Toy's Hill is more than 200 acres (81 hectares) of woodland. This area is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to its abundant wildlife, and much of it is recognised as a Grade I site of national importance for nature conservation.
In the first five minutes of this video, I give an overview of the history of Toys Hill and Weardale Manor. This is followed by a walk-through of the Green Trail Walk. I also went off-route to visit the bat tower, which was once the water tower for the Weardale estate.
The Green Walk is approximately 1.75 miles long and has some narrow pathways, but most are wide. The route features several slight slopes, with one steep slope near the car park access point. There are uneven surfaces and exposed tree roots in places. If, like me, you want to venture off route, there are many unmarked tracks to explore along this route.
Toys Hill was one of the places that inspired Octavia Hill to found the National Trust.
There are numerous paths, some connecting with other National Trust places. The four-waymarked walks around Toys Hill, ranging from 1¾ miles to 4 miles.
