Bill's Walks

Finchale to Shincliffe (Weardale Way)

Approx. Distance: 13 miles

Start: Roadside verge above Cocken Wood between Leamside and Plawsworth (GR 789918)

Click to view start position on Google Maps

Map : OS Explorer 308 – Durham and Sunderland

This walk is a good illustration that you do not always have to go off miles into the countryside to enjoy a walk. The route passes through Durham City but also has fine countryside, many historic buildings and structures as well as more recent industrial history dating back to the early days of railways.

We start by descending the many stairs to cross the River Wear by the footbride over to Finchale Abbey. This has an interesting history being founded by St Godric who earlier in his life had been a gatekeeper at Kepier Hospital and before that a seaman. He was born circa 1085 and reputedly lived to be 105. On leaving the sea he settled for a life of solitude at Wolsingham where he had a vision that St Cuthbert would find a hermitage for him north of Durham. Bishop Flambard in 1110 gave him leave to settle at Finchale where he built a wooden chapel dedicated to St Mary. He received so many pilgrims that the chapel was replaced by a stone one now dedicated to St John the Baptist and here he lived until his death in 1170. He was buried in his own chapel and this was the foundation of the Abbey which is worth an extended visit.

We proceed up the road for about one mile to arrive at Frankland Prison opened in 1980 with four wings. This was extended in 1998 with an additional two wings and in 2004 a specialist section was also added. It houses prisoners deemed as dangerous and on long sentences. Fortunately this is soon passed to arrive at Brasside, and on reaching the old railway track take time to go a short distance to the left to have a look at Brasside pond. This is a fine spot for bird watching and has several breeding species.

The railway linked the Leamside line (which we will see a lot more of later) with the main Newcastle to London line. In fact the Leamside was the original route north before the new route was taken at great expense over Sunderland Bridge viaduct and then through a major cutting and over Durham city viaduct (built in 1857) to arrive at Durham Station. If you wander off down the old line at Brasside you will come to the disused and closed Belmont viaduct. This is another superb structure which is to be brought back to life as a foot and bridleway bridge following their award of £500,000 in 2007 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This whole area from Finchale has been designated as a recreation area called the Necklace Park and is part of a major plan to be developed by Durham over the next twenty years.

The route is clearly marked heading south past Frankland Farm to pass the sewage works and then Crook Hall which is a Grade 1 Listed building. This goes back to the 13th Century and over the last ten years the gardens and the buildings have been sympathetically restored. It is open to the public and enjoys lovely views of the cathedral.

We continue on the left bank of the Wear past the weir and under the bridge to follow the river upstream. This side enjoys super views of the mighty Durham Cathedral and Castle to arrive at Prebends Bridge, designed by George Nicholson the architect to the Dean and Chapter of the cathedral. It was built between 1772 and 1777 and replaced the earlier wooden bridge of 1574 which was washed away, along with many others in the region, in the great flood of 1771. The bridge was restored in 1956 and enjoys what is probably the most photographed scene in the city. Recent news has just came out of the significant finds in the river below of a vast fortune in old Cathedral treasures but how they got there is still a mystery!

We cross the river and continue on the Weardale Way upstream to arrive at Old Elvet Bridge. This has a significant history. The bridge was built in the time of Bishop Pudsey and had chapels at either end as well as shops and houses. These disappeared when the bridge was widened in 1805. We now continue upriver past the boathouse and eventually come into more open country opposite sports fields.

On a walk of this nature it is impossible to take the time to visit the extroadinary high number of historic buildings and streets in Durham. There are many guide books etc but for architectural interest “The Buildings of England – Durham” by Nikolaus Pevsner is a must and enhances any visit to this superb city.

The next section passes the rowing clubs and regularly has interesting birdlife before you arrive at the remains of an old railway viaduct which carried the Elvet branch of the LNER (more on this later). Just off route to the left is Old Durham Farm and its fine walled garden and collection of apple trees. However we keep near to the river bank crossing Old Durham Beck by the footbridge and continue along the river to Shincliffe Bridge, which dates back to 1826. Here we leave the Weardale Way and turn along the B1198 (known as Mill Lane) for a very short distance before turning into the wood on the right on a clear track. For the thirsty Shincliffe has two good pubs, one back over the brige and the other at the top of the village towards the south. Shincliffe will be described more fully on the next stage of the Weardale Way to Sunderland Bridge. The path almost immediately turns left on a very clear path through Shincliffe Park. The reason for this is that you are on a historic old railway as this was the original railway to Durham, originally opened as far back as 1836 from Sunderland to Pittington. It was extended to Sherburn House in 1837 and the terminus at Shincliffe in 1839. From there passengers either walked or took a coach to the city. In its early days it was rope handled and used to transport coal to Sunderland from the collieries en route as well as Houghall Colliery. In 1893 the Elvet branch which left this line at Sherburn House was opened and the Shincliffe branch closed. The path takes you back to the B1198 where we turn left for a short distance back towards Shincliffe to Mill House, where we head north for a few yards to pick up a poor path to the right past scrubland. Ahead is the A1M where we go through a small tunnel to get to the other side. We emerge into woodland alongside a beck and come to a very old bridge which is Sherburn Medieval Bridge. This was first mentioned in the 12th Century and was definitely present in 1335. It was repaired in 1615 and actually carried the main road until the 1930s. When the road was realigned the area reverted back to woodland and the bridge was virtually forgotten. It was restored by Durham County Council amidst much publicity about fifteen years ago.

This is not the only antiquity here as after crossing the road there is a range of buildings over the other side of the beck which were originally Sherburn Hospital. Just up the road from here was Sherburn House station where the track went to Elvet. Elvet Station closed to regular traffic in 1931, which was a short life for a station, although it remained in use on one day a year until 1953 when it finally closed. That day was the Durham Miners Gala Day when thousands descended on the city. The site is now occupied by Durham Magistrates Court. There is a website called Disused Stations which can be Googled by those wanting further information on all stations nationally.

However back to Sherburn Hospital founded in 1181 by Bishop Pudsey for five convents of lepers. It was known as a lazar hospital. Each convent was 13 inmates and this number is almost certainly linked to Jesus and his twelve disciples. The total of 65 lepers made it one of the biggest in the country. Leprosy had been brought back to the country by the Crusaders and the life here was good for the times, although they were segregated from the general population including the church visits. They were well fed and watered with a gallon of ale each day as well as either meat or fish, and bread every day. As leprosy died out in the 1400s the building’s use changed to poor people as an almshouse and this continued for many years. The hospital was taken over by the Charity Commissioners in 1857. It is now a home for the elderly. All that remains of the original is the south wall of the chapel, although the gatehouse is also medieval.

We follow the beck upstream and head north-east, after crossing the footbridge, towards the embankment of the Leamside railway mentioned earlier to come to the B1283 at Sherburn which means ‘clear stream’. This was caused by the filtration properties of the limestome in the area. Sherburn was the scene of a sensational murder many yeras ago when two policeman, who had generally been on good terms were involved in a disagreement which resulted in one named Cruickshank being shot by another called Paton. Cruickshank is buried in the cemetery in a well marked grave whilst Paton’s grave is unmarked.

The route is not clear through the houses and buildings and it is necessary to keep close to the railway, where a clear path along the line is followed to Pittington Beck which is where the old Sunderland to Pittington line went under the Leamside line near to Brookside House, an atmospheric spot. The old track is followed across several fields in a north-east direction to come to Low Pittington, near the Blacksmiths Arms. At the crossroads we head west to the left and at the next junction a few yards further we see the waymarked path a little to the right. This takes us over Ramside Hall Golf Club opened in 1996 passing what was Rifts Farm to come to the A690. Great care is required here to cross the road, as most cars are travelling at 70mph!

Ramside Hall was originally an Elizabethan style house built by the Pemberton family and was listed in 1967. At that time it was bought by a consortium to develop into a hotel which has been a great success and seen numerous improvements and additions.

Having safely negotiated the A690 we return to the trackbed of the Leamside line and follow this past Moor House. This is the largest Scout campsite in the country and is a Scout Activity Centre winning many awards. We pass under the line towrds Mallygill Wood owned by the Woodland Trust. This wood shows traces of early coal mining where the coal outcropped on the steep banks leading down to the
River Wear. Passing Woodside Farm on your left you come to Leamside where you go straight ahead (north) before taking the first left over the A1M. Shortly after passing Cocken Lodge along this road you come back to the start of the walk.