GUIDE TO THE RIVER WEAR

(Stanhope to Wolsingham)

NAME OF RIVER: Wear

WHERE IS IT?: County Durham, off the A689.

PUT-INS/ TAKE-OUTS: Stanhope ford, South bank (NY960392); Wolsingham - Road bridge on Hamsterly Road (NZ074368), parking may be available in the Station car park.

APPROX LENGTH: 10km

TIME NEEDED: 2 hours

ACCESS HASSLES: Not known - no problems encountered Jan 08 - probably okay in winter months

WATER LEVEL INDICATORS: We paddled in medium conditions - we paddled clean over the stepping stones at Stanhope and there was sufficient water for the trip. I expect if you can't get over the stepping stones it will be a scrape. The number for Rivercall North East is 09066197722, which gives three gauge readings for the Wear.

GRADING: Pretty continuous grade 2 with bits of 3

MAJOR HAZARDS/ FALLS: Weir under the road bridge upstream of Wolsingham (not marked on the map) - get out to inspect above the bridge. Concreted rocks hidden in the wave at the bottom of the weir.

The natural weir and series of stoppers just before the road bridge in Wolsingham may get more retentive as the water level increases.

Quite a number of trees and tree roots at the waters edge along the whole length of the river.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: An exciting picturesque river with plenty of challenge for the grade. Reasonable number of eddies and a few surfable waves. Quite fast flowing. Not well suited to absolute novice paddlers due to trees.

OTHER NOTES: The upper section is faster and harder, with the section just above only slightly harder. The next section leads down to Witton-le-Wear.

CONTRIBUTED BY: John Little