Bowlees Short Circular Walk in Teesdale
This short circular walk from Bowlees Visitor Centre is a gentle, family friendly route that takes you straight out into Teesdale.
From the car park, the walk quickly opens into wide countryside views, crossing Causeway Sike and leading onto Hare Hill before returning along a peaceful woodland path beside Bow Lee Beck.
If you are searching for a short walk from Bowlees, an easy circular walk in Teesdale, or a family friendly walk near Middleton in Teesdale, this is a simple route that feels far bigger than the distance.
Quick Facts
Distance: 1.4 miles
Time: 35 to 45 minutes
Route type: Circular
Start point: Bowlees Visitor Centre DL12 0XE
Parking: Large donation pay and display car park
Terrain: Grass paths, woodland tracks, stiles, and uneven ground
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Dog friendly: Yes, on a lead due to livestock
Child friendly: Yes, with close supervision
OS Map: Explorer OL31 North Pennines
Digital route guide: View on Hiiker
GPX files: Free download here
Interactive route map at the bottom of the page
Parking and Access
Start at Bowlees Visitor Centre in Upper Teesdale.
There is a large donation based pay and display car park, making it an easy and beginner friendly place to begin your walk. Toilets are available at the centre, along with food and drinks during opening hours.
This route is not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.
You will pass through a couple of gates which should be opened and closed behind you, as this is a working landscape with livestock. There are also two stiles on the route, both with wide stone steps.
Route Guide Step by Step
Start at the top of the Bowlees Visitor Centre car park.
Cross the small wooden bridge over Bow Lee Beck, pass the wooden mud play kitchen, and follow the path up to the visitor centre.
Walk down the side of the building and turn right towards the disabled parking area, where you will see a wooden gate.
Before you go through, take a moment to look at the building. Bowlees was once a chapel, and the original date stone can still be found. A small clue, it is not on the front of the building.
Go through the gate.
Two paths appear ahead. One stays low along the field edge, the other cuts diagonally uphill. Take the diagonal path.
This is the main climb of the walk, short and steady. As you gain height, look back and the views open across Teesdale towards Holwick.
Continue through the first gate and follow the path with woodland to your right and open fields to your left. The landscape here feels wide, quiet and typically Teesdale.
The path then drops gently towards a small stream. Cross carefully, usually a simple step across, though it can be slightly wider after rain.
Climb the short slope on the other side and continue to the stone stile. Cross using the wide steps.
The path rises gently again before reaching a second stile. Cross over and turn right into the woodland.
The walk changes immediately. The open landscape gives way to trees, softer light, and the sound of Bow Lee Beck nearby.
Follow the woodland path downhill, crossing a small wooden bridge, then continue through the trees. This is the calmest part of the walk, worth slowing down for.
Keep following the path until you reach a large wooden gate. Go through, turn Left, and follow the short path back into Bowlees car park.
What You Will See
From the historic Bowlees chapel to open Teesdale views and a peaceful woodland path, this short circular walk gently reveals the landscape step by step.
Bowlees Chapel and Visitor Centre
The walk begins beside the former Bowlees chapel, now the visitor centre, a historic stone building that reflects the area’s past and provides a clear and welcoming starting point.
Wooden Gate into Open Fields
A wooden gate beside the centre leads out into open countryside, where the landscape quickly opens up into rolling fields, dry stone walls, and wide views across Teesdale.
View Back Towards Bowlees
Looking back along the route, the Bowlees buildings sit quietly within the landscape, offering a sense of scale and a reminder of how quickly the walk moves into open countryside.
Causeway Sike and Open Valley
The path passes over Causeway Sike as it winds through the valley below, a small but distinctive watercourse that eventually flows down towards Bowlees Beck.
Stone Stile into Woodland
A sturdy stone stile marks the transition into woodland, with wide steps that make crossing easier while leading you away from open fields and into a more sheltered section of the walk.
Peaceful Woodland Path
The route finishes along a calm woodland path, where tall trees, soft ground, and filtered light create a quieter atmosphere before gently returning you back towards Bowlees.
Is This Walk Right for You
This is a good choice if you want a short circular walk that still feels varied.
It works well for families, but children should be supervised at the stream crossing and stiles.
Dogs are welcome but should be kept on a lead as livestock may be present. The stiles have wide steps, but it will depend on your dog.
Not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.
A Moment of Calm
This is more than just a short walk.
The woodland return is where everything slows down. The light softens through the trees, the sound of Bow Lee Beck carries beside you, and the path naturally eases your pace.
It becomes less about walking and more about noticing. The sounds, the space, the feeling of being here.
This is what forest bathing is about. Taking time to connect with your surroundings, even on a short route like this.
If you’d like to explore that more, you can read our forest bathing at Bowlees guide.
Interactive Digital Map
You can view the route using the interactive map below.
This shows the full loop from Bowlees, helping you understand where the walk goes and how the route fits into the surrounding landscape.
Explore More from Bowlees
Bowlees is one of the best starting points in Teesdale, especially if you want to turn a short walk into a full day out.
If you’d like to explore a little further, the former Bowlees Quarry is just a few minutes from the car park, where you can see how nature has slowly taken back over the landscape.
A short woodland walk will also lead you to Summerhill Force and Gibson’s Cave, one of the most atmospheric spots in the area.
From Bowlees, you can also head down towards Low Force, where the River Tees flows over wide rock ledges and the historic Wynch Bridge crosses the gorge above.
If you are looking for something longer, you can follow the path further up the valley to High Force and make more of a day of it.
This short circular route is a great place to begin.