Wood
Dog walks in Hamsterley Forest
Hamsterley Forest is a wood in County Durham, 18.1 km from the middle of Bishop Auckland. 269 walks in the app lie mostly in it. 38% are under 3 km and 17% are loops.
See every dog walk near Bishop Auckland, or across Durham.
Three walks in Hamsterley Forest
From the 269 walks that lie mostly in Hamsterley Forest, those that start nearest its middle: an 11.6 km loop, a 6.7 km there and back and a 1.9 km one-way walk.
Where these go is in the app
Create an account- South Bedburn loop11.6 km · 199 min · A loop
- Near Hamsterley Forest (longer)6.7 km · 115 min · There and back
- Near Hamsterley Forest (shorter)1.9 km · 33 min · One way
The land and what it asks of a dog
- Site of Special Scientific InterestBollihope, Pikestone, Eggleston and Woodland Fells SSSINatural England designations
- Special Area of ConservationNorth Pennine Moors
- Special Protection AreaNorth Pennine Moors
- Dogs on a short lead from 1 March to 31 July, and near livestock at any timeThe 827 hectares that are open access landCountryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
- Open by right826 hectares of the woodlandWoods For All (Forestry Commission)
County Durham council has a dog control order we cannot yet place on the map, so it may apply here. Signs on the ground may say more.
What the walks in Hamsterley Forest are like
Every share is of the 269 walks that lie mostly in Hamsterley Forest, with Bishop Auckland as a whole marked on each bar.
How far they go
Over 12 km: 6% of the walks in Hamsterley Forest, against 12% near Bishop Auckland.
Where the walks fall by length. The five bars add up to the whole, give or take the rounding.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | Bishop Auckland |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3 km | 38% | 35% |
| 3 to 5 km | 24% | 21% |
| 5 to 8 km | 19% | 18% |
| 8 to 12 km | 11% | 12% |
| Over 12 km | 6% | 12% |
What shape they are
A loop: 17% of the walks in Hamsterley Forest, against 21% near Bishop Auckland.
A loop brings you back without repeating a step. There and back retraces the way out.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | Bishop Auckland |
|---|---|---|
| A loop | 17% | 21% |
| There and back the same way | 50% | 49% |
| One way, ending somewhere else | 31% | 29% |
What is beside the path
On open access land for a third or more: 100% of the walks in Hamsterley Forest, against under 1% near Bishop Auckland.
Shares of walks where the ground beside the path is a given kind for the stated part of the way.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | Bishop Auckland |
|---|---|---|
| Under trees for a third or more of the way | 100% | 35% |
| Beside water for a tenth or more | 69% | 57% |
| On open access land for a third or more | 100% | <1% |
| Through a park or green space for a third or more | <1% | 7% |
| Off road for four fifths or more | 87% | 7% |
| On roads or lanes for half or more | 3% | 69% |
| Through built-up streets for half or more | <1% | 2% |
What might stop you
No stile, gate or cattle grid: 100% of the walks in Hamsterley Forest, against 51% near Bishop Auckland.
Shares of walks with none of each thing on the way. A road counts when it runs within about fifteen metres of the path.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | Bishop Auckland |
|---|---|---|
| Never beside a fast road | 100% | 85% |
| Never beside a busy road | 100% | 53% |
| No busy road to cross | 100% | 53% |
| No stile, gate or cattle grid | 100% | 51% |
| No steps | 100% | 75% |
What is on the way
Start where you can park, at a car park or on a minor road: 7% of the walks in Hamsterley Forest, against 86% near Bishop Auckland.
Shares of walks that start by, or pass, each of these.
| Walks that | Share of walks measured | Bishop Auckland |
|---|---|---|
| Start where you can park, at a car park or on a minor road | 7% | 86% |
| Pass a pub | <1% | 46% |
| Pass a dog-waste bin | <1% | 29% |
| Pass a public toilet | <1% | 24% |
| Pass a drinking-water tap | <1% | <1% |
| Pass a busy beauty spot | 54% | 20% |
Measured on 20 October 2026 from the map. How these figures are made
Walks in Hamsterley Forest, for your dog
If you live in Durham, it is your home county, and every walk in it is free, for good. Tell the app what your dog finds hard and it shows you walks that suit, with anything that might stop you shown first.
Anywhere in Great Britain, even with no signal.
Further is the Trekosa subscription. 100% of the walks here run under trees for a third of the way or more. It brings the Further map, 1:25,000, with contours, field walls and every right of way, while you have signal. Press Offline on a walk in Hamsterley Forest before you set off and its map stays on your phone until you remove it, for when the signal drops among the trees. Part of Hamsterley Forest is open access land, where a path on the ground can be faint: drift off your line and the phone buzzes. It also opens walks beyond your home county, if Durham is not yours.
The first 250 households have it for good. After that, £4.99 a month or £34.99 a year.
Questions people ask
- Do dogs need a lead in Hamsterley Forest?
- On the open access land, the law asks for a short lead from 1 March to 31 July, and near livestock at any time. County Durham has a dog order we cannot yet place, so it may apply here, read on 1 October 2026.
- How many dog walks are there in Hamsterley Forest?
- 269 walks in the Trekosa app lie mostly in Hamsterley Forest.