Visitors choosing Hamsterley for a stay can focus on a range of activities: cycling, woodland walks, interactive trails and historical details. The Squirrel Chaser can be assessed by its length, trail marking and difficulty level. Four walking trails lead through oak forests, while other trails stand out for their individual themes or suitability for particular visitor groups. This lets you plan around the activities that interest you most.

Cycling and trail features

Hamsterley Forest offers opportunities for cycling in nature. The Squirrel Chaser is 13.3 km long, marked blue and of moderate difficulty. Its typical width of 1.2 m, minimum width of 1 m and gradient, which stays below 10% throughout, are further features of the trail. Length, difficulty level and trail measurements provide different points of reference: when planning, you can consider separately how long the route is and which specific measurements are given for it.

Compared with the walking trails, the focus for the Squirrel Chaser is on cycling and the route profile. The general cycling opportunities in Hamsterley Forest provide a broader context; for a specific choice, the Squirrel Chaser has details on length, marking and difficulty. If cycling is your main focus, you can take these stated features into account when planning.

Interactive trails and special themes

The Room on the Broom Trail in Hamsterley Forest is an interactive family trail. The Riverside Trail is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. The themes of the activities offer another point of contrast: the forest also has a Wellbeing Trail, and Viking Wildplay extends across both sides of Bedburn Beck. These descriptions help distinguish between an explicitly interactive family trail, a trail suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and other activities with named themes.

The character trails include the Gruffalo sculptures in Hamsterley Forest. They feature the Gruffalo, the Gruffalo Child and other characters from Julia Donaldson's story. Alongside the type of trail, different themes are therefore available as selection criteria: an interactive family story, a Wellbeing Trail or characters from a particular story. You can decide which of these activities will shape your visit based on your interests.

Woodland walks and getting around

The four walking trails in Hamsterley Forest lead through oak forests. On early-morning walks, you may be able to spot roe deer grazing. This is a possibility, not something to expect on every walk. If you want to experience the forest early in the day, you can keep this possible wildlife sighting in mind when planning, while also treating the walking trails as a focus in their own right.

Hamsterley Forest is accessible on foot or by bicycle; check the latest accessibility information before travelling. For getting around, there is an information point in the forest with brochures, activity packs and maps. Hamsterley Forest also has five car parks. Bedburn car park is the main car park and is closest to the visitor centre. These details offer various practical points of reference without treating the walking and cycling trails as the same.

Historical details

The Church of St James adds a historical note alongside the nature and activity offerings. The church dates predominantly from the 13th century and contains a 12th-century door. It also has several medieval incised grave slabs. These different periods can be distinguished through specific parts of the building: most of the church dates from the 13th century, the door is older, and the grave slabs add further medieval evidence. This offers a range of interests to consider when planning, from cycling and walking to historic buildings.

Discover more destinations

Stanley, Woodland, Middleton-In-Teesdale, High Etherley, Peterlee, Croxdale, Consett, Burnhope

For the overview of the wider area: Durham.