Bill's Walks

Teesdale Way – Whorlton to Winston

Distance: 12 miles

Start: Whorlton, County Durham (GR NZ 106148)

Click to view start position on Google Maps

Map: OS Explorer 302 – Northallerton and Thirsk: Catterick and Bedale

This circular walk takes in the section of the Teesdale Way from Whorlton to Winston before returning through pleasant countryside and joining other sections of the walk done in the past. The Teesdale Way Guide by Martin Collins was originally published by Cicerone Press in 1995 and has recently been updated. It is a fine and varied walk and follows the Tees to its mouth. It starts just above High Cup Nick and follows the Pennine Way down the Maize Beck to Cauldron Snout and continues to use the Pennine Way as far downstream as Middleton in Teesdale. It does not follow the Tees from its source on Cross Fell, as the route was devised before the implementation of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (CROW Act) and the course of the Tees at the source was not on a right of way. This section is in the heart of an outstanding Nature Reserve and the original route has quite rightly in my view been retained. The only problem with the first stage is that it is necessary to start at Dufton or, if being done in a day, take the long route back along the Eden Valley by car to Dufton.

Whorlton was originally Queornington in 1050. It means ‘the farmstead by the mill stream’ which is presumably Whorlton Beck. The village has an attractive green and a Victorian Gothic style church built in 1853 called St Marys. This is a common name for churches hereabouts and is passed on the Five Churches Walk. The church was built on the site of a medieval Norman chapel which was demolished to enable the church to be built.

Whorlton Suspension Bridge

There are two ways to leave Whorlton and if the Teesdale Way is to be followed it is necessary to take the footpath from the church down to the Tees where you head upriver to have a look at Whorlton Bridge. This fine suspension brige was designed by John Green of Newcastle who also designed many other bridges in the area. It is Britain’s oldest suspension bridge which still has the original suspension chains in use. The maximum weight allowed is 3 tons and at the toll house can be sen the tariffs for the use of the bridge. You now proceed back down the river whence you came, noting the slabs which form the river bed here. The other route out the village is the north of the village on the path eastwards to Low Barn which continues on to join the Teesdale Way just south of Osmond Croft .

Continuing downriver on the Teesdale Way you cross Whorlton Beck and head up this for a short distance, leaving the river, and from here onwards the route stays above the river as the banks here are very steep and prone to landslides. Across the Tees on the south side is the village of Wycliffe which was the birthplace of John Wycliffe (1320 -1384) who is famous for translating the Bible into English. Perhaps less well known is the fact that he actively supported the religious causes of the English poor in defiance of the established churches wealth and power and was accused of heresy. After his death the movement became more powerful and this eventually led to the Reformation. Near here was a ford and a ferry long disused because of the dangerous conditions.

You pass Grafts Farm and at Osmonds Croft the two routes join . The Teesdale Way continues on a clear path with fine views across towards Ovington to arrive at Winston Bridge. This excellent bridge was built circa 1860 and its 30 metre span was , at the time, one of the largest in Europe. When checked recently it was still in an excellent state of repair and required only limited maintenance. Prior to the building of the bridge the river was crossed at Hedgeholme Ford. Some time ago there was a TV dramatisation of Derek Robinsons novel “A Piece of Cake” which was the story of a hurricane squadron in WW2. For a scene ,which was supposed to be in France, a spitfire flew under the bridge. The plane in the action had been built in 1943 and this plane was purchased by Ray Hanna in 1983. He was a pilot and spitfire enthusiast and flew the spitfire under the bridge at the age of 60!

Winston Bridge

We continue downriver for a short distance and then leave the Teesdale Way and climb up to St Andrew’s Church. This 13th Century church has a remodelled nave by the famous John Dobson who was the architect of much of Newcastle in the 1850s and made it the fine city it is now. You now go through Winston Village and take the footpath north-west to Little Newsham. There was a drift mine near here which employed 70 people and along with Dun House Quarry, which supplied the stone for Bowes Museum, were the only signs of industry near here. Here you can go north to Cleatlam (formerly Cleat-leah, meaning the clearing where the burdock grows). A 4th century coin was found near here recently! You then go south by a footpath to Morey. If you are running behind time you can go direct to Morey from Little Newsham. The route then passes Wether Hill Farm and Low Barford and south of Humbleton Hill, to arrive at Humbleton Farm. This site is currently not lived in (2011) but is an attractive house which surely will be brought back to life again at some time in the future. Humbleton Hill has been settled since ancient times and three neolithic arrowheads have been found here.

It is now time to return to the River Tees and you head south passing close to Sledwich Hall which is praised by Pevsner. It was built in the 13th century and over the years has seen several modifications. In WW2 this area had several P.O.W. sites which can still be traced , in places, on the ground. At Sledwich Hall take the road towards Whorlton but resist the temptation to stay on the road and take the footpath at spot height 139 south to the river and the path back to the start.