Mineral Valleys Walk: St. John's Chapel

This gentle circular walk begins and ends in the village of St. John's Chapel, tucked into Upper Weardale in the North Pennines. Setting out from the village, the route heads past the Church of St. John the Baptist before climbing steadily onto the surrounding hillsides, where open pasture and moorland edge offer wide views back across the dale.

The path traces a loop taking in Bridge End Farm and crosses the small becks of Drygill Sike and Rowantree Sike, typical of the moorland streams that thread this corner of County Durham. Reminders of Weardale's lead mining past sit nearby, including the Middle Level Mine Timber Store, Mine Shop and Crushing Mill, as well as the remains of Greenlaws Mine on the fells above.

At 4.6 km with a modest 131 m of ascent, the walk is manageable in around an hour and a quarter, making it an easy half-day outing. Returning to St. John's Chapel, you finish close to Chapel Race and the village centre, where cafes and pubs provide a welcome stop.