County Durham is a great place for anyone interested in nature and wildlife, walking, horse riding, cycling and other outdoors pursuits. We have put together a list of information and links to various organisations that you may find of use when planning your next excursion.

• What to see, what to do and where to stay
• Durham County Council Promoted Routes
• Guided Walks Programme and Cycle Events
• Long distance routes and National Trails
• Access for all ages and abilities
• Where else can I get information?
• Recommended Ordnance Survey Maps for the County Durham area
• Where else can I go walking, cycling, riding or driving?

What to See, What to Do and Where to Stay

If you're looking for places to visit and stay or activity ideas in County Durham and across the north east, then the One North East Tourism and the Visit County Durham websites are always good places to start.

Durham County Council Promoted Routes

A number of well established routes and trails have been put together, developed with walkers, cyclists and horse riders in mind. The descriptions of these routes can be found in a series of delightfully illustrated leaflets available to buy via the Countryside Publications web page.

Mineral Valleys Project

Between 2003 and 2008 fourteen separate, but connected, Mineral Valleys Project initiatives aim to sustainably regenerate the natural, social and industrial heritage of West Durham and Weardale.

One such initiative is to encourage Weardale Way Walkers to stop at communities they would otherwise simply pass through. During their stay they are invited to explore the area and learn more about its natural, industrial and cultural heritage.

The Rookhope Village community welcomed the project. Following an informal meeting local residents planned, surveyed and waymarked the routes. The end result is a well waymarked route along which gates, stiles and footbridges have been improved with assistance from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The informative walks leaflet ‘Rookhope – fields & fells’ is now available from the Durham Dales Centre, The Rookhope Inn and the Countryside Publications web page or can be viewed in a pdf format below/

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this information.

Cowshill to Killhope.pdf (2 pages, 493kb)

Escomb Witton Park and Etherley.pdf (3 pages, 854kb)

Frosterley, in search of Frosterley Marble.pdf (4 pages, 758kb)

Rookhope, fields and fells.pdf (3 pages, 6452kb)

St John's Chapel farming, mining and Methodism (9 pages, 2773kb)

Stanhope , exploring a legacy of lead.pdf (4 pages, 1139kb)

Tow Law Thornley and Harperley, link.pdf (2 pages, 462kb)

Wearhead, the river Wear starts here walk.pdf (3 pages, 758kb)

walking around Wolsingham.pdf (4 pages, 950kb)

Guided Walks Programme and Cycle Events

Country Durham is a six monthly publication which lists guided walks and countryside events organised by Durham County Council. Walks cover the whole of the County and are led by enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers. We have walks to suit everyone, from short, easy walks for beginners to those which offer more of a challenge. Full details of these walks and events can be found by visiting our guided walks and countryside events web page.

Bike Bowes Cycle Route

This rugged moorland route is 16 miles long (26km) with shortcuts of 9 miles (15km) or 12 miles (20km). Please see the attached leaflet for more information on this route or contact the Public Rights of Way Team.

Bike Bowes Cycle Route Leaflet.pdf (2 pages, 3412kb)

Long Distance Routes and National Trails

For more seasoned walkers, horse riders and cyclists there are a number of local and national long distance routes which can be found within or crossing the County's boundaries. Information on these routes can be found by clicking on the following links:
National Trails
The Pennine Way
The C2C Cycle Route
Sustrans - National Cycle Network - promoted cycle routes
Pennine Bridleway

Teesdale Way: a 160km/100 mile route from Dufton to Middlesbrough exploring the course of the river Tees, much of which passes through County Durham. A fully illustrated guidebook entitled 'The Teesdale Way' by the author Martin Collins is available for purchase from Local Tourist Information Centres.

Weardale Way: a 117km/73mile route from Wearhead to Sunderland exploring the course of the river Wear, much of which passes through County Durham. A fully illustrated guidebook entitled "Weardale Way" by the author Alistair Wallace is available from local Tourist Information Centres. Further information is available on our Weardale Way web page.

Access for all Ages and Abilities

Durham County Council's network of railway paths provide an ideal way to explore Durham's countryside. The paths are easily accessible and are set in attractive countryside open to pedestrians, cyclists and horseriders. The Railway Paths are relatively flat, although there are some steep inclines where bridges would once have been. The paths are fairly well surfaced and normally suitable to use throughout the year.

Parish Paths Partnership (P3) promoted walks leaflets, produced in conjunction with local parishes and many volunteer groups, such as the Wolsingham Wayfarers.

Wear Valley Walks are a series of established walks promoted by Wear Valley District Council

Walking the way to Health Initiative (WHI) aims to get more people walking in their own communities, especially those who take little exercise or live in areas of poor health.

Where Else can I get Information?

Local Tourist Information Centres

We have pulled together a number of website links on our External links webpage that we hope you will find useful.

Recommended Ordnance Survey Maps for the County Durham Area

Ordnance Survey produces a range of specialised maps. A good quality map for taking out into the countryside is the Explorer Series (orange cover) that show footpaths, bridleways, byways and Unclassified Roads. The O.S. Explorer maps covering the County Durham area are:
Explorer OL 31 (W & E) - North Pennines, Teesdale & Weardale
Explorer 307 - Consett & Derwent Reservoir, Stanhope
Explorer 308 - Durham & Sunderland, Chester-le-Street & Peterlee
Explorer 305 - Bishop Auckland, Spennymoor, Newton Aycliffe, Sedgefield & Crook
Explorer 304 (W) - Darlington & Richmond, Egglescliffe & Gainford
Explorer OL 19 (N) - Howgill Fells and Upper Eden Valley
Explorer OL 30 (N) - Yorkshire Dales, Northern & Central areas

These maps can be purchased from various sources, including Local Tourist Information Centres and most good book stores. Remember, the detail shown on these maps reflects the information available at the time of going to print and therefore if a query arises regarding a Public Right of Way you are advised to always refer to the Definitive Map held at County Hall.

Where else can I go walking, cycling, riding or driving?

To give an indication of where the recorded Public Bridleways and Byways are in County Durham we have created two plans (in a pdf format). They are not to be considered as a 'Definitive' record, however they should help in planning your journey. It is recommended they are used in conjunction with better scaled maps such as the Ordnance Survey Explorer series 1:25000.

Byways in County Durham as of 18/12/06 (1 page, 1775kb)

Bridleways and byways in County Durham as of 18/12/06 (1 page, 1811kb)

Country Parks and Picnic Areas

Wildlife Sites

Conservation Walks and Rides are made available by agreements between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally Sensitive Areas Schemes and landowners. On this web site you can find details - and maps - for more than 1800 walks and areas of open access

Private landowners, Northumbrian Water - Places to see

Government organisations, Forestry Commission - Places To Go

Access and Rights of Way