Return to Whittle Wanderer

Rookhope, Reahope Moor, Stanhope Common, Co Durham.
[11.0 km] Wed 03 Sep 2014

OS Grid Ref: NY 95262 40531
Lat/Long: +54.759696, -02.075151

It’s been over a year since I walked in the Stanhope area and as I’d seen another anomaly about the existence of a benchmark on the map I thought I’d return. To the SE of Rookhope is Reahope Moor and a trig post shown on the 1:50K map but not the 1:25K map. There is a narrow lane between Rookhope and Stanhope. Near Ambling Gate the walled section moves into open moor and plenty of room to leave my car.

Hill Top buildings

It was overcast weather but didn’t seem like rain was on its way. I walked south east along the lane until I’d passed the buildings of Hill Top. Then I left the road and headed north up onto the moor. There was no path to follow but the ground wasn’t too bad and as I climbed higher it became much easier underfoot. There was evidence of old workings around then the trig post came in to view. It is certainly there on the ground so I can’t understand why the Ordnance Survey doesn’t show it on the 1:25K map.

View down Weardale

There was now a faint path to follow north across Raehope Moor and up to East Slate Quarry Hill. On my right I noticed a flat area that had all the appearances of a mine spoil heap. I check it out and found it was and the old filled in entrance was nearby. I re-joined the path and continued north. My next objective was a long deep groove in the hillside that I’d seen on the aerial view map. It was off the path but worth the detour.

Trig Post on Reahope Moor

It’s definitely man made and at first I thought was a stone chimney flue which is fairly common in the area. Once there it didn’t have any characteristics of a flue and there were no chimney remains at the top. Part way along was the ruin of a stone building but I couldn’t figure out what it could have been used for.

Deep groove

Again I re-joined the path and headed for a stone cairn in the distance. A farmer was riding his quad bike nearby and as he returned to pass nearby didn’t look up to acknowledge my existence.

Stone building in the groove

After the cairn I walked across to a nice circular sheepfold to have my lunch. There was hardly any wind and many crane-flies flapped about annoyingly. I headed downhill to have a look at Wright’s Groove Quarry before climbing again to re-join the track. Instead of following the track I headed steeply up to investigate the summit plateau of Long Law and a small tarn.

Long Law and a small tarn.

Descending by another stone sheepfold I re-joined the track again to its junction with Bolt’s Law incline. I walked here last year and descended the same route down into Rookhope. I followed the narrow road through the village to the next junction then up the minor road to St John’s Church.

Bogey display in Rookhope

Unfortunately it was closed and locked but a sign on the notice board said ‘Bless all the Cyclists on the Coast to Coast’. Another mile of road walking and I was back at the car.

Rookhope Wesleyan methodist Chapel

St John’s Church

St John’s Church and interesting bell