🥾 Walking route
Bedburn Valley Walk
County Durham
- 📏 4.8 km · 3 mi
- ⛰ +222 m
- ⏱ 1 hr 30 min
- 🐕 On lead
Walk stats
- Distance4.8 km · 3 mi
- Elevation+222 m
- Duration1 hr 30 min
- DifficultyModerate
- Route typeCircular
- TerrainForest tracks and woodland paths, some uneven and undulating sections
- Best seasonLate spring to autumn
- DogsDog-friendly, keep on lead near sculptures and busy areas
About this walk
Starting from the Hamsterley Forest Tea Room, this 4.8 km circular route heads out into one of County Durham's largest woodlands. The trail is a favourite with families thanks to the Gruffalo sculpture near the start, a cheerful landmark that sets the tone for a walk full of small discoveries beneath the trees.
The path climbs steadily through Horse Bank Wood, gaining a total of around 222 metres of ascent as it winds between conifers and broadleaves. Look out for the Green Man Life Cycle carvings along the way, a series of wooden sculptures that reward a slower pace. Glimpses of Bedburn Beck accompany you in the valley below, and Frog Wood Bog SSSI lies close by for those with time to linger.
Allow around an hour and a half for the full loop back to the tea room. The terrain is uneven in places and there are a few short pulls, but nothing sustained, making it a rewarding half-day outing rather than a serious hike.
Route map
Route line drawn from OpenStreetMap footpath data. Numbered markers are waypoints on the route; amber star markers are points of interest a short detour away.
Waypoints along the route
4 waypoints along the way
- 1
Hamsterley Forest Tea Room
- 2
Gruffalo
- 3
Horse Bank Wood
- 4
Green Man Life Cycle
Worth a short detour
Points of interest just off the route, look for the amber markers on the map.
Bedburn Beck
~213 m off the route
Frog Wood Bog SSSI
~388 m off the route
Route & waypoint data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).