20 Attractions to Explore Near North Pennines

Burnhope Reservoir is a reservoir above the village of Wearhead, County Durham, England. There are some wonderful woodland trails and lakeside paths to enjoy. It's a very quiet place with a series of picnic tables where you can stop to enjoy the lovely scenery of the North Pennines AONB. The reservoir supplies water to the Wear Valley treatment works at Wearhead and there is a pipeline connection to Waskerley Reservoir, which supplies Honey Hill water treatment works.

Killhope is a multi-award winning 19th century mining museum in the centre of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The museum stands on the site of the former Park Level Mine, which is being restored to show the workings of a 19th-century lead mine.

Cauldron Snout is a waterfall on the River Tees on the border between Cumbria and County Durham. It is an impressive waterfall or probably more correctly a cascade, which tumbles down a gorge beneath Cow Green Reservoir.

High Force is one of the most impressive waterfalls in England. The River Tees has been plunging into this gorge for thousands of years but the rocks it reveals are far more ancient – with origins dating back over 300 million years. Very occasionally the river level will be high enough to flow over the central section of rock; the last recorded time this happened was in December 2015 after Storm Desmond. In harsh winters the falls have been known to freeze, creating cathedral-like ice formation

Summerhill Force is a picturesque waterfall in a wooded glade near Bowness in Upper Teesdale. Heavily undercut, the recess behind the fall is known as "Gibson's Cave". The waterfall is called Summerhill Force, but because of the recess behind the waterfall it is more affectionately known as Gibson’s Cave.

Bowlees Visitor Centre has all you need to make your visit to the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty a memorable one. The information point stocks a range of walks leaflets, maps and books about the North Pennines and also has a café and gift shop. The centre is run by the North Pennines AONB Partnership and includes events, exhibitions, galleries, Gibson's Cave, and waterfalls.

One of the most beautiful waterfalls in the north of England, Low Force is a series of low cascades on the River Tees, about three miles upstream of Middleton-in-Teesdale. Low Force is also the site of the Wynch Bridge, completed in 1830. It is suggested that only one person at a time should cross the bridge as it may be unstable.

An iron suspension footbridge with planked walkway, over the River Tees, by the Low Force waterfalls, near Holwick and Newbiggin. The bridge was built c.1820 for the Duke of Cleveland and is Grade II* listed. It was the first chain bridge in the western world after the Tibetan and Chinese onesChain bridges had not found imitators in the West for a long time.

Weardale, one of the Durham Dales, was once the hunting ground of County Durham’s Prince Bishops. This spectacular dale has beautiful historic settlements, great attractions and exhilarating landscapes to discover. Explore this stunning area either by car, on foot, on horseback or by bicycle or motorbike – there’s actually more miles of foot and cycle paths in the county than roads, so visitors feel far away from their busy lives.

A beautiful and majestic castle, which was set in the bustling market town of Stanhope, surrounded by the beautiful countryside fields and hills of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It comprises of a beautiful lawn to the front of the house, and side elevation and beautiful woodland pathways lead to the river.

One of the unique venues with a range of attractions such as a tearoom offering homemade hot and cold meals, specialty coffees and teas, gift shops and speciality craft shops, gardens, visitor information, function room, and business offices. The grounds of the Centre boasts a wonderful site, also home to a wonderful sculpture, covered in lots of fossils, known as Frosterley Marble.

Teesdale is mostly an upland area within the northern Pennines. Its bleak basalt and limestone moorlands gradually descend eastward from an elevation of about 2,500 to 600 feet (760 to 185 metres) and border the Tees valley on both north and south. One of the nice trekking destination and also you can spend some nice time in the middle of nature.

Mickle Fell is a massive bow-shaped ridge rising above the surrounding moorland. is 2,585 feet high and lies slightly off the main watershed of the Pennines, about ten miles south of Cross Fell. After Cross Fell, Mickle Fell is the highest Marilyn within the North Pennines designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. One of the nice trekking destinations and also this location was flourished with natural beauty and scenic views.

Waskerley Reservoir belongs to a group of three reservoirs, the others being Smiddy Shaw and Hideshope Reservoir. A popular outdoor activity is fly fishing – you can buy up to five-day tickets. Besides fishing, walking and cycling are favorite activities due to the beautiful scenery. Waskerley can be replenished by a gravity feed from Burnhope Reservoir or, if necessary, by pumping water from the Tyne-Tees Tunnel via an airshaft.

Epiacum Roman Fort, which is also known by its modern name of Whitley Castle, was built concurrently with Hadrian's Wall. It controlled access along the Maiden Way, an important road connecting that frontier with the wider Roman world, but the primary duties of its garrison would have been to oversee the surrounding lead and silver mines. Unlike most Roman forts that have a "playing-card shape" , Whitley Castle is lozenge-shaped to fit the site.

The Waskerley Way is a 16km route running from Parkhead Station above Stanhope in Weardale to Lydgetts Junction. An entirely off road route using the National Cycle Network, suitable for mountain, hybrid or cross bikes from the heart of Newcastle along the Tyne and Derwent valleys and then the Waskerley Way right on the cusp of the Pennines.

The Harehope Quarry Project is based in a former limestone quarry near the village of Frosterley in County Durham. The project aims to demonstrate a more sustainable way of living through its education and events programme and through the development and management of this Local Wildlife Site.

Pow Hill is set in moorland overlooking the Derwent Reservoir. The word Pow comes from Old English and means ‘slow-moving stream’ which refers to the waterlogged boggy area in the north of the site. Rain falling on the surrounding moors is absorbed into the peaty ground. Water then seeps downhill into basins and shallow valleys, creating bogs. Conserved for its special wildlife interest, the area is home to goldcrests, coal tits, roe deer and red squirrels.

Derwent Reservoir is a reservoir on the River Derwent, on the border between County Durham and Northumberland, in England. It is west of Consett. It is one of the biggest inland waters in England. It also hosts a sailing club, which holds many events throughout the year, including windsurfing, sailing, running, and triathlons. The area around the reservoir hosts the annual Tour of the Reservoir cycle race.

Grassholme Reservoir is a large reservoir in County Durham, England. Try the beautiful reservoir walk that showcases the views across the water and surrounding landscapes, giving you the perfect atmosphere to reconnect with your loved ones or yourself. It offers a great variety of fishing. Grassholme also enjoys the luxury of its own local fish farm with some of the stocked fish tagged with cash prizes available. You can ‘loose feed’ and ground bait around the reservoir.