attractions sit along this route including Killhope, The North of England Lead Mining Museum which sits 1500 feet above sea level, the Weardale Museum & High House Chapel with the adjacent Weardale Inn, the Durham Dales Centre at Stanhope and the Weardale Railways with stations at both Stanhope and Wolsingham. The River Wear is ever present in the region as it flows on down towards Bishop Auckland.

As the site of the award winning Killhope Lead Mining Museum suggests, Weardale like Teesdale has strong links with its lead mining history which is explored in-depth at Killhope and also at the Nanthead Mines Heritage Centre which sits off the A689 in North Cumbria and the Allenheads Heritage Centre just north of Killhope. Weardale was also the old hunting ground of Durham's Prince Bishops.

The Sea to Sea(C2C) long distance cycle route, one of England's most popular cycling challenges, from Whitehaven to Newcastle runs through the heart of Weardale and features the highest point on the National Cycle Route, Black Hill. Weardale like Teesdale is also popular for motorbike touring.

Favourite bases for accommodation in Weardale include Stanhope which boasts several attractions including the Durham Dales Centre and a choice of specialist shops, pubs, tearooms and a riverside walk. A popular open air swimming pool is also at Stanhope. Wolsingham is another large settlement in Weardale boasting ample amenities including B&Bs and guest houses. There is also an excellent choice of beautifully situated B&Bs and country inns to be found off the A689 road in the very heart of the Weardale countryside such as the Weardale Inn at Ireshopeburn and the Hare & Hounds Inn at Westgate. Weardale and Stanhope's Farmers Market takes place on the 4th Saturday of every month in Stanhope from 10am to 3pm.

• Places to Stay in Weardale
• Places to Eat in Weardale

Stanhope Durham Dales Centre

Stanhope on the banks of the River Wear sits in the lowland slopes of Weardale as you descend down from the higher heather moorland around the pretty villages of Eastgate, Westgae, St John's Chapel and Cowshill. The Durham Dales in Stanhope is a collection of attractions on one site including the main Weardale tourist information centre, popular tearooms, beautiful gardens and a selection of outstanding craft shops. Conference facilities overlooking the gardens are also within the Durham Dales Centre.

Open 7 days a week and with a large adjacent car park, the Durham Dales Centre is a warm and welcoming place and wonderfully relaxing. The site features a rather stylish gazebo with a Victorian summerhouse dating from 1875. The beautiful gardens at the Durham Dales Centre once formed part of the Stanhope Castle gardens. The castle sits just across the road from the Durham Dales Centre and today is now private homes.

Relax and enjoy home cooked food at its best within the Durham Dales Tea Room which welcomes coach parties and large groups. Picnic tables and plenty of seating area can also be found around the site.

Craft shops in Stanhope at the Durham Dales Centre are where you can purchase a range of beautiful gifts, watercolours, prints, jewellery and fossils made in the local area and around the world.

• Holiday Cottages in the Pennines & Weardale

The Weardale Railway

The Weardale Railway was originally a branch line from Bishop Auckland stretching for 18.7 miles parallel to the River Wear pushing up to Eastgate. The line, built by the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1847, was used for the transportation of limestone quarried in Weardale heading for Teesside ironworks. This railway then has strong links to the industrial history of Weardale. Today the Weardale Railway is a stunning little scenic railway and a incredibly popular family attraction in Weardale. Station stops with onsite and adjacent amenities are at Wolsingham, Frosterley and Stanhope.

Special events take place throughout the year on the Weardale Railway including the popular Santa and Mince Pie Christmas Railway Specials. There is both a winter and summer service on the Weardale Railway so steam railway rides are available all year round. For timetable details and event dates visit the Weardale Railway website.

• The Weardale Railway

The Weardale Museum & High House Chapel

The famous preacher John Wesley made 13 visits to Weardale, and the legacy of the earliest pioneers of Methodism in Weardale is evident in the number of historic Methodist chapels still in use. One of the oldest alongside the Newbiggin Methodist Chapel is the beautiful High House Chapel at Ireshopeburn in Weardale directly off the A689 scenic Weardale drive.

The Weardale Museum and High House Chapel sit side by side and within the museum you can find out more about John Wesley's visits to Weardale and the early Methodist pioneers. The Weardale Museum also contains displays and an extensive archive on Weardale family history as well as Weardale lead mining and the later stories of emigration when hard times came to the lead mining industry.

A recent addition to the museum's collection is the outstanding five panelled Weardale Tapestry which depicts major themes in the history of the Weardale area from the Roman and Norman first mining of mineral veins through to Weardale as a hunting forest and then the largest lead-mining area in Britain and the arrival of the railway. This beautiful piece of artwork depicts the lives of ordinary people through Weardale history alongside the well known greats like Wesley making it particularly special and indicative of the Methodist approach.

• B&B in Ireshopeburn in Weardale

The North of England Lead Mining Museum

Killhope, The North of England Lead Mining Museum is a small attraction and family friendly museum award winner set in the heart of the North Pennines in the Weardale Durham Dales directly off the A689 Weardale scenic drive. Popular with school visits and an outstanding family attraction in Weardale, activities onsite include a trip down a mine and numerous interactive exhibits such as the mineshop. Fans of the industrial enthusiast Fred Dibnah will remember his fondness and fascination with the machinery here at Killhope. The huge working waterwheel at the lead mining museum is particularly famous.

Lead mining exhibits at the museum explore in-depth the working lives of lead mining families in the Pennine Dales. Exhibits, which are drawn from the extensive lead mining archive here at Killhope, constantly change and cover major themes such as the mass emigration of Weardale families in the 19th century to countries such as the US, Canada and Australia when the lead mining industry in Weardale began to decline.

Killhope is also home to the National Spar Box Collection. The Spar Boxes, made with local Weardale minerals combined with wood, were a traditional art form unique to the North Pennines. The Spar Box collection here at Killhope is a national treasure not to be missed.

Woodland Walks and a cafe and gift shop are also onsite. You'll see plenty of wildlife along the woodland walk trails including squirrels. Killhope Lead Mining Museum is open daily from the beginning of April to the beginning of November.

• Accommodation in the Pennines & Weardale