Bollihope, Allotment House, Five Pikes, Hawkwood Head, Co Durham
[12.9 km] Wed 16 Sep 2015

OS Grid Ref: NZ 00585 34975
Lat/Long: 54.709793, -01.992442

I had a pleasant drive via the M6, Tebay, Brough, then Barnard Castle to the start of my walk near Bollihope south of Stanhope. I set off walking in an Easterly directions along the Southbank of Bollihope burn to an area of old abandoned quarry workings. My original plan was to walk along the North Bank but that involved a Ford to cross the river. I'm glad I took the south side as the Ford was too deep to hop over and would have meant wading.

The track started to head up onto the moors and I left it to follow a rough track shown on the map which wasn't there on site. At Fine Burn I crossed the small stream to follow a farm track and on through a wooded plantation till I reached a small tarmac road which is shown on the map as yellow and adopted.

I followed it South to Allotment House which was a building in good repair but only used as a barn. The track continued up the hill to go through a gate and a higher track which is called the Weardale Way.

To the south east was a trig post which I crossed open land to investigate before turning back and returning to the track. There was no path to the trig post. I continued south west along the track in find weather and really nice views. To the east I could just see Middlesbrough and the East Coast on the skyline.

At the end of a wall which I had been following to my right I headed out across Fine Burn Head towards a trig posted on Five Pikes. There was no path but the going was not too bad. Eventually I reached the summit and the trig post. I had a short distance across rough ground to re-join the main track heading southwest.

I followed it across Powlaw pike and then a gentle right turn and down towards Hawkwood Burn.
It was easy walking down the track and I soon reached an area of abandoned mine and quarry workings. Some of the spoil heaps seem to be being excavated and as I continued down Howden Burn a large dump truck came up the track and soon returned with a full load. The track was easy to follow and it took me to a row of houses called Whitfield Brow. There It was then a short descent back to the road and my car.