Weardale

Weardale is a hidden gem in the North Pennines.  It is in County Durham and that might be why it has survived as a wild and remote spot.  People seem to drive past County Durham, perhaps thinking that it is still full of mines and dark pit waste.

Weardale is a farming valley, but farming here is hand to mouth.  It is some of the poorest land in the country.  There were mines here but none of these are still working.  It is possible to see the remains of the pits and the impact this had had on the landscape.

For six years we lived high on the hillside (on the money side of the valley rather than the sunny side).

We experienced all the weather could throw at us but it was always beautiful.

One of the most unusual things about the valley is the haymeadows in the summer.  Haymeadow is a very rare habitat now but many of the remaining fields in England can be found in Weardale.

Other links that are useful:

Killhope Lead Mine

Weardale Museum

High House Chapel

Weardale Ski Club

Weardale Gazette

Durham Mining Museum (Greenlaws mine)

Weardale Way

Weardale Railway

Weardale Eco Village Plans

North Wales

Even having travelled extensively around the world, I can say that Wales is one of my favourite places and to be more specific North Wales.

For me a house overlooking the Mawddach Estuary with views out to sea and back to Snowdonia would be perfect.  You don't have to choose between the mountains or the sea here.

Then there is the wonderful Cader Idris and the fact that regardless of which route you take to arrive at the mountain it is spectacular.

And then of course there is the whole Snowdonia National Park with its mountains and villages and rivers and valleys.