County Durham Rambles - Waskerley reservoir in the snow.

 

Valentines day 2026 found me with a 5 hour window where senior management had deemed me surplus to requirements. 5 hours which I intended to put to good use, especially when it was the first day in months that it wasn't forecast to rain. During the preceding weeks I'd been steadily working my way east to west along the Lanchester Valley railway path to Consett where I'd joined the Waskerley Way, which is another former railway track bed. This was part of my never ending quest to walk as many County Durham rights of way as possible. Having reached the site of the former Waskerley station earlier that week it seemed only natural to use this as the start point for todays walk. Looking at the OS map (no307) I mentally plotted a route some 5 miles in length which would loop around close to Waskerley reservoir.

I should maybe point out that the rain that we'd endured at lower levels had turned to snow on higher ground and as I drove north up the A68 I did wonder if I would even get to Waskerley, fortunately the roads were clear right up until I turned onto the narrow lane taking me up to Waskerley and the car park which was a bit entertaining in ones little Citroen.

Waskerley was once a self contained railway town (or village) with sidings and engine sheds which housed the locomotives that provided the motive power for the heavy mineral trains that served the many mines and quarries. Hidden in a box somewhere I have a book written by a railway man who worked here during the 1930's telling of harsh times when the whole community would be cut off from the outside world by the winter snows. He also told how the Waskerley water was extremely pure, something the railway noticed when the engines stationed there had a much longer boiler life than their contemporaries stationed at other sheds. Other than the track bed and former goods shed nothing much remains now.

The former Waskerley goods shed above. This picture was taken earlier in the week before the snow came. The engine sheds  would have been on the left of the picture.

The track bed looking west from the car park. I believe the station buildings would have been on the right hand side.

Leaving the small, and surprisingly full, car park I headed in a westerly direction for just over a mile to Hawkburn Head car park. This was a steady climb over open moorland which would have been bleak on a wet, winters day, luckily the snow, which was a couple of inches deep, added another dimension transforming the landscape into a winter wonderland.   

The drag up to Hawkburn Head above, and looking North across Smiddy Shaw reservoir below.

At Hawkburn head I turned left onto a metalled track that lead down to Waskerley reservoir. I have to admit the view of the water sparkling behind a thin veil of tree's was fantastic, couple that with the crisp, clean air and the sound o the snow crunching under my dainty size twelves and life was about as good as it could be.

The track leads down to the reservoir, which was built in 1877, where it turn right past a small car park, before taking a sharper right o run almost gun barrel straight in a north westerly direction past Heather Lea to meet up once again with the Waskerley Way. It's worth thinking how much different the landscape must have looked in the 1870's with the ongoing construction of the Waskerley dam and the sound/sight of steam locomotives toiling against the steep gradients with trains loaded to the gunnels with limestone and iron ore. 

Once the junction with the Waskerley Way was made it was just a matter of turning right and walking 2.21 miles in an easterly direction back to Waskerley. This was mainly flat or downhill and involved walking through the Frosterley cut, where a wall made from large blocks of stone was constructed to stop snow drifting into the shallow cutting. Unfortunately I must have had a dose of the shakes as the picture came out blurry. 

The view from Hawkburn Head toward Waskerley on the way back.

Summary.

This was a nice 5 mile ramble with an elevation gain of 336ft and a loss of 356ft and wasn't too taxing, even for me with a busted knee. I would say the snow made it, and I could imagine the open moorland being pretty bleak/grim without it. That being said I think it would be quite a nice walk in the summer once the heather is out. The only other comment I would make is that there is little shelter from the elements andit would be one to be avoided on a windy day.