WEAR  , a

river of Durham, England, rising in the Pennine chain near the Cumberland border, and traversing a valley about 6o m. in length to the North Sea, with a drainage area of 458 sq. m . A series of streams draining from the hills between Killhope Law and Burnhope Seat (2452 ft.) are collected at Wearhead, up to which point the valley is traversed by a branch of the North-Eastern railway . Hence eastward, past the small towns of St John's Chapel and Stanhope, and as far as that of Wolsingham, Weardale is narrow and picturesque, sharply aligned by high-lying moorland . Below, it takes a south-easterly bend as far. as Bishop Auckland, then turns northward and north-eastward, the course of the river becoming extremely sinuous . The scenery is particularly fine where the river sweeps round the bold peninsula which bears the cathedral and castle of the city of Durham . The valley line continues northerly until Chesterle-Street is passed, then it turns north-east; and soon the river becomes navigable, carrying a great traffic in coal, and having its banks lined with factories . At the mouth is the large seaport of Sunderland .