From Tunstall Reservoir car park, a stiffish climb to the site of a former railway, heather-topped moors followed by a gradual descent into Weardale above Waskerley Beck, the pubs of Wolsingham, a picturesque picnic area and another gradual climb to the other side of the Waskerley valley and back to the start.

One of the main things wrong with this walk is that you need two maps as the route crosses a join. It's not one of the country's leading beauty spots, but it's not bad all the same and there's plenty of variety.

In Wolsingham, turn off the A689 alongside the impressive school buildings, following the brown signs for over two miles to Tunstall Reservoir, where there's free car park mainly used by anglers.

Turn right from the car park and follow the road as it goes north-ish with the reservoir on your right.

The road ends at Tunstall House Farm, where you turn right on a bridge over the top end of the water, a nature reserve on your left. Follow the track uphill, ignoring the branch to your left, for a climb you'll be glad to get out of the way early on. Stay with the track all the way in a north easterly direction until you come to the crumbling remains of an old railway building. Just before it, you'll spot a yellow waymark on a gate to your right. For some unknown reason you aren't allowed on the dismantled railway, but the path alongside it is clear enough over rough pastures.

The railway curves away from you to the left as you start to travel south, heather moors on Ninety Acrew Allotment to your left, pastures and a great view across the top of the Reservoir to the other side of the Wasklerley valley to your right.

Purple heather blooms on Ninety Acre Allotment.

It's dead easy to follow the route, which turns from a track into a path then into a track again, a lane and a narrow road with some pretty impressive houses either side as it descends towards Wolsingham. Stick with it into the town (or is it a village?),and check out a handful of pubs of varying quality.

Last time we were there the clientelle was of varying quality, too. But the Black Bull had Deuchars and Spitfire on, so that was all right.

From Wolsingham, head along the B6296 (you should have walked down it on the way in), and turn left into the signed Demesne Mill picnic area. Keep the Waskerley back on your right through this pleasant area, using a series of kissing gates on the way. When you cross a small footbridge, turn right (not left back towards Wolsingham) and you'll see a gated footbridge 100 yards away. Cross it and bear left for a gradual climb, with a hedge on your left, up two or three fields (look, we didn't count them, right?) to the minor road that leads to the Reservoir. Here and later you'll get views of a development of huge houses called Holwood (only one l) and if you know who lives there, let us know.

Go straight across the road, through a kissing gate and climb through several fields (no counting again) for about a mile, with oak and occasional conker trees on your left.

Just after Park Wall Plantation, an awkward stile in a high wall give access to a very small paddock. Turn right, with great views across Holywood and into Weardale, follow the marked route past Jofless Cottage, through High Jofless farmyard and down to the Reservoir road, just near the dam.

It's an easy walk along the lane back to the car park.