Walking
Ashes Quarry Geotrail
Ashes Quarry Geotrail
**Please note: the footbridges in the quarry are closed for safety reasons so you may need to find an alternative route**
Here, for 70 years and more, hundreds of men toiled by hand with simple tools to dig the Great Limestone out of the Weardale fells, just a short distance from the centre of Stanhope.
They left behind a huge, mile-long hole in the ground which today, over 60 years since they downed tools, nature is slowly reclaiming.
This 2 mile (3km) circular route follows the paths the quarrymen would have once taken to work. It rewards a bit of a climb at the start with fantastic views over Stanhope and a fascinating insight into Weardale’s industrial past.
Start location: Starting from the Durham Dales Centre car park in Stanhope (NY996393 / DL13 2FJ).
Terrain: Boggy ground, off-road sections, on-road sections, steep sections.
There is car parking, cycle parking, public transport, a playground, a café, a shop, a pub and accessible toilets available.
