Coldberry Lead Mine Circular Walk

Parking and access

Parking for this walk is available close to Coldberry Lead Mine, making it a convenient starting point if you want to get straight into the mining landscape. From Middleton in Teesdale, follow the road signposted Middle Side, then turn right where signs indicate Auckside / Coldberry. Continue along this track and you will find a small informal parking area not far beyond the mine, close to the bridge over Hudeshope Beck.

The nearest postcode is DL12 0PR, though this should be used as a guide rather than an exact destination, as parking here is informal and limited. Please park considerately, leaving space for local access and farm vehicles at all times.

As with much of the North Pennines, this walk crosses open countryside. Ground conditions can vary, paths may be uneven or muddy after wet weather, and the landscape is exposed in places. Sturdy footwear is strongly recommended, and it’s always worth checking the forecast before setting off.

Route description

From the parking area near Coldberry Lead Mine, begin by heading slightly uphill along the road before taking the right-hand track signposted away from the road. This track soon settles into the mining landscape, with Coldberry Reservoir appearing on your left as you walk deeper into the valley.

Before long, you’ll reach the heart of Coldberry Lead Mine. On your left are the remains of an old tool shed, while on your right are larger ruined buildings believed to include the former lodging shop. Nearby, the entrance to Hunts Level can be seen cut into the hillside, a reminder of the underground workings that once extended far beneath your feet. A little further on is a smaller roofless structure, thought to be the former explosives store. Take time here to explore the area from the outside and imagine the scale of work carried out by hand in this remote landscape.

When ready, head down to the road and carefully cross the bridge over Hudeshope Beck. Follow the road uphill for around five minutes until you reach a public footpath sign on your right. Take this path and head out across open fields, where you will cross several small becks. These crossings are generally straightforward, but they can be muddy after wet weather. Keep an eye out near the water, as traces of galena can still sometimes be spotted among the stones, often showing as small shiny flecks in the rock.

The path soon leads into a short wooded section before opening back out again, where the atmospheric remains of Marlbeck Lead Mine come into view. This is a place that feels frozen in time. Do not enter the building or the mine entrance, but if you look through gaps in the door you can still glimpse the old stove once used by miners to cook and keep warm. It’s a powerful moment that brings the daily reality of mining life sharply into focus.

Continue following the route alongside Hudeshope Beck, heading downstream. The remains of High Skears Lead Mine appear next, where buildings are more collapsed but signs of extensive work are clearly visible in the ground and surrounding slopes. Just before entering the woodland, look out for the subtle remains of Low Skears Mine. There is less to see here, but it still forms part of the wider story of mining activity spread across the valley.

The route then enters a peaceful woodland section, a calming stretch that feels a world away from the exposed moorland above. It’s easy to imagine why Victorian visitors were drawn to walking routes like this, combining industry, scenery and quiet natural spaces. As you pass through the woodland, look for a gate on your left and head through it, crossing a couple of open fields before returning to the road.

Once back on the road, turn left and follow it steadily back towards the start. This section offers some of the best views across the valley, allowing you to fully appreciate the sheer scale of the mining operations and the amount of earth moved entirely by hand. On your left, you’ll pass a large pile of stones marking the position of an old vertical shaft that has since been capped.

After around a mile on the road, you’ll reach a sharp left-hand bend. Here, take time to explore the remains of Lodge Sike Mine on your right. Continuing along the road, after a few more minutes you’ll spot the derelict remains of Pikestone Mine behind a farmhouse on your right. This site is not on open access land and has no public right of way, so it should be viewed respectfully from the roadside only.

From here, continue along the road, crossing Hudeshope Beck once more before returning to the parking area near Coldberry. This is not a walk to rush. Take your time, explore what you can safely from the outside, and imagine the lives of the miners and workers who shaped this landscape. If you’re visiting Barnard Castle or Middleton in Teesdale and looking for things to do, this walk offers a fascinating and memorable way to experience Teesdale’s industrial past alongside its quieter, more reflective spaces.

The map above shows the full circular route, including the paths we followed between Coldberry, Marlbeck and High Skears, along with the woodland sections through Skears Plantation.

Mines on the walk

Coldberry Lead Mine

Coldberry Lead Mine forms the heart of this circular walk and is one of the most complete surviving lead mining sites in upper Teesdale. The remains include a substantial ruined lodging shop, a smaller tool shed, and several level entrances cut directly into the hillside, including Hunts Level. Nearby, a roofless stone structure is believed to have been used as an explosives store, positioned away from the main buildings for safety.

Standing among the buildings and spoil, it becomes clear just how organised and labour-intensive mining here once was. Everything you see was shaped by hand in an exposed upland setting, with miners working long hours far from the shelter of the valley below.

Marlbeck Lead Mine

Marlbeck Lead Mine lies beside Hudeshope Beck and is one of the most atmospheric stops on the route. The stone building and level entrance remain remarkably intact, giving a rare sense of everyday mining life rather than just industrial remains.

This is a site best explored from the outside only. Do not enter the building or mine entrance, but if you look carefully through gaps in the doorway you can still glimpse the old stove that miners once used for warmth and cooking. It is a quiet, powerful moment that brings the human side of Teesdale’s mining history sharply into focus.

Low Skears Mine

Just before entering the woodland, the route passes the subtle remains of Low Skears Mine. There is less to see here, with only low ruins and disturbed ground hinting at past activity, but it still forms an important part of the wider mining story of Hudeshope Valley.

Its modest remains are a reminder that not every mine was large or long-lived, yet each contributed to the patchwork of industry that once covered these hills.

Lodge Sike Mine

After rejoining the road, continue walking for around ten minutes before reaching the remains of Lodge Sike Mine on your right. Although much of the site has collapsed, the position of the mine can still be identified from the roadside, marking another point where lead was worked directly into the hillside above the valley.

Partway along this road section, look out on your left for a large pile of stone beside the road. This marks the position of a former vertical shaft, now capped, and serves as a clear reminder of the dangers once associated with mining in this area. From the road, wide views open up across the valley, helping to place Lodge Sike within the broader scale of mining operations spread across Teesdale’s upper slopes.

Pikestone Mine

A short distance further along the road, the derelict remains of Pikestone Mine can be seen behind a nearby farmhouse on your right. This site is not on open access land and has no public right of way, so it should be viewed respectfully from the roadside only.

Even from a distance, the surviving building and level entrance add another layer to the story of lead mining in the area, highlighting just how densely worked this landscape once was.

A landscape shaped by hand

What makes this walk so special is not just the number of mines it passes, but how clearly the wider landscape still carries the marks of human effort. Spoil heaps, altered slopes, capped shafts and subtle earthworks appear again and again along the route, often blending so naturally into the hills that they are easy to miss at first glance. Once you start to notice them, it becomes impossible not to imagine the scale of work involved, all carried out with simple tools in harsh weather and remote conditions.

This is a walk that rewards curiosity and patience. Take time to stop, look back across the valley, and connect the individual sites into one bigger story. The images below capture some of the quieter details and wider views that help bring Teesdale’s mining past into focus.

Safety and Access Information

This walk passes through a historic mining landscape where old workings, shafts, and buildings remain visible across the hillsides. These features are fragile and often unstable, and mine entrances and buildings should never be entered.

Some sections of the route cross open access land, while others pass along roads or near private land. Please stick to public rights of way and view non-accessible sites from a distance. Moorland paths can be uneven and muddy, especially after wet weather, and conditions can change quickly in Teesdale, so sturdy footwear and suitable clothing are advised.

Livestock may be present throughout the walk. Dogs should be kept under close control, and gates left as found.

A Moment of Calm

This is not a walk to rush.

Between the ruined mine buildings, quiet becks, and soft woodland paths, there are moments where the noise of the modern world seems to fall away completely. As you follow Hudeshope Beck and later walk through Skears Plantation, it is easy to imagine the soundscape of the past, the clatter of tools, voices carried on the wind, and the constant movement of water through this working landscape.

Take time to pause, look closely at the ground beneath your feet, and notice how nature has slowly reclaimed a place once shaped by hand and hard labour.

About This Walk

This circular walk was explored and recorded on foot by Outdoor Exploring Family as part of our ongoing work documenting Teesdale’s walking routes, industrial history, and quieter landscapes.

The route includes a mix of moorland tracks, woodland paths, roadside sections, and waterside walking beside Marl Beck and Hudeshope Beck. The embedded digital route shows the exact path taken, but we always recommend carrying a paper map and using your own judgement on the ground.

This walk forms part of Discover Teesdale, our growing guide to the walks, history, waterfalls, and peaceful places that make this part of the North Pennines so special:
https://www.outdoorexploringfamily.com/discover-teesdale