For a stay in Hunwick, you can consider its memorial and architectural history as well as four named Heritage Walks. The War Memorial and the Ranges of Hunwick Hall offer different historical and architectural points of interest; the walks’ starting points and described routes can help you choose what to focus on. This can help you decide whether a memorial, historic building styles or routes connected with the village and river are of greater interest to you.
Hunwick War Memorial
Hunwick War Memorial stands at the entrance to the churchyard on Church Lane and is a Grade II listed war memorial. It commemorates 63 local service personnel who died in the First World War. The memorial is a wheel cross made of grey granite, approximately 3.5 metres high. The number and listing grade answer different questions: 63 is the number of people commemorated, while Grade II is the memorial’s protection category. Its material, approximate height and wheel-cross form describe its design. If you are interested in remembrance, this site combines a precise historical association with a clearly defined architectural form.
The Ranges of Hunwick Hall
The North West and North East Ranges are the main features at Hunwick Hall. They are medieval parts of a manor house and are now used as farm buildings. Both Ranges have an L-shaped plan and are built of sandstone rubble masonry with ashlar dressings. The plan describes the layout’s shape, while the material details describe its construction; rubble masonry and ashlar dressings refer to different architectural elements. Their origins and present-day use also place the buildings in historical and functional context. If you want to focus on architectural history, you can consider these features together: medieval origins, agricultural use, and the specified details of form and materials.
Four Heritage Walks compared
The first three named walks start at The Village Green in Hunwick. Heritage Walk 1 is called Hunwick Village Short Walk. Heritage Walk 2, Hunwick Village, Church Path and River Side Walk, follows a woodland path to the Weardale Way on the River Wear. Heritage Walk 3, Hunwick Village, New Hunwick and River Walk, passes through Hunwick and New Hunwick and along the river. So the three routes share a starting point but have different described highlights: for Walk 2, the woodland path and Weardale Way are the key landmarks; Walk 3 is defined by the sequence of villages and the route along the river.
Heritage Walk 4 runs from Willington Station to Hunwick Station. Its name, Willington Station to Hunwick Station – Heritage Walk 4, identifies its two endpoints. Unlike the first three routes, this description is based on two railway stations rather than the Village Green. If you are choosing by specific route landmarks, Walk 2 offers a woodland path to the Weardale Way, Walk 3 follows the Hunwick–New Hunwick sequence of places and continues along the river, and Walk 4 connects the two stations. Choose the route whose description best fits your plans.
Discover more destinations: Evenwood, Sacriston, Barnard Castle, Shincliffe, Lanchester, Wycliffe, Burnhope, Stanley.
For the wider travel overview: Durham.
