Bill's Walks

Bink Moss & Hargill Beck (Durham 2000ft Hills)

Distance: 12 miles

Map : Explorer OL31 and Explorer OL19

Start: Car park at the west end of Grassholme Reservoir (GR NY929216)

Click to View Start Position on Google Maps

Grade: Hard

This walk continues the programme started in 2006 to walk all the 2000ft hills listed in The Mountain Summits of England and Wales by Chris Buxton and Gwyn Lewis.

In their list are 11 hills within County Durham, in some cases actually on the border.
For your records the full list is

1. Mickle Fell 2591 ft (790 metres) GR 805245
2. Burnhope Seat 2447 ft (746 metres) GR 788375
3. Dead Stones 2326 ft(709 metres) GR 793399
4. Great Stony Fell 2322 ft (708 metres) GR 823359
5. Chapel Fell 2298 ft (701 metres) GR 875346
6. Fendrith Hill 2283 ft (696 metres) GR 876333
7. Newbiggin Common 2214 ft (675 metres) GR 923325
8. Killhope Law 2207 ft (673 metres) GR 819448
9. Three Pikes 2132 ft (650 metres) GR 833343
10. Viewing Hill 2099 ft (640 metres) GR 788332
11. Bink Moss 2027 ft (618 metres) GR 876342
12. Middlehope Moor 2001 ft (610 metres) GR 862432

The walk starts at the car park at the west end of Grassholme Reservoir which is 120 ft deep when full and was constructed in 1915. A visitor centre was built at the eastern end in 1993 and this has an exhibition on the Dales reservoirs. The road bridge was built at the same time as the reservoir and replaced an old two arched bridge which can be seen when the water levels are low.

We follow the road up the bank to Grassholme Farm and follow the Pennine Way signs through the farmyard into some beautiful meadows which are maintained in an environmentally conscious way to preserve the meadow flowers. The route is clear up to the B6276 road to Brough and the farm track to Wythes Hill taken. We continue past the farm to GR924233 where we go through a gate. Here we quit the Pennine Way and take the shooters track in a north-west direction up Rake Gill passing some grouse butts and eventually reaching a wall at the summit.

Here the path descends to Holwick. Our route however maintains our height by following the boundary to the west. These moors are considered the best grouse moors in the country and over the years have been host to many famous people – until recently they belonged to the Earl of Strathmore but in 2006 they were purchased for £5.25 million by Michael Cannon. They had been in the Strathmore Estates family for 444 years. The new owner, who also has extensive moors in Wensleydale, has invested big sums into grouse shooting and the results in Wensleydale have been very beneficial not only for grouse but for many other waders and ground nesting birds. The level of sheep grazing has been greatly diminished. Recently the figures have been released on the black grouse population and although the figures in Scotland are still weak those in England have seen a substantial improvement and this is due mainly to the efforts on the Wensleydale Estate.

Other birds to benefit here are meadow pipits, skylark, whinchat, twite, curlew, lapwing, redshank and snipe. There is also a chance to see merlin as well as the ring ouzel which breed in this area.

It is about two miles before we get to the top of Bink Moss which is marked by a pole near to a peaty pool. This area has carboniferous limestone underneath hence the number of swallow holes formed by water draining away. You are walking the watershed of the Lune and the Tees and you continue down a peaty depression and onto Hagworm Hill near to a cairn. The name of this hill is derived from the old dialect of the region and signifies the presence of adders (vipers).

The water descending to Teesdale enters the Tees by Bleabeck Force, our route is to the south gradually descending for two and a half miles following Hargill Beck to arrive at the B6276. The road must now be followed back to the start passing Wemmergill Farm. There is a wide verge and there are fine views of Selset Reservoir built in 1960. This is the largest of the reservoirs, having a surface of 107 hectares and is at a height of 310 metres. In winter it is a habitat for mallard, teal and whooper swans whilst it is also visited by goldeneye, tufted duck and goosander. The woods hereabouts have breeding spotted flycatcher and redstarts both quite difficult to find. The reservoir has the reputation of being the best in the north of England for wind surfing.

This walk has been in quiet places but a visit to the website V-G.me.uk will show you that you are not alone in visiting these parts although you will still be very much in the minority – I regard this as a bonus and hope you feel likewise.