April

Ron

Eastgate - Rose Hill – Northgate – Rookhope – Ashy Bank - Eastgate

Overcast, 6⁰C, but it warmed up to a sunny, windless afternoon.

Ron, Sandy, Ken, Michelle, Michael, Bernie, Diane, Richard.

George - eye injury

Ashley - having an ozone injection

Comments

Parking was stressful - but we did find a space in front of an old concrete factory. There was a reasonable climb up to the quarry, where we joined the Weardale Way to Rookhope. The quarry (coal) was massive with two large JCB’s. We stopped just past the quarry on the railway track, and Michelle had to be called back. We walked down to Rookhope on a muddy footpath that went through the garden of a beautiful stone house.

Just before Rookhope we passed a very interesting business – assembling two-storey log cabins on trailers. At Rookhope we walked through a scrapyard with three old grey Fergie tractors. The Rookhope General Store has old style petrol pumps, but the pub is permanently closed.

We found a grave on the moors from 2021. We passed some waterfalls between Rookhope and Eastgate. Two lambs tried to adopt Michelle.

We finished the walk in the pleasant beer garden of The Cross Keys at Eastgate

Wildlife: Loads of birds – curlews, peewits, skylarks, wheatear, chaffinch. Black rabbits. “Shrews” jumping around oyster catchers. A few alpacas (about 25), mainly white but two black. Bantam hens and a goose. Sparrows in the churchyard.

Manor Inn, Carterwayheads – nice meal – joined by Evelyn and George

April walkers

Discussing the Route

Heights Quarry

Weardale

Mobile homes

Bridge over Rookhope Burn

Industrial Ruins

Rookhope Burn

Two fat ponies

Boss Man

Hole House