Hamsterley Forest Visitor Centre

 

The Visitor Centre houses displays on forest wildlife and management. There is also a small gift shop, tea room and playpark. It is also the starting point of the scenic four mile forest drive that runs through the heart of the forest giving access to the numerous picnic sites along the way.

Yellow Walk (Bedburn)
Riverside Footpath (Bedburn)
Orange Walk (Bedburn)
Whisky Gill Walk
Spurlswood Valley Walk
Tree Walk

Cycling trails

Black Cycle Trail
Green Cycle Trail
Red Cycle Trail
Blue Cycle Trail
Grove Link Cycle Trail
'The Loop' MTB skills area

How to get there:

Hamsterley, Witton-le Wear, Wolsingham, Bishop Auckland, and Durham are the nearest towns or villages.
OS Grid Reference: NZ092312

Local Weather Forecast (Multimap)

Turn right in Hamsterley village following the brown tourist signs, turn left in hamlet of Bedburn to enter the forest and access the forest drive and car parks (£3 toll fee).

Facilities:

	A wide range of gifts and souvenirs are on sale in the shop including pottery, woodware and novelty items.
	Small tea room providing quality home cooked meals,cakes and preserves. Able to cater for large groups and birthday parties on request.
	Close by is the adventure play area which is accessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs. The centre is the starting point for most of the forest trails, including three walks and three cycle routes.

Activities

	Yellow Walk (Bedburn) Riverside Footpath (Bedburn) Orange Walk (Bedburn) Whisky Gill Walk Spurlswood Valley Walk Tree Walk
	Black Cycle Trail Green Cycle Trail Red Cycle Trail Blue Cycle Trail Grove Link Cycle Trail 'The Loop' MTB skills area
	Blue Horse Route Brown Route (Horse)
	Toll Road:Open 8am-dusk Hamsterley Forest Drive
	The ranger service is available to take guided educational visits for all levels and ages. Contact the visitor centre for details.
	Permanent orienteering course with 28 control points available for educational use via a booking system. Maps are on sale in the shop priced at £1-25.
	Four cycle routes catering for different ability levels, from short family trails to a severe black route for the experienced cyclist. A 20 mile trailquest course takes in the whole forest allowing keen cyclists to test their map reading skills. There is a new Down-hill mountain bike course run by local riders and the site manager with an annual membership required to use the site.

Contact: