The North Pennines are often billed as England's last Wilderness and provide excellent walking in quiet and sometimes remote areas.
The Pennine Way passes through on its way to the Scottish Border and the Weardale Way follows the river Wear from its source to its mouth in Sunderland.
There are numerous possibilities locally for circular walks, some starting from the Inn, routes are available from tourist offices, the Durham Dales Centre in Stanhope, the Rookhope Inn, numerous books and ,of course, the web.
Just two of many suggestions for areas to investigate slightly further afield are listed below:
Cross Fell
Cross Fell is the highest point in the Pennines at 893m in altitude. It is located at the northern end of the Pennine moors and has extensive views of the Lake District, the west coast and also the east coast. The southern uplands of Scotland and the Cheviots can also be seen from here
The Pennine Way goes over Cross Fell from Dufton via Great Dun Fell to Garrigill and Alston.
Snow has been known to lie on Cross Fell for up to 140 days a year.
Three of England's major rivers rise near to the summit - the Tyne, the Tees and the Wear.
In times gone by Cross Fell was associated with demons and was often known as the "Fiends Fell", possibly because of the great wind it can produce in the valley of the Eden to its west. Known as the Helm Wind, this fierce gale of hurricane proportions, can strike most unexpectedly during the spring.
High Cup Nick
Described by WH Auden as "one of the holy places of the earth" a deep chasm on the Pennine fellside, this famous nick, a dramatic geological formation at the top of High Cup Gill overlooks the best glaciated valley in Northern England. Here you can see the grey-blue dolerite crags which also form High Force and Cauldron Snout.
High Cup Nick is on the Pennine Way and can be reached from Cow Green on the border of Cumbria and County Durham.
