Blanchland Geotrail the Global Geoparks Network

1:50 000 Geological Sheet 19 Hexham 19 Sheet Geological 000 1:50

British Geological Survey Geological British the North Pennines North the

1:25 000 Explorer 307 Consett & Derwent Reservoir Derwent & Consett 307 Explorer 000 1:25 Carboniferous rocks of rocks Carboniferous

1:25 000 Explorer OL43 Hadrian’s Wall Hadrian’s OL43 Explorer 000 1:25 Formation of the layered the of Formation

1:50 000 Landranger 87 Hexham & Haltwhistle & Hexham 87 Landranger 000 1:50

Ordnance Survey Ordnance

Useful maps: maps: Useful for mine shafts, miners' cottages, chimneys and spoil heaps. spoil and chimneys cottages, miners' shafts, mine for

2 Tearoom, The Lord Crewe Arms Hotel, a playground and public toilets public and playground a Hotel, Arms Crewe Lord The Tearoom, seen all over the landscape – as you'll see on this walk. Look out Look walk. this on see you'll as – landscape the over all seen

Blanchland Shop and Post Office, The White Monk White The Office, Post and Shop Blanchland Facilities: chemical industry. Evidence of the area's mining past can be can past mining area's the of Evidence industry. chemical

fluorspar), which was used in iron and steel making, and in the in and making, steel and iron in used was which fluorspar), 0871 200 22 33 (www.traveline.info) 33 22 200 0871

For timetable information call Traveline on on Traveline call information timetable For transport: Public 1980s, the area was important for fluorite (also known as known (also fluorite for important was area the 1980s,

century the industry was in decline. In the 20th century, until the until century, 20th the In decline. in was industry the century

limestone Keep well clear of old mine workings. mine old of clear well Keep limestone 1

its heyday in the 18th and 19th centuries, but by the late 19th late the by but centuries, 19th and 18th the in heyday its and leave gates as you find them. them. find you as gates leave and

Please keep dogs under close control (on a lead across the moor) the across lead a (on control close under dogs keep Please (lead ore) and is a by-product of lead smelting. Lead mining had mining Lead smelting. lead of by-product a is and ore) (lead

moderately steep descent near the end. Wear strong shoes or boots. or shoes strong Wear end. the near descent steep moderately

4 silver as well as lead; silver is present in small amounts in galena in amounts small in present is silver lead; as well as silver

shale

Derwent. There is a sustained but gentle climb to start and a and start to climb gentle but sustained a is There Derwent. to medieval times. Some early mining appears to have been for been have to appears mining early Some times. medieval to

footpath, through farmland, across moorland and beside the River the beside and moorland across farmland, through footpath,

The history of lead mining around Blanchland goes back at least at back goes Blanchland around mining lead of history The

This route follows well-made tracks, minor roads and a public a and roads minor tracks, well-made follows route This Terrain:

different times. times. different

NY 964 504 964 NY

sandstone

important industry, but many other minerals were also mined at mined also were minerals other many but industry, important AONB & Geopark & AONB

park (donations welcome) welcome) (donations park

North Pennines North

Pennine economy for many centuries. Lead mining was the most the was mining Lead centuries. many for economy Pennine

Blanchland car Blanchland Start/finish:

These mineral deposits were the foundation of the North the of foundation the were deposits mineral These

coal 4 2 hours 2

Centuries of mining of Centuries

ascent, taking about 1½ – 1½ about taking ascent,

in-Teesdale

limestone limestone 5 miles) with 120 m of m 120 with miles) Middleton-

Elizabeth Pickett ©BGS,NERC 5.6 km (3½ km 5.6 distance: Walk

Granite

Stanhope

Weardale

that grew in the swampy forests. swampy the in grew that

Alston

footsteps...

Blanchland

evidence of ancient river currents, and fossils of some of the plants the of some of fossils and currents, river ancient of evidence

and follow the follow and

On this walk you’ll see sandstone, shale, terraced hillsides, terraced shale, sandstone, see you’ll walk this On

on the map overleaf map the on

Hexham Look out for the START the for out Look mineral-rich ﬂuids mineral-rich the gentler slopes between the terraces. terraces. the between slopes gentler the

stand out as terraces, whereas the softer, easily eroded shales form shales eroded easily softer, the whereas terraces, as out stand

Pennine hills. Layers of hard rock such as sandstone and limestone and sandstone as such rock hard of Layers hills. Pennine

bit about the area’s mining heritage. mining area’s the about bit

these different rocks has influenced the shape of the North the of shape the influenced has rocks different these

about how the local rocks and minerals formed, and tell you a you tell and formed, minerals and rocks local the how about

limestone, shale, sandstone and coal. The contrast in hardness of hardness in contrast The coal. and sandstone shale, limestone,

The sections opposite give some background information background some give opposite sections The

This cycle happened many times, building up repeating layers of layers repeating up building times, many happened cycle This

the landscape and discover more about its fascinating past. past. fascinating its about more discover and landscape the

rose, drowning the deltas and depositing limestone again . . again limestone depositing and deltas the drowning rose,

in the moors, fields and buildings you’ll find out how to ‘read’ to how out find you’ll buildings and fields moors, the in

and sandstone, and the forests turned to coal. Periodically, the sea the Periodically, coal. to turned forests the and sandstone, and

veins

features of the landscape around Blanchland. By spotting clues spotting By Blanchland. around landscape the of features

limy ooze hardened to limestone, the mud and sand became shale became sand and mud the limestone, to hardened ooze limy

This circular walk will introduce you to some of the special the of some to you introduce will walk circular This

vast deltas on which swampy forests grew . In time, the time, In . grew forests swampy which on deltas vast 4 2 North Pennines is world-famous. is Pennines North -

floor . Rivers washed mud and sand into the sea, building up building sea, the into sand and mud washed Rivers . floor beautiful landscape. beautiful 1 gradually building up the mineral veins and deposits for which the which for deposits and veins mineral the up building gradually

Skeletons of sea creatures accumulated as limy ooze on the sea the on ooze limy as accumulated creatures sea of Skeletons minerals and miners – all have played their part in shaping this shaping in part their played have all – miners and minerals dissolved minerals crystallized on the walls of the cracks, the of walls the on crystallized minerals dissolved

equator and was periodically covered by shallow tropical seas. tropical shallow by covered periodically was and equator

known as the Weardale Granite. As the fluids cooled, their cooled, fluids the As Granite. Weardale the as known years in the making. From tropical seas and deltas to glaciers, to deltas and seas tropical From making. the in years

Back in those distant times, the North Pennines lay near the near lay Pennines North the times, distant those in Back

underground. These solutions were heated by a buried granite buried a by heated were solutions These underground. The landscape around Blanchland has been over 300 million 300 over been has Blanchland around landscape The

rich fluids which flowed through cracks in the rocks deep rocks the in cracks through flowed which fluids rich Earth history. history. Earth

and thousands of years of human activity. human of years of thousands and

These formed about 290 million years ago, from warm, mineral- warm, from ago, years million 290 about formed These 360 and 300 million years ago – in the Carboniferous Period of Period Carboniferous the in – ago years million 300 and 360

…shaped by millions of years of natural processes natural of years of millions by …shaped In the rocks beneath your feet there is a network of mineral veins. mineral of network a is there feet your beneath rocks the In The rocks you’ll see in and around Blanchland formed between formed Blanchland around and in see you’ll rocks The

Hot water and minerals and water Hot Tropical North Pennines North Tropical Welcome to a special landscape… special a to Welcome

Blanchland lies in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and European Geopark The North Pennines AONB is Britain’s first European Geopark, a designation supported by UNESCO, and is a founding member of The North Pennines is one of England’s most special places – Blanchland Geotrail the Global Geoparks Network. Geoparks are special places with a peaceful, unspoilt landscape with a rich history and vibrant outstanding geology and landscape, and where there are strong natural beauty. In recognition of this it is designated as an local efforts to make the most of geological heritage through Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The area is also a Fossils, minerals and mines interpretation, education, conservation and nature tourism. To Global Geopark – an accolade endorsed by UNESCO. find out more visit www.europeangeoparks.org Fabulous 31/2-mile (5.6km) walk route from Blanchland, exploring rocks, fossils and mines.

North Pennines AONB Partnership NorthPenninesAONB www.northpennines.org.uk @NorthPennAONB +44 (0)1388 528801 northpennines [email protected] northpennaonb

The AONB Partnership has a Green Tourism award for its corporate ofﬁce

Blanchland

Stories in stone The North Pennines has been shaped by many different geological processes, environments and climates. The rocks that form the fells and dales of the area tell of this journey down the ages. By reading the landscape and spotting clues in the rocks, we can discover a fascinating story - of a deep ocean and violent volcanoes, colliding continents and molten rock, tropical seas and lush rain forests, hot water and minerals, desert dunes and vast ice sheets.

Thanks to Brian Young for information about the route and to those who kindly provided comments. This route is on land which has been owned and managed by Lord Crewe’s Charity for almost 300 years. Supported by:

Front cover: Shildon Engine House

All photographs and painted map © NPAP/Elizabeth Pickett

County Council. LA 100049055. 2015. 01/15/8K Printed on 150gsm Revive 100 Silk