Start: Masonic Hall car park off B1281, Castle Eden (GR NZ 423376)

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Map: OS Explorer Map 306 – Middlesbrough and Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees and Redcar

It is not an easy job to put together a 12 mile walk starting at Castle Eden and visiting these two areas, which are on opposite sides of the busy and dangerous to cross A19. The routes suggested here manage this but in order to eliminate road walking use is made of the two railway walks in the area. We start the walk at the car park opposite Castle Eden Inn which is situated on the old A19. The car park is shared with the local Masonic Lodge. Castle Eden is a spread out place and on this walk we see very little of it especially when compared to the Castle Eden Dene Walk. It was well known for its brewery, known as Nimmos, which in latter days was acquired by Whitbreads. The village was originally known as South Yoden which is a corruption of Yew dene for which Castle Eden Dene is famous. There was coal mining here in the 1800s as well as a ropeworks and a bleachery, the site of which is passed on this walk.

We head south from the inn on the main road for a distance of about 200 yards to a lane on the left which leads towards the bleachery. At the end of the second field the track is crossed by a footpath and we follow the path to the right down the side of a field. After a short distance we drop down into the upper part of Hesleden Dene and the burn is crossed by a good bridge. Hesleden Dene is the most southerly of the three well known Durham ravine denes, the others being Hawthorn and the nationally famous Castle Eden Dene with its medieval woodland. It is a steep climb for a short distance up the other side to reach the southern edge of the dene. Here we take a footpath heading north-east alongside the field edge above the dene. The building you see down in the dene after about 300 yards is the bleachery. After about half a mile the path drops slightly and then turns back uphill slightly on a 90 degree turn. In about 100 yards there is a stile on the left and this is taken descending down into Hesleden Dene and the burn is again crossed by a good bridge.

This area is a Nature Reserve owned by the Durham Wildlife Trust. Hesleden is a corruption of Hazel Dene but the dene is also notable for yew trees as well as the rarer Spindle tree and lots of harts tongue ferns which thrive in damp secluded places. They are found regularly in crevices on limestone pavements. There is good birdlife here with many species, including great spotted woodpeckers, tawny owl and buzzards. The path now follows the burn downstream before climbing steeply out of the dene by a good set of stairs. At the top you arrive on the Hart to Haswell Railway Path.

This railway was stated as early as 1835 by the Hartlepool Dock and Railway Company. The purpose was to get into the Durham coalfield and thereby get coal sent to Hartlepool to be shipped out. It reached Castle Eden in 1839 and eventually reached Haswell in the 1860s. At the same time George Stephenson was building a line from Sunderland (now the Stephenson Trail from Hetton on the Hill to Sunderland) which also reached Haswell but the two stations were at right angles in Haswell and at different levels. The Hartlepool line plans to reach Moorsley were abandoned after the Sunderland company opened a branch line from Murton to Durham and eventually all the lines were linked up with a new station in Haswell in 1877. As a matter of interest Haswell was the first pit in the world to have a steel cable down its mine shaft and this was very significant in the history of mining. Services on the Hart line continued until June 1952 and the line was used for main line services when maintenance was needed on the London to Newcastle line as the photograph of the Flying Scotsman on the interpretation boards show.

It is a straightforward walk up the line passing through Castle Eden Station and then under the A19. At Heads Hope where the line starts to curve northwards is a farm on your left and just short of the farm is a waymarked stile leading into a paddock. A further stile goes into a field which is crossed slightly uphill to reach another stile leading down into Heads Hope Dene, which has been made by the same burn as Hesleden. This is crossed by a bridge and the dene exited by a stile. Here we have two alternative routes; the first goes directly south over two fields to join a track leading to Hutton Henry which is an old village whose name is Scandinavian for Hutton meaning high farm and Henry being the Lord of the Manor Hendry de Eshe in the 14th Century. It boasts a pub called The Plough and the village has a pleasant feel about it. The alternative route goes west along the edge of the dene before heading south-west over a footbridge to the south-west corner where a track is joined which heads west and then south round a lake to a farm and near to a row of cottages called Heath Row. This area was the location for Hutton Henry Pit. The old shaft is marked up in a nearby field as a plinth and some of the old pit buildings have been incorporated into the farm. A byway then leads south to Rodridge Farm and here the road is crossed to pick up a waymarked footpath down the side of a field with the hedge on your right. At the end of the field it passes over into a narrrow strip of open access land as this is the West Common of Hutton Henry. You leave the common almost immediately and follow a field edge with the hedge on your left, cross a stile and head diagonally to the south-west corner. We actually followed the field edge to the right to arrive on the B1280 at spot height 139. As this is a common l believe it is possible to get from Hutton Henry to join up with the other path.

Village Green at Hutton Henry

There are two routes south from Hutton Henry both starting at the telephone box. One passes Leechmire and is a farm access road but note the fine line of trees. The other turns right just after leaving the village street along Leechmire Terrace to Green Lane. At GR 421352 there is a junction of tracks and the one on the right is taken and, after crossing a footbridge over a burn, the hedge is followed to the B1280. Also the footpath on the right over the field to South Wingate may be preferred as it keeps you off the B1280. There is little to choose between the routes unless you are walking at the weekend and wish to visit The Plough pub but personally l prefer the first route ending at spot height 139. Effectively all the routes are together here.

Hurworth Burn Reservoir

Again there are two routes from the B1280 to Hurworth Burn Reservoir. The easy one goes from the white cottage a short distance west towards Station Town and heads down a broad track between the fields to Black Hurworth Farm. The other goes from South Wingate past Catlow Hall which has B&B facilities. The section of the footpath over the stile to the farm is not passable easily and it is best to follow the access road to the end of the second field about 100 yards short of the hall and turn right to a small lake and then left to arrive just to the west of the hall. Cross the stile in front of you and head south through a small garden area to a further stile. Now head down the field edge to cross the Mousey Burn by a footbridge and once over the bridge head west over the hill to Black Hurworth Farm. Before the farm gates take the stile on the right alongside the farm fence which leads to the farmyard. This can be a bit muddy. Here go west for a short distance through a paddock and over a stile on to the Castle Eden Walkway and Hurworth Burn Reservoir. Personally, I prefer the latter route via Catlow which is prettier and both Catlow Hall and Black Hurworth Farm have some antiquity about them.

After the death of Thomas Hurworth in 1468, Hurworth on the Moor was divided into three parts with the heirs drawing lots from a bag containing coloured items of black, red and white. Hence the name of the farms even today.

Hurworth Burn was dammed in the 1870s to provide water for Hartlepool and it always surprises me that such a limited inflow can sustain such a body of water. It is a superb place for birdlife with a wide variety of ducks and geese as well as other waterbirds. The Teesmouth Bird Club run a top class website giving great details of the sightings and what is about. In order to get the best views walk south down the line past the old Hurworth Burn station platform where there is normally a lot of finches and tits feeding on the nuts provided. Continue down to the road reached down the embankment about 100 yards south of the bridge over the road and take care on this road for about 200 yards to reach the far side of the reservoir. The stream issuing from the reservoir is the River Skerne which passes close to Aycliffe and through Darlington reaching the Tees at Hurworth Place on the Teesdale Way. In the past it was considered a good fishing river hence the name Fishburn through which it passes. The path around is easy to follow and after crossing the bridge over part of the reservoir you eventually come back to the railway line near to Black Hurworth Farm.

Hurworth Station

The railway you are walking is the trackbed of the NER branch from Bowesfield Junction at Stockton to Wellfield at Wingate where it joined the Hart Line and this was built as late as 1880. It was known as the Cuckoo Line and was officially the Stockton to Castle Eden line although it did not serve that village. Its aim was to bypass Hartlepool and Stockton and link the Hartlepool to Sunderland and the Darlington to Middlesbrough lines. Its main structure was the 22 arch Thorpe Thewles viaduct which used 8 million bricks in its construction. The principal products carried were weardale limestone, durham coal and agricultural products and due to the low populations on its route passenger traffic was minimal. Although it initially had some important through trains to Manchester and Bournemouth to ease congestion on other routes it was downgraded in 1905 when the coastal route between Hartlepool and Sunderland was opened and it closed to passengers in 1931 and finally closed in 1966.

It is easy walking heading back slightly uphill to Station Towm which has little to commend it. Fortunately the route slides by the side and is waymarked as a National Cycle Route. At Station Town the main line was further to the east and the route is now alongside a council estate for a short distance (on what was a link with a railway to the Trimdons) before entering some restored land with a young wood. It then goes downhill on a good surface, which you would expect on a National Cycle Trail, and turns uphill heading north-east after crossing a small stream which eventually becomes the burn down Hesleden. At the bend where the track turns north you are back on the main railway track. The house on the knoll to the north is Beech House. There are several lakes hereabouts which were formed from exhausted clay pits used for tiles as the nearby farm indicates. At a point where the pylons come near to the track, take the path on the right which goes down the side of a field with several ancient beech trees to join the Hart Railway just west of Hopes Head farm where you left the track earlier. It is a repeat walk back under the A19 and when you arrive at the road bridge carrying the old A19 (now the B1281) take the steps on the right back to the car park.

Postscript
If an extra few 5 miles are desired from Hutton Henry, take the Leechmere route and then the B1280 to Red Barns, then follow the footpath to Ropers Wood and the Coal Lane past Pudding Poke Farm to Pawton Hill Farm. Here turn right through Scotland Wood and then Cole Hill Farm and East Murton Farm to pick up the Cuckoo Line at 408314. This is in Hartlepool where the standards of footpath maintenance are generally poor and there are some indifferent stiles but there are good views of the Cleveland hills and the countryside is pleasant. Cross over the track, climb some stairs and head south-west to GR 405311 (or walk down the track to pick up the bridleway from Embleton) and then head north parallel to the railway past Murton Blue House to arrive at Hurworth Reservoir and back on to the original route. Alternatively you can omit the Hesleden section of the walk to give a walk about 13 miles and incorporate the Hesleden section with a combined walk down to the coast at Crimdon. See also the Castle Eden Dene Walk which appears elsewhere on this site.

Some of the information on this walk has been taken from “Lost Railways of Durham and Teeside” by Robin Jones published by Countryside Books in the Lost Railway series. Its sister book on Northumberland is equally good and both are highly recommended. Also used was a leaflet produced by the District of Easington, now incorporated into Durham County Council.

Start: Rainton Meadows Visitor Centre. Take note that the car park closes at 4:30pm but you can park outside the reserve on the approach road.

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Map: OS Explorer 308 – Durham and Sunderland

About the Durham Wildlife Trust
This walk was one that l organised for the Ramblers Association and this has now been modified to accommodate a Guided Walk for Durham County Council. The objective of the walk was to introduce walkers to the Durham Wildlife Trust and the work that they carry out, including a visit to one of their Visitor Centres as well as look at other reserves and places of interest in the Pittington area which are totally different to the image that the place name conjures up.

Durham Wildlife Trust has its HQ at Rainton Meadows from where they manage 25 or more Nature Reserves and four Visitor Centres as well as being very active in an environmental education programme which encompasses schools and communities. The Rainton Meadows site has been developed over the last 15 years although the DWT have been involved with the site since the early 1960s with Joe’s Pond which is a SSSI. The pond has six species of dragonfly as well as many toads and water voles. The site is man-made having been developed on old colliery workings and spoil heaps. There are four lakes which are interconnected and the site is approximately 50 hectares with areas of woodland and semi-improved grassland. The latter is currently being grazed by a small herd of highland cattle which are fairly non-selective grazers. The grassland is important for waders such as lapwings and oystercatchers. Six species of owl have been seen on the site and a wealth of other species. The site supports several animals including hares and has an interesting and varied flora. Full details of this can be found on their website. On a visit in mid December 2010 there was a bittern on the site which had been there for a few weeks and both mealy and common redpolls which were probably over from Scandinavia.

The DWT operates basically on the old boundaries of County Durham which incorporates the current County Durham, Gateshead MBC, South Tyneside MBC and Sunderland MBC. The sites managed read like a list of places visited on many of the Durham County Council guided walks. The list is as follows, going roughly from north to south:
Shibdon Pond at Blaydon
High Wood near to Derwentcote
Burnhope Pond
Rabbitbank Wood near Knitsley
Malton on the River Browney
Edmundsley Wood
Hawthorn Dene
Brasside Pond
Ragpath Heath near to Esh Winning
Hedleyhope Fell near Tow Law
Baal Hill north of Wolsingahm
Low Barns at Witton le Wear
Rosa Shafto and Tudhoe Mill
Bishop Middleham Quarry
Raisby Hill Grassland
Trimdon Grange Quarry
Town Kelloe Bank near Trimdon
Blackhall Rocks
Hesleden Dene
Hannah’s Meadow
Redcar Field near Coatham Mundeville.

Recently the DWT have also acquired Milkwellburn Wood near to Chopwell in a very attractive part of the Derwent Valley.

Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve

The Walk
The walk starts by going past Joe’s Pond and at the first junction to the south of the pond head east along a waymarked path called the Coalfield Way which arrives at the A1052 close to the A690 flyover. The Coalfield Way is a 9 mile circular walk linking Joe’s Pond, Hetton Bogs, Hetton Lyons Country Park, The Stephenson Way, Hetton le Hill, High Moorsley and Rainton Meadows with some good views and plenty of both flora and fauna interest. Go under the flyover and take the second left called North Road towards Hetton le Hole. Shortly after the end of a row of houses take the waymarked path on your left over Hainton Burn (spelling mistake on my map) to enter Hetton Bogs Nature Reserve still on the Coalfield Way. This is an extraordinary place being so close to habitations as you are totally unaware of their relative proximity. The site has wet meadows, woods dating back to the 1500s, water meadows and ponds. The latter has breeding water voles and link up with the water voles present at Rainton Meadows. There are various paths to walk on but we follow the burn which changes name correctly to Hetton Burn.

Eventually you walk into Hetton Park which was established getting on for 100 years ago in 1926 under the Miners Welfare Scheme. Its upkeep was originally funded by a levy of those working at nearby Eppleton Quarry. The place is still natural and you then come to the end of the park at a culvert where you exit to Hetton Sports Complex. Head left along Welfare Park Road to the main road, which is crossed, noting the library in a converted Victorian school which boasts a blue plaque. Here turn left down Caroline Street for a very short distance to the site of The Caroline pub which is now occupied by a butchers and deli business.

Here go right and after passing an old church and a pub turn left down Richard Street to a row of houses, noting the old cinema on your right. Walk in front of the terrace along an unmade road and at the end of the terrace head east down a waymarked path to Hetton Lyons Country Park on the site of Hetton Lyons Colliery. This colliery operated for about 130 years and produced 300,000 tons of coal annually before closing in 1950. The techniques of deep coal mining were pioneered here. This again is a new site and like many others in County Durham illustrates beautifully the great strides made in the area to change its image and develop a place of recreation and more importantly an area where nature can thrive. Walking clockwise round the lake you will observe the abundant birdlife and this year the resident mute swans reared seven cygnets. The picnic tables make a good spot for a stop.

Hetton Lyons Country Park

At the south of the lake there is a smaller reed fringed lake and the path here goes uphill to the right of the lake where it arrives at a junction of paths. One of these is the old railway line from Shincliffe to Murton and this is followed west passing factories on your left to arrive at an open area. Follow the waymarks back to Station Road. Head south for a short distance on the opposite side of Station Road and take the waymarked path on your right back to the railway path which is here in a cutting. The station has long since disappeared and part of the route sold hence the deviation. Walk down here and cross the main road near to the Fox and Hounds pub where the way ahead is plain to see to the left of the pub. This is a good quality recreational path which goes all the way to Sherburn and features on other walks. The areas near to this path have been extensively planted with birch and other trees and are a good place to see small birdlife.

After passing a footpath on your left going to Low Moorsley at the edge of a wood, you come to a major crossing of bridleways at the end of this same wood a short distance further on. The route on the right comes from Rainton Bridge on the route of another old colliery line. Here turn left on the bridleway, leaving the line going to Sherburn and follow the bridleway through bends and pass below some allotments. At the end of these cross the stile and shortly after at the junction of four paths, take the one going diagonally uphill to High Moorsley. The next stage is across the road on a broad track towards a mast, a trig point and what looks like a giant golf ball on top of the mast. This is a weather radar station which is used in weather forecasting. More details on this can be found on the web but this is the only one in the north-east of England!

The location gives good views north to the Simonside Hills above Rothbury and pleasant views southwards over Cassop Vale and Elemore Woods. The path goes round the edge of several fields before coming to a t-junction near Cobblers Hill. Cross the stile in front and head right slowly uphill along several field boundaries and after about a mile you come to a sharp drop leading down to Low Pittington.

Here the walk can be shortened by taking the stile on your right and following the path along the contours passing the site of Moorsley Quarry where part of the old quarry face survives to the road. This is crossed immediately and take a path heading north-west steeply downhill towards Field House Farm. The footpath actually goes between this farm and Greengables on your right after crossing the Shincliffe to Murton old line. Take care on leaving the line in case the two stepping stones are slippy. You then cross over Robin Lane to reach the A690.

To visit Pittington Church, instead of taking the path detailed above to Moorsley Quarry, ignore the footpath down to Low Pittington and head quite steeply uphill to spot height 157 and follow the path down the left-hand side of the wood which is quite steep. Cross over the road at the bottom and down through a wood crossing Coalford Beck by a bridge (note the change from Burn to Beck!) and on reaching the track just up the hill ahead turn right down to Coalford Lane. This area has also seen massive restoration with a great deal of tree planting to create a rural outlook. After just a few yards to the right on Coalford Lane take the clear track down to Littletown Farm where the Coalford Beck is recrossed to arrive at Pittington Church. You will have noticed the plethora of place names relating to the coal industry but Pittington is not one of them, being a Saxon name meaning the Clan of the Pitts. It was originally called Pittingdune, the latter part of the name deriving from the old word for hill being dun. The church of St Lawrence is much praised by Pevsner who describes the north aisle as one of the most exciting places of architecture in County Durham. The church was started in 1070 (which actually makes it older than Durham Cathedral) and it is thought that many of the same stone masons were used in the construction of both places. The site of the church goes back to Saxon times with firstly a wooden church and then a stone one being on the site. This whole area was settled by Saxons as there was good grazing and good water from the many springs hereabouts. The name of Sherburn nearby is derived fron clear stream. The church has several treasures including a sundial on the south wall which is thought to have come down from Northumberland around the time of its construction and some paintings on the life of St Cuthbert. Regretably the church is kept locked and a visit has to be arranged in advance.

On reaching the Hallgarth Hotel turn right to High Pittington and just before the crossroads take the path on your left down through fields to Low Pittington, reaching the road near to the Blacksmith Arms where a further path takes you to Moorsley Road and the major railway path from Shincliffe mentioned and walked on earlier on the walk. This railway was commenced in 1836 from Sunderland to Ryhope and by 1837 had reached Sherburn. Soon after it got to Shincliffe which was Durham’s first railway station. The line was rope hauled until 1857 when locomotives were used and in 1893 a branch arrived at Durham at Elvet. The line was never used much and Elvet Station closed for general use in 1937 although it was used until 1953 for miners galas.

Railway path near High Moorsley

We now head north-east along the line before taking the path to West Rainton described earlier on the shorter walk. TAKE CARE CROSSING THE A690 AS THE TRAFFIC IS MOVING VERY FAST! After crossing the A690 take the byway opposite and pass the outstanding feature of West Rainton which is the church of St Mary. The settlement was founded by some monks who were followers of St Cuthbert. The current church was built in 1864 and the superb spire added in 1877 following a generous donation. Details of this can be read on the plaque which is engraved on stone from the Great Pyramid of Ghizeh in Egypt!

We now proceed down Marks Lane to the bend where we turn right into Rainton Meadow Reserve and follow the path back to the Visitor Centre and the start. Possibly the best way back is to ignore the first sign to the Visitor Centre, instead continuing ahead on a route marked to Joe’s Pond and take the next way back which climbs a hill past the meadows and gives a good overall view of much of the site and its lakes.

Recently a friend gave me a page out of a magazine. I suspect this was Country Walking but cannot verify that. However I feel that the information on the article should receive further publicity as I was totally unaware of the fact that Plimsoll was very much involved with the first mass trespass way back in 1887.

Hitherto my knowledge of Plimsoll was that he had been the driving force as the Liberal MP for Derby in the 1876 Merchant Shipping Act which resulted in all ships having a mark on them to indicate the maximum load capacity. This became to be known as the Plimsoll Line. There was enormous loss of life around our shores in the preceding years with over 8,000 mariners losing their lives. Quite recently, whilst on a town walk in Sunderland we passed an asylum which was for boys who had lost their fathers at sea. Asylum here was used in its proper term which means a place of refuge. Before visiting this place I had never really thought about the losses at sea. Plimsoll had great difficulty in getting the act through Parliament due to the opposition of many MPs who were shipowners. However public opinion was on his side and justice prevailed.

Most people are aware of this heritage but how many are aware of the Latrigg trespass? Latrigg had been open to walkers but in 1887 the landowner erected fences to keep people off the higher parts. At a rally of about 2,000 people on October 1st 1887, which was the culmination of previous skirmishes, Plimsoll spoke to the masses that the Keswick and District Footpath Preservation Society and like-minded groups should unite to demand a Bill that would give the right for people to go on the hills and mountains without the expense of having to go to a court of law. Following this address the landowner, a Mr Spedding, was asked to remove the locked gate giving access to the summit. When he refused members of the group used crowbars to open the gate.

Plimsoll’s support of these actions had an important legacy for future walkers in that access to Latrigg was never rescinded and it also led the way to the famous Kinder Trespass which was 80 years ago this year.

A recent book by Nicolette Jones titled “The Plimsoll Sensation” received very favourable reviews. Plimsoll, partly through his experience of life, was a great social reformer. As an endpiece the term plimsoll for a rubber soled canvas shoe was named because once the water went over the rubber your feet got wet!

I am not aware of any monument or plaque to mark this event on Latrigg, and Wainwright does not mention it, but on this 125th year of its anniversary surely more should be done to publicise this historic event.

Start: Castle Carrock Village

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Map: OS Landranger 86 – Haltwhistle and Brampton

This new walk around Geltsdale (see also Cold Fell and Geltsdale and Space and Solitude in Upper Geltsdale”) starts in Castle Carrock and begins by going up the Brampton road to turn left on to the bridleway just past the Village Shop. After a short distance across two fields it reaches a bridleway heading north to south and this is taken north for about one mile to the ford and bridge over Castle Carrock Beck which is crossed to return to the Brampton Road. Here we go north for about 250 yards to a stile on your right signposted to Talkin. Note the deep chasm of the Gelt which is crossed on the way. Here you go north-east diagonally across the field to a gate which picks up the track to Hill House Farm. Do not brag about your walking prowess here as the farmer is an accomplished walker who in 2009 completed the circuit of Mont Blanc! At the end of the farmyard is a track but instead go across the farm to the top left hand corner where there is a waymark. The route which is waymarked continues in a north-east direction with the wall on your left to reach Talkin village at the Blacksmiths Arms via a stone stile.

Entrance to Talkin Tarn

At the village cross roads on your left continue straight ahead along the road and in just less than one mile you reach the Tarn End Hotel. This was until quite recently a lovely hotel which is now sadly in serious disrepair. Go through the kissing gate to Talkin Tarn. You can go round the tarn on either side. Talkin Tarn is a Country Park of about 120 acres and the circuit of the tarn is about one mile. A pleasant spot with interesting birdlife in the winter. There are toilets and a cafe and gift shop at the northern end. Leave by the footpath about 100 yards to the east of the cafe and follow the road to Brampton station to the right where you go over the station footbridge. Here turn left on to a track beside the platform and head north-west alongside Rowbank Wood. You pass under the A69 Brampton bypass after half a mile and a further half a mile or so brings you into Brampton village itself.

Brampton is an interesting place with good facilities and two good churches. The Old Church, about one mile to the north-west (at GR510616), is on the site of a Roman fort and is partly built of Roman stone. It is situated on the banks of the River Irthing on Old Church Lane off the Longtown Rd. St Martins in the village has stained glass windows designed by Edward Bourne-Jones. Regrettably the pubs are not up to the standard of those at Talkin or Castle Carrock so save your money.

Head for St Martins Church and then go left on the Carlisle road which turns half left after a few yards and after about 200 yards take the footpath through a kissing gate on the left marked to Capon Tree Road. This is followed for half a mile to the road which is crossed to pick up the footpath waymarked Low Gelt Wood. You soon pass the Capon Tree Memorial and then reach a gate.

HERE IT IS NECESSARY TO CROSS THE A69, TAKE GREAT CARE AS TRAFFIC HERE IS FAST!

Follow the road ahead on the other side and in half a mile arrive at Low Gelt Bridge at GR520591. At the bridge turn left following the path to Middle Gelt Bridge which is nearly two miles upstream. Gelt Woods are a RSPB reserve where you can find woodpeckers and pied flycatchers among the beech, birch, ash and old oak trees. It is twinned with Poiplie Nature Reserve in Poland. Note the bird hides made of oak and bracken to a Celtic design. The riverside route can be difficult in times of flood but there is an alternative where you head up about 250 yards downstream from Low Gelt. You pass through the Roman Quarry, now 2000 years old. The inscriptions which are high up can only be read by taking a ladder and climbing the quarry face. They are now fading and by all accounts not as legible as in the 1800s.

The path through Gelt Wood

Cross the river at Middle Gelt and take the Greenwell road going under the viaduct and virtually immediately turning left on the path alongside the river to reach Greenside Farm after half a mile. Go along the access road leaving the Gelt and stay on the bridleway which soon reaches the ford and bridge passed on the way out. Here stay on the bridleway all the way south to arrive at the west end of Castle Carrock village where you then turn left back to the start.

Start: Wark Village (GR 860771)

Click to view start position on Google Maps

Map : OS Explorer OL42 – Kielder Water and OS Explorer OL43 – Hadrian’s Wall

On a clear cold day in early October Alan, Clive and myself decided to go to open country where we could step out and also have pleasant views so a decision was made to go onto part of the Pennine Way where none of us had walked for quite a while. I first walked this section as far back as 1972 when the route was new. Parking in Bellingham, we took the bus to Wark (those with two cars will have no problem) in order to eliminate any dangerous road walking. At Wark we headed off west towards Pasture House and before reaching it we took the footpath to Ramshaws Mill, meeting two fellow geordie walkers who like us were wandering about. Ramshaws Mill is a lovely spot on the Warks Burn which is crossed here and we then took the clear track heading south up the hill.

Warks Burn in its gorge at Ramshaws Mill

After ascending a hill you reach a wall and turn right for a short distance before crossing a stile on your left. Cross this and turn right up the wall to the first corner in front of you. Caution as you can make a mistake here! Head south-west passing just to the left on some higher ground to descend to High Moralee. Here you continue west following the north bank of the Gofton Burn to come to the farm of Sheilahaugh where it is necesssary to go south to Pea Hill on the tarmac. Be careful on your direction here as we nearly went in the wrong direction, but the correct way is to go north-west first up and then down to another burn which is crossed on the road bridge. Shortly after take the clear track on your left to Sadbury Hill where you continue west. Note there is another footpath here heading south over Franks Hill which should be ignored.

You now head west keeping to the high terrain over Ground Rigg, following the markers, and at the highest point of 241 metres you can see ahead to a gap in the forest with Ladyhill behind, which is the route of the Pennine Way. This is met almost immediately when you descend the slope in front of you and on joining the Pennine Way you are now turn back towards Bellingham, heading north. A waterfall is marked on the map which is a pleasant surprise. The fall is about 20 feet and surrounded by vegetation, mainly rowan trees.

Continuing north downhill you pass the end of Longlee Rigg (another easy walking route) and descend to cross the Fawleg Sike where there are convenient walls to sit on and have a break. You now go uphill slightly before dropping down to the valley of the Warks Burn where you turn right past a metal barn and then descend to the fine footbridge over the Warks Burn some 40 feet below you. Just about 400 yards upstream here is the “long drop” which is a toilet positioned about 40 feet above the stream! We did not visit it on this walk but if you have time it is worth a detour. A climb up the other side and a turn to north-east brings you to Horneysteads which has been restored since Wainwright wrote his guidebook. Stop here to see the peel tower remains (which the occupants will be pleased to show you) and then it is onwards to The Ash. There has been diversions here recently round to the south of the property which give greater privacy to the occupants, but perhaps another sign would keep you away from the property. Do not pass the houses as you are off route.

At The Ash you head north again alongside the road which is crossed where it turns and proceed to Low Stead above the Blacka Burn. This is a very nice restored set of buildings which Wainwright included in his guide as do others, notably Tony Hopkins. These buildings are bastles from the 16th Century. At Linacres you take their access road east to join the road just north of Hetherington and turn left on this, walking a distance of over half a mile to a t-junction. Crossing straight over it is downhill to the Houxty Burn where the footbridge is a little upstream of the obvious crossing which is a ford. Once over head downstream for a short distance on a clear path alongside the burn and turn left to Shitlington Hall, once called Shotlyngton Hall. Why did they change it?

Shitlington Crags near Bellingham

Turning north shortly after the farm follow the track towards Shitlington Crags, noting the bunkhouse just under the sandstone crags. It is a short climb up to the mast where you turn right on a very good track and before reaching a wood on your left follow the waymarked route over poor ground in a north-east direction. At the top you see Bellingham underneath you and descend to the main road. Here you will see there is a new section of the Pennine Way which continues north off the dangerous road and runs parallel with it to Brown Rigg which is owned by the Forestry Commission. This very a useful diversion from NCC following much effort from the late Tony Jones of the Pennine Way Association makes this walk a lot more pleasant and safer as when you reach the road again there is a tarmac footpath the rest of the way to Bellingham.

Start: Allendale town centre

Click to view start position on Google Maps

Map: OS Explorer Map 43 – Hadrian’s Wall: Haltwhistle and Hexham

This walk starts at the square in Allendale where you can stock up with all your provisions for the day. Walk down towards the River East Allen and just after the bend in the road take the good track down to the riverside which is followed downstream for over half a mile. Part way along will be seen the remains of the old railway bridge which carried the trains to the flat ground on the far side where the station was situated. Now it is a small estate with several shops, a craft bakery and also the Allendale Brewery which produce a range of fine ales.

At the first roadbridge cross over to the far bank and continue downriver passing Bishopfield Haugh and Bridge Eal walking through a mixture of woods and meadowland. Note the route at the house at Bridge Eal where you go into the garden and then turn left over a stile. Please respect the privacy of the owners by passing through quietly. Take care at the next area where Burntongues Burn joins the Allen. It is easy to head up this burn up a hill but ignore this and keep to the riverside path which here is a little obscure past Kittygreen to Oakpool and the tarmac road. Here turn left steeply uphill heading south. Ignore the first footpath on the left and take the second one to Gill House to arrive at High Frostall which is currently (August 2010) empty. Turn right in front of the house on the lane to reach the tarmac access road and at the end of this access road turn right slightly uphill for 20 metres only.

On your left is a chapel and cemetery which is still in use and an attractive place. Go through the graveyard on a clear path and over the stile to Hollybush. Here cross the stile and pass to the east of the farm and then cross two further fields towards Burnt Tongues Farm. Just before the farm the path has been diverted round the farm to the west and here you reach the road leading towards Allendale.

Head left downhill in that direction and in a short distance you come to the war memorial on your right. Everything round here is spread out amongst the many farms. A few metres after the memorial there is a footpath to Hollingreen. On reaching the house there is a gate if front of you which you go through and if you meet a dog he should be friendly. Once through the gate turn right noting the old railway shovels hanging from the wall. It is then sharp left to cross the Hollingreen Burn and climb over an awkward stile. You now cross two fields to Hawksteel where you exit the field to the left of the farm to reach a tarmac road.

Hawksteel Burn

The Hawksteel Burn here has obviously been used as a hush in lead mining days. The road is followed dowhhill past Dryside. Traffic is rarely met here and even less on the next road on the right to Frolar Meadows where you encounter the two flues which stretched from the smelter in the valley to the two chimneys seen uphill to the west. It is necessary to follow the tarmac to Fell House where the track alongside the flue then takes you to the chimney. This is a good place for a break with wide ranging views. You could need your compass now if visibility is poor as you head due east over heathland to reach Martin Bells bridge on the road over to the West Allen. In spring the birdlife here is very good with all the waders there to be seen.

One of the Allendale lead smelting flues.

Once on the road head down to Wooley Bridge. The map indicates a waterfall but on our visit the vegetation obscured it, although we could hear it even though there was a drought. After passing the waterfall turn sharp right along a very minor road passing past Wood Heads access road to an even quieter track leading downhill to Loaning Side. It is possible to go past Woodheads Farm and turn south to Nettle Hill and then down to Loaning Side on footpaths but l seriously doubt whether you will see a vehicle on the road. A very short distance north-west of Loaning Side is a derelict ruin in a field on the Nettle Hill footpath and this is the old bastle which was a fortified farmhouse. Bastles were common in Northumberland particularly nearer the border and this one is well to the south of most of them. Two are passed on the Pennine Way to the south of Bellingham. There were plans in 2008 to restore this bastle (known as Nine Dargues Bastle) but the currency crisis has stopped that for the time being.

Continuing downhill over the ford (there is also a footbridge) you reach Steel and the clear rural road is taken downhill to the bridge over the East Allen. It is a steep climb up to the main road at Studdondene. Here we head north on the B6295, which is invariably quiet, to the bend in the road where the Parkgates Burn is crossed. Immediately in front of you is a footpath which goes uphill to Low Scotch Hall where it is easy to go wrong. Do not go straight ahead on the same level but head right uphill through the garden and at the end of the house then turn left to follow a track along the contour through three fields to a stile in the far north-east corner. This is crossed and then head east past Finney Hill Green where you turn left to Prospect Hill.

Rainbow over Allendale

From Low Scotch Hall to here the views all around are exceptionally good. You can see most of the route walked and they give a feeling of the spaciousness of this part of Northumberland. From Prospect Hill the town of Allendale is now below you and it is an easy walk downhill through open land to arrive back at the start. All of the pubs here are good and welcoming and supply a wide range of beers. My personal preferences are the Golden Lion and the Kings Head although the latter has l believe changed hands recently so will need checking out. If possible try a beer from the nearby brewery at Allendale and if they are not available in the town the Crown at Catton one mile towards Hexham is the brewery tap for Allendale beer and also serves good food.

Alternative Early Summer Route
If you are doing this walk in early summer there is an alternative route back to Allendale which enables you to see some of the restored hay meadows funded by the North Pennines AONB. After leaving Loaning Stead and arriving at Steel turn left immediately before the house and cross the Steel Beck by the footbridge. The meadow on your left which has the bastle has been restored. Turn right to pass Steel Woodhead heading north-east crossing into a further field. Continuing north-east at the end of this field the path turns left to Wooley shown as South Wooley on the AONB walk leaflet. The meadow on your left approachong Wooley as well as two on your right have all been restored. On the road turn right towards Allendale for about 100 yards and then left over the Wooley Burn towards Parkside, passing to the right of the buildings. Continue heading north to Wager House on the road through other restored meadows where you now go downhill back to Allendale.

Start: Eglingham Village (GR107195)

Click to view start position on Google Maps

Map : OS Explorer Map 332 – Alnwick and Amble, Craster and Whittingham

The weather forecast for the west and the Pennines was grim so after a brief discussion the five of us opted for a drier area according to the forecast. Without further ado we headed north to the village of Eglingham which is on the B6346 between Alnwick and Wooler. Some time ago we had started near here to go to Old Bewick, Blawearie and Ros Castle and this had proved to be a good day out. We took the opposite direction this time and although there was nearly 250 years of walking in the group of Alan, Clive, Les, Ray and myself the walk was all going to be on new paths which is extremely rare for us.

Eglingham is a pleasant village in good arable land yet close to the hills. The village church is dedicated to St Maurice which is not common although Ellingham to the north of Alnwick has a church also dedicated to St Maurice. Here the church has antiquity going back at least to the 13th Century. The local pub the Tankerville Arms serves quality food and keeps its beer in a prime condition.

The attraction of the walk was the high number of places on the map where there are markers for old forts and camps. To start the walk we headed along the road towards Wooler passing Eglingham Hall on the left. Some of this dates back to the 16th Century but the main building is from 1704. It is necessary to go to Eglingham Cottage about half a mile from the village. The barn at Cockhall which you pass on the right was built to give the appearance of a much older monastical building. We head off on a footpath having ignored the earlier bridleway on the left and cross two fields to the border of Great Wood. This is obviously a wood of some age which has been planted with conifers about 50 years ago but nevertheless you pass some magnificent beech trees on the edge of the wood. After a short while where the wood border does a 90 degree turn you enter the wood by a waymarked gate and head south-west for a short distance before exiting the wood. The view in front looks wet with reeds and has a small stream which is crossed by a bridge but presents no difficulty.

Titlington Pike from the bridleway.

Ahead of you is open country leading up to Titlington Pike but we leave that for another day and continue on the bridleway still heading south-west on a clear track which eventually reaches the minor road. It was autumn when we were here and a large flock of bean geese were feeding in the stubble. How nice to see the stubble being left. Continue on through Beanley and at the crossroads turn left on a permitted track. This is a fine track which heads south, passing by a pond used for duck shooting, and later crosses a minor road near Shepherds Law. On reaching the open access under Titlington Pike the track turns west with many fine ash trees on either side, to reach a minor road. This is taken left round the pike to where the road for Titlington Mount is taken. This is an access road only and the farm reached in about one mile has been altered to include what appears to be holiday accommodation. On passing through the buildings the bridleway continues in a north-east direction with abundant pheasants around.

Here, looking across the valley to the south can be seen a structure called Jennys Lantern. One story has this as a place where the lady of the farm nearby lit a lantern to guide her husband home from the pub at Eglingham, which seems highly unlikely! A more probable explanation is that it is a folly erected by the landowner in the past. The hills here show settlements and a cup and ring marked stone although they are too far off route to visit on this walk. We enter the open access at a wood (GR107187) which is soon passed through to leave you on open moor. The hill off to the right was also the site of an ancient settlement which can be clearly seen. On breasting the hill you are looking down on the Eglingham Burn with Kimmer Lough below you to the right. These moors are very good for waders in spring. The path (hard to call it a track) is now heading north and after descending through a burnt area of gorse crosses a large reed area to arrive on pasture at GR118185 near to the road. The marsh area is a good site to see snipe which breed near here. If you only want a 8 mile walk you can head west here to Eglingham in just over a mile.

For a longer walk head east towards Kimmer Lough on a bridleway which passes close to it. If you want to get closer be prepared to get your feet wet! Lough is from the same derivation as loch and is Northumbrian with the main congregation being near to Hadrians Wall. The most southerly was in Gateshead on top of a hill at Beacon Lough.

Kimmer Lough

Kimmer Lough is not visited often but holds plenty of perch and pike as well as yellow water lilies in summer. On the day of our visit it held a large flock of about sixty Canada Geese. The bridleway you are on crosses the outlet from the Lough and then you can follow the track to East Bolton. It is easier to stay on the track close to the wall than cross the field on the line of the bridleway and disturb the cattle which will probably be grazing there.

At East Bolton Farm head north-east for about half a mile to the bridleway at GR135169 where the bridleway is taken back towards Kimmer Lough. Opposite Shipley Moor at GR130178 go north-west over the reedy area (where the going is surprisingly good) to pass Bannamoor Farm on your right and arrive back at the point where you were earlier. The same direction is continued, quite close to the road, until Eglingham is reached. The waymarking here could be improved. It is necessary to cross the beck by a concrete bridge towards the right after passing through a gate in a wall and then take the opening into an area which looks like a small field or someones back garden. In fact it is village land where they have their bonfires and with the burn on your left you reach the road by a stile to find yourself next to the village hall where you may have parked your car. The other parking place is next to the church.

Postcript: We had a fine day. Our friends who went to the Pennines had a day of continuous rain. Well worth the effort!

Click to view start position on Google Maps

There was a 50mph gale blowing and the promise of heavy showers in the North Pennines so it was an easy decision to go to more hospitable territory. But where? After a short discussion it emerged that neither Alan, Brian or Les had been to the Druids Temple near Masham so there we went parking in the square at the centre of the town. Of course we only had the Nidderdale map and the path to the temple was on the Northallerton and Thirsk map Explorer 302. This was purchased at the Tourist Office and a brief examination showed that the route to the temple was on the Ripon Rowel Walk. This is a 50 mile circular walk around Ripon and was devised by the Ripon Group of the Ramblers Association. It is specifically highlighted on the Explorer maps and we then made another decision to buy the book and do the whole walk in the winter, a nice lowland walk! The man in charge of the Tourist Information Centre promised that we would find it a better than expected walk.

The route out of Masham passes the Theakston Brewery (be careful there is also the Black Sheep Brewery) and leaves Masham at the north-west corner of the town along Westholme Road after the brewery. The book is written with the walker going in a clockwise direction so there was a little bit concentration needed as we were going anti-clockwise but in any case the waymarking is excellent and l can only assume that the Ramblers Association had an input here. You leave up a lane passing a cattle food factory and this soon changes to a footpath. You then pass to the left of some buildings and emerge on to Micklebury Lane after half a mile where you turn left (south) down to the bend where the road changes name to Havernook Lane. Here you turn west on a good bridleway over Fearby Low Moor to another road where you turn left (south) down past Swinton Saw Mill and on to Explorer 26 (298) for those with newer maps. This Nidderdale map will be used for the rest of both this walk and the Rowel Way, although the last mile into Masham is back on 302.

After crossing the beck you continue uphill on the road for a short distance to a junction where you go west and, where the road heads south, continue west passing Broadmires Farm. The route is clear past Hall Wood and at GR168794 there is a three-way signpost. You have to virtually go back on yourself and head east-south-east aiming for the stile near Broadmires Wood, which is crossed, and continuing in the same direction you reach Knowle Lane (after transferring to the other side of Knowle Plantation). Here you leave the Rowel Way for a short time and head south-west up the dead end road to the Druids Temple.

This is an early example of job creation in the early 19th Century by William Danby of Swinton Hall and is obviously based on Stonehenge although there is also a cave on the site. It was built when Swinton Hall had been completed to keep the workforce employed. After walking round the site it is back down the lane for a short distance to where you emerged onto Knowle Lane and the track taken south passing High Knowle Farm and descending to Sale Beck Plantation where you head east to a road. Here you turn right, cross the beck and head up steeply to Ilton Village, a pleasant spot and worthy of a rest.

The Druids Temple Folly

At Manor Farm you drop down the waymarked path which is wet here and cross the stile on to the grouse moors and butts heading south-east. You are on open moors here and although they are not high there are great views all the way to Tyneside, Teeside and the Cleveland Hills. After about a mile you come to a very good lane at Moscar which looks a very good way onto open moors all the way to Nidderdale. Here we leave the Rowel Way and head east down the access road to Moscar and continue straight ahead on the road past Hutts Cottages. Shortly after passing these there are two footpath signs on the left at the entrance to Nutwith Common Wood. Take the nearest to the road and on a good path walk through some excellent beech woods. This is a lovely woodland walk for two miles to the Grewelthorpe road where you will see a car park just to the left on the other side of the road. This is for visitors to Hackforth Wood which was purchased recently for a large amount of money by the Woodland Trust. There is full access (as in all Woodland Trust properties) to the full 117 acres which was bought by the Aislabie family in 1731. The same family owned Studley Royal and Fountains Abbey where they developed follies, ponds and cascades.

Eventually you arrive at the River Ure which is followed upstream through masses of Himalyan Balsam passing Nutwith Cote Farm which has bee bowls and unusual dovecotes. It is necessary to leave the Ure some distance after this and come inland to the road to cross the River Burn before returning to the Ure. It is now only a mile back to Masham alongside the river on the Rowel Way passing the sewage works and arriving back to the square. All in all this is a very varied walk and as the man said in the Tourist Information Centre surprisingly good!

Click to view start position on Google Maps

This walk of 12 miles complements the Northern Hills above Lanchester walk which is of a similar distance. For those who enjoy a really long walk they can be put together to give a marathon type distance such as those enjoyed by members of the Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA). This fine organisation with an excellent newsletter have challenge walks throughout the country, including County Durham and full details of them can be found on their website. Neither of the two routes passes the Roman Fort of Longovicium as regretably there is no public footpath from Lanchester, although a footpath used on this route does pass quite close near Middlewood Farm passed towards the end of the walk.

Lanchester is an attractive village situated in the valley of the Smallhope Burn which rises in the hills to the west above Knitsley. It is not in the Browney Valley as many think but parts of this valley are explored during this walk. Lanchester has an impressive history with the Roman Fort of Longovicium only about half a mile to the south-west on the Satley road and the village is skirted by Dere Street which passed the fort before continuing on to the fort of Ebchester and beyond. Dere Street went from York to Scotland and the fort here was probably established after the Romans had retreated back to the Forth/Clyde line where they built the Antonine Wall. The Roman meaning of Lanchester means long town incidentally. For strangers to the area the village deserves some of your time to wander around with pride of place going to the Norman church of All Saints on the far side of the bypass. Nickolaus Pevsner descibes it as one of the most rewarding parish churches in the county. It was built in the 12th Century utilising the very convenient source of building stone of the nearby fort, but in addition the church chancel was rebuilt in the 13th Century and contains some excellent stone zig-zag markings which can also be observed in Durham Cathedral and other Norman buildings. The other churches, both the Methodist with its sensitive addition and the early 20th Century Roman Catholic church also add to the quality of the buidings of Lanchester, as does the branch Library which in the past has served many purposes including that of a workhouse.

Lanchester All Saints Church

We start the walk at the car park on Newbiggin Road on the site of the former Lanchester Valley Railway. The function of this line was to provide a good route for iron ore to reach the expanding steelworks of Consett, Prior to the opening of this line the ore had reached Consett on a circuitous route of the old Stockton and Darlington railway via Crook and then by the Waskerley line (now a fine walkway) to reach Consett after passing over Hownsgill. It also served to transport coal from the mines in the area particularly from Bearpark and Langley Park although there were also smaller pits at Malton and Lanchester. The line opened in 1862, a famous year in Tyneside folklore, as that was the year when on the 4th of June that everyone went along the Scotswood Road to the Blaydon Races! The line was never a success for passenger traffic and indeed Lanchester station closed in 1939 to passengers although it did open for passengers for specials such as the Durham Miners Gala. The last Gala train ran on 17/7/1954. There were four stations on the line at Lanchester, Malton, Langley Park and Bearpark (which was known as Aldin Grange until 1927).

Leaving the carpark in a southerly direction we reach, almost immediately after leaving the village we reach a small wood of just over 3 hectares called Doras Wood which is owned by the Woodland Trust. A group from Lanchester help to look after this wood and other places hereabouts with conservation work. Leaving the railway line we walk alongside the burn and arrive at Watersmeet where the River Browney and the Smallhope Burn meet. This, in the past was a good place to see little owls but recently none have been seen. However the whole of this area is good for many common species and in winter fieldfare and redwing can be found. In summer there are plenty of skylarks in the fields alongside the track although sadly this species is declining nationally, along with the thrushes which also inhabit this valley. Continuing along the river bank after a further half a mile you will reach Malton Picnic Park where an area of massive industrial damage has been restored by Durham County Council.

Here we cross the river into a small collection of houses that are all that is left of Malton Colliery village. Note the War memorial at the end of the terrace of houses. At the end of the terrace we take the footpath in a south-east direction towards Biggen Farm and pass through a Nature Reserve ran by the Durham Wildlife Trust. On leaving Biggen Farm we take the lane to the right crossing the minor road to Esh and arrivie at Quebec village. Esh down the road has a good footpath scheme developed some years ago in the Parish Paths Project which also provided maps of all the footpaths in the village. The name is a corruption of Ash.

At Quebec we are on the route of Dere Street for a shortwhile (more on this later) and opposite Greenland Road at the junction we pick up the track leading to Heugh which is actually Dere Street. At the end of the second field on the right we head south with views to the left of Esh Winning and the Deerness Valley. In less thah quarter of a mile we turn right heading broadly west to Rowley Farm and arrive at Hedleyhill Lane at a bend in the road. Just before Rowley Farm there are three ditched and banked enclosures which run on an east to west axis. Next to the one on the west on the OS map it is marked as part of the moat which surrounded the site. The middle one is thought to have been a chapel whilst the western is thought to have been the residence. The site was granted by the famous Bishop Pudsey to William de Howden in the late 12th Century. He was an important clerk in the diocese. The site changed hands to William de Raw and on his death was acquired by the Nevilles. The site was abandoned in the 17th Century. Note that in earlier times all the land appears to have been owned by the Normans.

In the past further up Hedleyhill road was a pub called The Fir Tree which was known throughout the area as Hogans after the family that owned it. This was quite a common practice as pubs stayed in family ownership for many years but this is very rare now. Just before the road on the left to Waterhouses (known to some as Moffattland) we turn right to Bells House on a good track and a few yards from the farm we head steeply down to the right (north) to Low Row after crossing the road. We now proceed uphill to North Ravensbush Wood. It is best to be here in late spring as this wood is a superb place for bluebells and rarely visited being on a minor footpath. At the top of the wood we go west, crossing four fields to arrive at Cornsay village (not to be confused with Cornsay Colliery village two miles to the east). The views across to Hedleyhope fell are very fine. The village green here makes an excellent rest stop with its quirky old well.

The Browney Valley from a point just east of Cornsay village.

We leave Cornsay to the north descending steeply down Cornsay Lane, and then take the footpath on the right after the bend in the road at GR148441. The footpath contours round the field before going downhill to the road opposite Ragpath Side Farm. Recently this farm was used for a dry stone walling competition. We now head right (east) for a short distance on the road and then take a footpath on the left which soon rejoins a very minor road at Ragpathside Plantation. We continue along the road ignoring the first path on the left to Throstle Nest Farm (Thrushes Farm) and turn into the access road for Colepike Mill crossing the River Browney.

Colepike Mill was a fulling mill. Fulling (known as waulking in Scotland) is a process in the making of woollen cloth where the wool is pounded to remove dirt and oils etc and to make it thicker, This was originally done by stamping on it when it was covered in urine, hence the term walking to describe fulling. This system was replaced by power from water mills which carried out the process mechanically. Fulling Mills in Wales were known as pandy and this crops up in many Welsh place names. After thickening the wool was stretched on tenters fixed by tenterhooks and this led to the well known expression still in use today. Finally the material could be bleached by stretching it out and leaving it to action from sun and water, but the discovery of chlorine made this process redundant. The OS map indicates bleach green here so it is a safe assumption that bleaching was carried out. It is worth noting that fulling was started by the Arabs arriving in Spain in the 12th Century before reaching Britain.

From Colepike Mill we go north heading up to Middlewood Farm and note that the direction changes in the third field after leaving the mill. Here it crosses diagonally across the field instead of the field edge and directly across the next two fields to the farm. This farm goes back to the enclosure days and also took advantage of the supply of stone just down the road at the fort. It is now a short distance to the Satley road. We walk left for a short distance and take the road to the right to Upper Houses Farm which is the HQ for Lanchester Dairies. This is passed to reach one of the many Newbiggins to be found in the north. Here the old farm has been converted into housing and it is good to see that the gingang has been retained in the development. We now turn right towards Lanchester and after about 100 yards take the footpath on the left which drops onto the Lanchester walkway which is followed for one mile back to the start.

Further Information on Dere Street
Dere Street has been mentioned more than once in this walk description and overall l tend to feel that this Roman Road from York to the Forth valley is neglected. No doubt that this is probably due to the fact that much of it is still used and it is in rare places that the original road can be seen. Perhaps the best place to see the original track is on the Scottish side of the border coming from Chew Green which is at the head of the Coquet valley and walking down from the border to Towfoot and onwards towards Jedburgh where you can really feel the presence of the past in isolated country. This part of Dere Street is used for the Alternative Pennine Way path from Ashbourne in Derbyshire to Jedburgh. However on this walk you are walking on a track for a short distance at Quebec and the line of the road can be seen from Grenwell Farm at GR163458 leading up to the fort across the fields. In 2000 Durham County Council produced a useful leaflet on Dere Street which described the route and gave brief details of the forts on the route in our region, starting at Catterick and including Piercebridge (once in Durham), Binchester where part of the surface of Dere Street can be seen, Lanchester and Ebchester as well as mentioning further forts to the north such as Corbridge and Rochester. Dere Street was built circa AD80 and the original forts were timber built. The remains you see today were built of stone about 200 years later.

A good book to read for further information on the Roman occupation is “Roman England” by John Burke whilst on a more local note the books by Raymond Selkirk propose some very interesting theories which are backed up by facts in some cases. “The Piercebridge Formula” (1983), “On the Trail of the Legions” (1995) and “Chester-le-Street and Its Place in History” (2000).

Click to view start position on Google Maps

This excellent walk is good to do at any time of the year but is probably best in Autumn as there are several large deciduous woods on the route and many other areas with lots of trees. Furthermore it passes through the new acquisition of land by the Woodland Trust of Low Burnhall Wood and over the years walkers will be able to see the new wood develop in much the same way as has happened in Lotties Wood near Sunniside, Hedley Wood near Beamish and what is just starting at Elemore Wood near to Littletown and Easington Lane.

We start at the lay-by at High Shincliffe which was part of the old road and walk down it to the A177. Immediately opposite is a footpath sign and a nameplate which is Strawberry Lane and this is followed south on a tarmac surface. At the point where the road turns right to West Grange you continue south into a field where the route takes a slight kink to the left before resuming its direction south. West Grange is an old farm dating back to the 17th Century. Very soon this becomes a hedged lane where Durham County Council have done recent work improving the hedges. The route continues south for about 3/4 of a mile to a crossroad of paths where we keep straight ahead. The one on the left goes to South Grange whilst in the other direction to the west the bridleway goes to High Butterby Farm on the Weardale Way. Many of the farms here are called Granges named after their first use as a barn, where the French word for barn is a grange.

Strawberry Lane

It is straight ahead for a further mile to another crossroads of paths which are ignored. The path now enters a wood and on leaving the wood proceed south and then east to reach Tursdale House. This old farmhouse was formerly an old coaching inn and the small building on your right was a blacksmith’s shop which was converted to a house some time ago. I believe that the roofer committed suicide by stabbing himself on Durham Cathedral Altar about 50 years ago. Strawberry Lane was in fact a major road going to Durham in the 17th Century. The bridleway continues on the access road to Tursdale House downhill to reach Tursdale Beck and Hett Mill. On the other side is the Newcastle to London main line and the alarm for the crossing is heard frequently. We turn upstream on the north bank and follow the clear engineered path upstream in fine woodland and after about half a mile the footpath climbs uphill to exit the wood. On the day we did this walk in October all of the distance covered was alive with birdlife with numerous fieldfare and redwings as well as many yellowhammers and other birds feeding on the numerous berries.

On leaving the wood and turning left you cross through a hedge via two stiles with a waymark for the West Bowburn Way and continuing west with the wood on your left you walk the length of the field. Both magpies and jays can be seen in the wood and note the steep drop down to the beck. At the end of the field continue round the edge now heading north, ignore the first path on your left (where there is a new stile) and go through the next gate onto a broad track which is within the grounds of Croxdale Hall. The track descends to cross an outlet from the lake on your right by stepping stones. You now continue north over a stile and passing through newly created parkland for about 200 yards you soon reach a hard road which is the access road to High Croxdale Farm. We now head west and in less than half a mile come to Croxdale Hall. This was built about 1760 for General Salvin who was the father of the architect and is a Grade 1 listed building. Also listed as a Grade 1 listed building is the 12th Century chapel. The house still belongs to the Salvins and during World War 2 it served as a military hospital and then as a maternity hospital until 1952. Continuing west the carriageway crosses Tursdale Beck and passes between an avenue of trees before going under the A167, which was the old A1 north prior to the opening of the A1M, and arrives at the old Sunderland Bridge over the River Wear.

Sunderland Bridge

A bridge has been here since the 13th Century and although the date of the current bridge is not known it is thought to be from the 16th Century. It required major works in the 1700s on at least four occasions and the two central arches are the only full survivors as both the end arches collapsed. Turn right immediately over the bridge in front of the house to emerge on the A167 at its junction with the B6300. Cross both with extreme care and pass by the Honest Lawyer which certainly seems, like the pub in Derbyshire called “The Quiet Woman” a contradiction in terms! Shortly after crossing Browney Bridge there is a new gateway on your right which leads into Low Burnhall Wood.

This wood is now going to be planted in some of the meadows and pasture land which was bought at auction by the Trust and is 67 hectares (166 acres) in size. At first you follow the Browney down towards its outlet into the Wear and follow the new paths through meadows north towards Low Burnhall Farm. The site is currently being developed and planting will take place over the next 3 years (from 2010). There is already some Ancient Semi Natural Woodland alongside the river and the plan includes some wild flower meadows adjacent to the A167. Species being planted are all natural to this area and include ash, oak, hazel and rowan plus the black poplar which is quite uncommon.

The area on the other side of the Wear at Low Butterby has an oxbow lake to the south of the farmhouse and is an SSSI where you can find wildfowl in the winter. It is rare in having swamp, fen and fen carr all on the same site. Head north through the field (soon to be planted) to arrive at the access road to Low Burnhall Farm about 400 yards to the west of the buildings and here you pick up the public footpath. This passes to the left of most of the buildings (which are currently being converted to houses) and climbs up following the bend in the river and the contours, before dropping down steeply to cross a small beck by a footbridge. It is straight up then for a short distance to a field where the boundary is followed uphill to Pinnock Hill and emerges onto Hollingside Lane. In medieval days this was the main route north to Durham Cathedral. This unsurfaced road is taken north passing by the Botanic Garden on the left and then Grey College on the right to emerge on a busy road which is the road off the A167 at the Cock of the North roundabout to Durham Centre. Head uphill for a very short distance to cross it by the pedestrian crossing and then continue a few yards further uphill to a road junction where you turn right onto Elvet Hill Road and a sign pointing to the Oriental Museum.

You are now on university land and will pass the Government and International Affairs building followed by Teikyo University buildings on your left and Trevelyan College on the right to come to a t-junction with a cemetery on your left. Immediately opposite is a footpath sign where a broad track waymarked Quarry Heads Lane leads down to the Wear and Prebends Bridge. However on reaching the road take the footpath back up the hill to the Observatory where Salvin was the architect. Alternatively at Potters Lane junction where the footpath goes downhill, the area in front of you is open space with a footpath heading uphill in a north-west direction and at the top is a super view of Durham Cathedral which is best seen in late afternoon with the sun illuminating the western walls and windows. A right of way shown on the map from near the Observatory takes you past sport fields and through a new housing development in the grounds of Nevilles Cross College. This is followed round the back of some older houses to come to the A690 at Nevilles Cross near to a church.

Go down the road for a short distance and opposite some stairs on the other side of the road take an earth path on your right which leads to an infant school. This is followed downhill in a cutting to reach a road where you head north for about 200 yards. Just after a school on your right take a path down on your right through some allotments, up the other side to the right to eventually come out on South Street looking across to the cathedral. Head north here and just before the road starts to go downhill search out an opening on your left which leads into the churchyard of the church of St Margaret of Antioch. This is a restful place with a seat. The church looks modern but is in fact from Norman times although much altered by later work. Descend the steep steps at the front and turn downhill to reach the bridge over the Wear. It has been pedestrianised for many years and it is difficult to imagine the many buses which used to go over it! As soon as you cross the bridge and pass the path down to the river take the very narrow ginnel on your right which is marked as a route to the cathedral and castle and follow this narrow alley to emerge at the Shakespeare pub. This is reputedly one of the most haunted pubs in the country. Here turn left towards the market place and then immediately right down to Elvet Bridge. At the bridge take the steep steps on your left down to the river level at the boating station. You are again back on the Weardale Way.

The Weardale Way is followed upstream with the river on your right passing a footbridge leading to Old Elvet and continues to Old Durham and its walled garden. Here you also see the embankment of the old railway to Elvet Station. There are two alternatives depending on the amount of daylight available. The easy way back to the start is to follow the path behind the embankment, then cross the bridge over Old Durham Beck on the Weardale Way to reach the Wear. Then cross over to Maiden Castle sport fields and follow the riverside path to Shincliffe Bridge which is crossed. Turn right and go through Shincliffe village heading south to return to the A177 at the Seven Stars pub. This was the main road before the bypass. At the pub cross the A177 and follow the road on a footpath uphill back to the start.

However, a better way which avoids all roads is to turn left up the broad track at Old Durham, pass by Old Durham Farm and reach a t-junction near Bent House Farm. Here turn downhill towards the B1198 (called Mill Lane). About 200 yards before the beck, and where the track levels out, turn left through a farm gate (not waymarked) which crosses two fields to the side of the beck opposite the cattery and cutting across the bend you reach a footbridge and arrive on Mill Lane. Cross this with care and head east for a short distance to pick up a footpath which is on the route of the first railway into Durham, where Shincliffe served as the first Durham station. Go west along this path towards Shincliffe for a short distance and then take the footpath heading uphill to Manor Farm which is passed on your right. This is a new farmhouse built about 50 years ago on the site of Bank Top pit at High Shincliffe. The main farm building on your left was the winding house which pulled the waggons up and down on the slope that you have just climbed. It is now a short distance to the village houses and after the school turn right to the A177 and the start.

If you are doing this walk on a longer day l would recommend turning left at the first bridge you reach after dropping down to the river opposite the old public swimming pool (sadly currently in disrepair) and going uphill to Gilesgate. When you reach St Giles church where the slope eases turn right towards the church and then immediately left. There is a footpath past some cottages which after about 200 yards reaches a lane near to some new apartments built on the site of Woods lemonade factory and a waymark heading back to the river. The surprise here is the stream which is crossed by a footbridge very high above the water. This is a relatively unknown part of Durham known only to a few . At the end of the footbridge turn left. The other path on the right takes you quickly down to the river. The one on the left, which we take, goes gradually downhill across the contours to reach a lane which is stepped down back to the river and the Weardale Way only a short distance upstream from Old Durham. A worthwhile diversion and a quiet one which enhances the walk.