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A gentle look around Stanhope, combining the north bank of the River Wear with the village streets and its fossil tree. Start at the Durham Dales Centre car park, walk west along Front Street and turn down New Town Road by the open-air pool. The paved riverside path runs beside the playground and follows the Wear east to Park View and The Butts.
Return towards the market place, then continue along Front Street through the shops. A loop down Bondisle Way passes the approach to the Weardale Railway station before an uphill footpath brings you back to the main street. Finish beside St Thomas’ Church, where the large fossilised tree stands in the churchyard wall, then follow the pavement west towards the Dales Centre. Turn into Castle Gardens at the original car park entrance and return to the start.
Allow around an hour and a quarter, with time to stop by the water and look at the tree. Use the pavements and take care at road crossings. There are a few steps and short slopes, and paving can be slippery when wet. The car park has a four-hour limit. The centre offers toilets during opening hours, with shops and places to eat in the village.
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