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General > Local Activities

Local Activities

Walking
Good walking on old green roads last used by the pack-horse ponies as they carried lead from dale to dale, which gives the cyclist or walker the opportunity to explore the open countryside.

It is an excellent area for cycling, and near to the C to C and many other cycling routes. For the motorist, leisurely, quiet roads verged by beautiful flora and fauna lead to traditional stone-clad rural villages. Nearer to home, our own Japanese garden provides a welcome place to relax during your holiday.

Spring Birdwatching - This is a do-it-yourself. Maps required. 
You need to go on a walk around 5:30 am, to be back for breakfast at 9:00 am. Usually have to travel by car to near the area of the sites, which cover an area of approximately 10 miles radius of the farmhouse, then approach the sites on foot (up to a mile on rough terrain, as these birds are very secretive).

Please take binoculars, walking stick, and warm waterproof clothing and footwear.

About the Black Grouse
Black Grouse were once found across the whole of England but from the late 19th century they have been in decline, mainly through loss of habitat. They are one of the most distinctive birds of the uplands, with the males forming ‘leks’ in spring. A lek is a gathering of males who display and ritualistically fight each other with the aim of attracting a female. Many leks are traditional and have been used for decades.

The black grouse in England is now found in significant numbers, 90% of the population is in the North Pennines (c. 800 males) and as a result, is a priority species for conservation action.

The adults feed mainly on plant material although some insects may be taken in the summer. Their food includes cotton grass flower heads, fruit of sedges and rushed, heather, bilberry, leaves of herbs and the buds and shoots of birch, larch and conifers. The chicks feed on insects in their first few weeks of life.

Red Squirrels - This is do-it-yourself  
A new find for Upper Weardale: Red Squirrels have been seen at Killhope Lead Mining Centre, a mile from our farmhouse. The new conservation initiative includes a designated feeding area in the forest for the squirrels, where they can be watched from a new viewing hide nearby by visitors. The viewing area is easily accessible and very close to the footpath through the forest, in Hazely Hush.

Walk by the river in Durham City