A Slice of Pennine Way and a Crust of Crooks o’ Green!
Filed under: Pennine WayApprox. Distance: 11 miles
Start: The Fountain, Middleton-in-Teesdale (GR NY947253)
Click to view start position on Google Maps
Map: OS Explorer 31 – North Pennines: Teesdale and Weardale
This walk was last done as a Durham County Council walk in 2005 as part of the celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the Pennine Way when the whole route was walked by ramblers groups on the same day!
We start at the fountain in Middleton which was erected to mark the retirement of Robert Bainbridge from the London Lead Company. He was evidently well respected as so much was subscribed that there were sufficient funds to erect a second fountain at Nenthead! We leave Middleton on the road to Mickleton and cross the River Tees on the County Bridge. The Tees served as the border between Yorkshire North Riding and Durham until the 1974 Local Government Act which adjusted boundaries. As a result a large piece of what was Yorkshire was transferred to Durham and indeed all of this walk was previously in Yorkshire. Durham certainly gained some lovely scenery here!
The way upriver on the Pennine Way is very clear and well waymarked and passes through superb riverside scenery. Wainwright certainly thought so as he writes in his Pennine Way Companion. “There are highlights of incomparable scenic quality along the route and much else of absorbing interest. The journey may be broken at Langdon Beck, and should be, for not often does one travel in such charming and fascinating surroundings. Always tarry long in the presence of beauty, for so much in life is barren.” Wainwright generally preferred rocky areas compared to wide open spaces, as is evident in his many books, and indeed the sections of the Pennine Way on both sides of this involve long miles of moorland walking so he was obviously in the mood for a change of scenery. Nevertheless there are few who will disagree with him over his views on this part of the Pennine Way.
It is 3.5 miles to Winch Bridge with the river on one side and grassy meadows on the other. Bird and plant life are abundant here. The more distant scenery to the south shows much evidence of the quarrying of the Whin Sill here whilst the area to the north of the river was extensively mined for lead, and is the subject of other walks in this region. The river separates the Raby land to the north with its whitewashed properties and the Strathmore land whose terrain we will be on throughout the walk.
At Winch Bridge we will stop to look at the waterfall of Low Force where the harder Whin Sill has eroded slower than the surrounding rock to create a fine waterfall. In my younger days this was known as Salmon Leap which must date back before the 20th Century as the pollution on the Tees prevented many salmon ascending the Tees for many years. The name Tees is derived from Viking times for a surging river and the Tees was the fastest rising river in England before the development of the Cow Green reservoir. The water release is now controlled and the fantastic spectacle of the High Force in flood is now a memory preserved in photos when the whole of the face was one mass of water instead of the two parts we have now.
We leave the Pennine Way here and head south-east towards Holwick. The fine building across the field is Holwick Lodge belonging to the Strathmore Estate and we pick up a tarmac road into the village. There is a pub here with real ale and food for those wanting refreshment (your only chance on the walk). We leave Holwick heading west to the end of the tarmac. This is the start of the Green Trod walked on “The Sweeter Side of Teesdale” where the rare plants which are found in Upper Teesdale can be observed. This was in the past a track used by Galloway ponies and pack horses as well as catle drovers. Some of the old drove routes can be traced across the county to the Hambleden Hills where the cattle then went south along the escarpment. A short distance after the end of the tarmac we leave the road on the left and head south through a cleft on a clear track which ascends gradually, always in a southerly direction, to a height of just over 500 metres on Crooks o’ the Green Fell. Here are distant views in all directions and for those wanting to capture one of the Durham 2000ft summits you can head west to Binks Moss. A lot of peat on this route!
We continue onwards in the same direction maintaining height until at Brown Dodd we meet a shooting track and grouse butts. It is not impossible to bump into royalty here as this is one of their family estates where they shoot. We ignore the grouse butts access track and continue downhill now heading south east leaving the access land to rejoin the Pennine Way just north of Wythes Hill Farm which is about 380 metres high. When the Pennine Way was first dedicated, the way to the north was complicated and confusing but it is now clear and well waymarked. It is a steady easy climb back up to near the summit of Harter Fell where a glorious view awaits you. The two mile descent back into Middleton is one of my favourite sections of the Pennine Way. About half a mile to the east is the pine covered hill of Kirkcarrion which is visible from many places in the area. Bronze Age remains have been found there and there is an enclosure containing a tumulus. About 2000 years ago this was a fort of the Brigantes who were the tribe who ruled this area prior to the arrival of the Romans and it is thought that the site is the burial site of Caryn who was one of the Brigante princes. They also had a base at Bowes and controlled the Stainmore Pass now occupied by the A66. The site can be visited from the top of Harter Fell by following the track alongside a wall as it is within the Open Access Area.
The Pennine Way back to Middleton is clear and all too soon you are back in Middleton in Teesdale and the start of the walk.
The Pennine Way
The Pennine Way Association a registered charity run entirely by volunteers was founded in 1971 to help all members of the Pennine Way Association by providing a personal information service and general assistance on all matters relating the the Pennine Way. It also provides a forum in which different interests and problems of mutual concern can be discussed and also to protect the route. It complements the work of Natural England. The member base is walkers and accommodation providers. It has an accommodation guide and has close liason with the Ramblers Association,Youth Hostel Association and the National Park and Countryside Ranger Services. To find out more visit their website at www.penninewayassociation.co.uk
Round and About Butterknowle
Filed under: OtherApprox. Distance: 10 miles
Start: The Slack, Butterknowle (GR NZ 113253)
Click to view start position on Google Maps
Map : OS Explorer 305 – Bishop Auckland. Spennymoor, Newtown Aycliffe, Sedgefield & Crook
On previous walks in this area in Langleydale and to Copley Chimney and the Steele Road I have also noted many other footpaths in the immediate area which we have not walked and the purpose of todays walk is to explore some of these and look at some of the many interesting sites of industrial archaeology that abound in this area. The plethora of footpaths are a direct result of the scope of industrial activity which took place here around 100 years ago. These were mainly involved with the coal industry and associated industry such as lead smelting at Copley, where the lead ore from Teesdale was brought close to the coal before being smelted and transported to lead works out of the area. The coal was good coking coal and on todays walk we will pass by a fine bank of beehive ovens so named because of their design. There is also a great deal of evidence of the tramways and later railways used to transport the coal and other minerals as well as agricultural products.
Basically the route taken is a circular route around Butterknowle which means on a short day like today you are never far from the start at the Visitor Centre situated at The Slack. Todays walk omits the well known Skew Bridge just down the River Gaunless which was a very early example of a bridge built before building techniques were fully understood. Over the last few years the Gaunless Valley has been very active in promoting its many assets assisted by what was then the Countryside Commission (now known as Natural England), Durham County Council and Teesdale District Council as well as the Rural Developments Commission. This is where some of your taxes go and in this case I doubt if there are many who will dispute that it was money well spent. In latter days there has also been involvement and funding from the Mineral Valleys Project funded partly from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Some of the results of this work can be seen in the centre which explains the area’s history as well as showing an informative video. They also produce some excellent literature such as the Guide to the Gaunless Valley and leaflets describing walks of around four miles in the area. Some of the paths used today feature on these walks.
We commence by walking along the road uphill towards Copley, past Copley Bents and after just over half a mile turn left (south) past West Garth and up a slight incline to High West Garth. Here we turn downriver along the side of the wood and then descend sharply down to the Gaunless which is crossed. There is an equally steep climb up the other side and at the first wall we turn left to walk above the river for half a mile. We now cross the old trackbed, here in good repair, of the former LNER and BR line from Bishop Auckland to Barnard Castle. This track is owned by Durham County Council and when funds are available it is intended to convert this to a railway path which will go through beautiful countryside. We continue east past Wigglesworth to arrive at the road which is crossed and we proceed towards Cockfield for a short distance before turning onto Cockfield Fell. Here we walk in a north-east direction crossing several paths and then to the north of the dwellings to reach the minor road to Fell Houses. Here we descend back to the Gaunless which is crossed (note the remains of Lands Viaduct built in 1862 a short distance upriver).
We now head north-west to Bluestone Farm and go back towards the river to reach the trackbed of the old Haggerleases railway. It is back uphill past some old mining shafts to the LNER line which is followed a short distance before turning right (north) behind Bluestone Farm and the cricket ground to reach Cross Roads on Lands Road. We cross here and continue north over Day Gill and shortly after Day Gill Farm turn left to come to White House, where we turn left. Just before the bend in the road we go north again on a footpath and climb gradually past Wales Field and High Wales Field to the road near Rowantree Farm. Many Celts planted rowan trees on their property for good luck and these include myself. This road (known as Crane Row Lane) is followed west for a mile to Cold Hirst.
The name of this road probably indicates that cranes possibly nested here in the past. The Wildfowl Trust currently have four of these birds at Washington and are hoping that they will breed. There is currently a joint initiative along with the RSPB to have these fine birds breeding in the UK again and they have a scheme similar to that which resulted in the return of the ospreys in operation with planned releases on the Somerset Levels. Some have lived without publicity in the Fenlands in England and a pair did indeed breed in Norfolk this year without assistance. At Washington they highlight from place names sites where they previously bred and it was interesting to see that Cornforth in County Durham was such a site (a ford where the cranes were).
It is downhill now to Emmerson House where we turn left on the access road to the farm past High Bank Farm and cross the road here to continue to the next road near High Wham Farm. We turn right for 50 yds towards Soth Side and then take the path on the left down to Crow Howle Beck to reach the site of Butterknowle Colliery where only the blacksmith’s shop and part of the pit heap remain. Keeping to the left of this beck you are on a fine path which was the trackbed of the branchline of the Marsfield and Butterknowle collieries. We pass the many coke ovens (there were over 100 in the immediate area but exactly 100 years ago the complex closed down as good coal supplies became exhausted). Arriving at the road next to a terrace of houses it is a straightforward walk down the road back to the start.
The Slack was the site of the brickworks which were made from the clay extracted. The bricks were marked with a thumbprint and were used for the coke ovens. Here was also the terminus of the Haggerleases railway which took the coal and coke down to West Auckland. This line was developed in 1830 by William Lake Prattman and contributed greatly to local prosperity. Indeed it lasted until 1963 when mining activity here had virtually ceased.
Sites of interest
1. Cleveland Dyke near Fell Houses is a rare outcrop of whinstone (dolerite) which was quarried here and other places where it is exposed, such as High Force and Cowshill in Weardale, Hadrian’s Wall and Craster.
2. Cockfield Fell is Englands largest scheduled monument and is just under 350 hectares. There are pre-Roman settlements and industrial remains going back to the 14th Century. Look out for the remains of bell pits. In 1869 the fell became a regulated pasture managed by the Fell Reeves which gives local stockholders the right to graze animals on the land after paying a yearly rent.
3. Coal here is near the surface due to the Wigglesworth and Butterknowle Faults and indeed there are houses in Woodland where the foundations are on coal.
4. Haggerlease Branch joined up with the Stockton and Darlington Railway to take coal to Teesside and also carried passengers between 1856 and 1872 . In 1856 the construction of the Shildon tunnel meant that the Brusselton incline was bypassed and locomotives could reach the Haggerleases branch, but from 1862 to 1872 this was only on market days as the South Durham and Lancs railway (which opened in 1862) took all the traffic with its stations at Cockfield Fell and Evenwood.
5. South Durham and Lancs railway ran from Darlington to Tebay where it joined the West Coast mainline. Its purpose was to carry the high grade haematite from West Cumberland to the steelworks on Teesside and transport coal from the north-east to West Cumberland. It was opened in 1861 and the Bishop Auckland branch followed a year later joining up at Barnard Castle. It was known as the Stainmore Line and went over the magnificent Belah viaduct and Smargill viaduct (now a Nature Reserve) near Kirkby Stephen. The bridges were designed by Thomas Bouch as was Langleydale and Lands but he is sadly remembered as the designer of the ill-fated Tay Bridge. The line carried passengers and was particularly busy on summer Saturdays taking holidaymakers to Blackpool. The last were carried in 1961 and the line closed and was dismantled very fast in 1962. It is visited on other walks not least the Deepdale walk where we pass under the equally impressive site of Deepdale viaduct. The definitive book on the subject by Peter Walton entitled “The Stainmore and Eden Valley Railways” now costs circa £100 on the second hand market.
The Northern Hills Above Lanchester
Filed under: OtherClick to view start position on Google Maps
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. This river rises to the south-west of Lanchester and joins the Smallhope Burn at Waters Meet which is about one mile to the east of Lanchester. It has an impressive history with the Roman fort of Longovicium being situated about half a mile from the current village centre to the south-west on the Satley and Wolsingham road.
Lanchester is on Dere Streer which was a major Roman supply road from York to Scotland. The Roman name means long town and the current name of Lanchester is from the same derivation. For strangers to the area it is worth spending a little time to wander around. Pride of place goes to the Norman parish church of All Saints on the far side of the bypass. Pevsner describes it as one of the most rewarding parish churches in the county. It was built in the 12th Century utilising the convenient stone source of the nearby fort, but in additiuon the church chancel was rebuilt in the 13th Century and contains some superb stone zig-zag carvings. 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 buildings in Lanchester as does the Branch Library which has served many purposes including that of a workhouse.
We start the walk at the car park on Newbiggin Road in Lanchester on the site of the Lanchester Valley Railway. The function of this line was to provide a good route for iron ore to reach the expanding steelworks in Consett. Prior to this iron ore had reached Consett on a circuitous route via Crook and then joining the Waskerley Line to reach Consett after passing over Hownesgill. It later also served to transport coal from the mines in the Lanchester Valley particularly from Langley Park and Bearpark although there were smaller pits at Lanchester and Malton. The line opened in 1862 but never did well for passenger traffic. Lanchester station indeed closed as early as 1939 to passengers although it did open for specials such as the Durham miners Gala. The last Gala train was run on 17th July 1954. There were four stations on the line between Lanchester and Broom Park; these being at Lanchester, Malton, Langley Park and Bearpark which was known as Aldin Grange until 1927.
Take the old line south-east from the car park. Almost immediately on the right we reach a small wood of just over 3 hectares called Doras Wood which is owned by the Woodland Trust. A group of people from Lanchester help to look after this wood and other places round here with conservation work. In a further half mile we come to Waters Meet. This is supposed to be a good site to see Little Owls but I have had no success here. The whole of the Lanchester Valley is a good place to observe many of the more common species and even thrushes and their winter cousins the Fieldfare and Redwing are found here. I always find in summer it is a good place for skylarks which are sadly declining elsewhere, but you will almost certainly hear them singing aloft above the meadows alongside the track.
Just over a mile out of Lanchester we come to Malton Picnic Park where an area of industrial damage has been restored. By crossing the river you will come to all that remains of Malton Colliery village where there is a row of terraced houses and a small war memorial. This is on the route of another walk called the Southern Hills above Lanchester. Our route continues down the line nearly into Langley Park to a point opposite Blackburn Farm at GR 198452 where a path is taken down to the left to cross the Browney by a footbridge. We now go diagonally north-west over some wet ground before turning onto the lane to the left of Langley Mill onto the A691. There is a good wide verge here which we use heading west for 250 yds to the entrance to Langley West Farm. It is a steep climb up through the farmyard and then up the side of a field which is followed round its northern perimeter to the north-west corner where we then turn right (north) up to a minor road. Opposite is a another small road heading north-east called the Long Edge. This road extends towards Sacriston and in clear weather gives super views of Durham and its Cathedral and on the skyline the Cleveland escarpment.
After less than half a mile we turn left on a bridleway going north alonside the eastern edge of a plantation at GR196473. This is often wet and we descend slightly before ascending to a road opposite the Rectory of St Johns Church at Burnhope standing alone at the top of a hill. The church itself is a short distance on the left towards Burnhope. Burnhope was a mining community with very strong roots. In 1926 during the General Strike it was decided to call off the Durham Miners Gala as there was no transport to reach Durham. The people of Burnhope were against this and decided to hold it in Burnhope. Such was the feeling that over 25,000 people attended with most of them walking there. Worth seeing is the War Memorial made of hand made bricks and red roof tiles which records the names of 96 men killed during WW1 and WW2 with one lone soldier killed on the north-west frontier of India in 1930. Sadly, as we know too well, this is still a trouble spot. If you are passing pay it a visit.
We go straight over the road and cross two fields before turning right to Burnhope Flatts Farm and a minor road. We now head north for less than 100 yds before taking the Bridleway on the left and passing two covered reservoirs. It is easy going on a good surface heading broadly west to reach Chapmans Well Nature Reserve after about three quarters of a mile. Built on a site which had previously seen open cast coal mining (and l believe landfill) this now is a mixed habitat of water, lowland heath and forest. There has been much planting of heather and juniper here. It is particularly good for butterflies with several rarities being found here and is also special as five species of owl have been seen. We take the clear route north passing to the right of the lake (with fine views to Morrow Edge) to just short of Quaking Houses at GR184504 where another good track goes west to the A6076 which is the Lanchester to Annfield Plain road.
At the road we head right towards Annfield Plain. The fields here recently had a flock of Herdwick sheep which are normally only found in the Lake District. After 300 yards, at a bend to the right, look carefully on the other side of the road for a footpath sign for a path heading south-west. This is taken over what appears to have been part of the Morrison Busty colliery and is now quiet woodland and grazing. How well nature can heal the landscape! We now arrive at the Tower Road opposite to what was the entrance to Greencroft Hall which is now no more. It was built in 1670 but was empty by 1939 when it was requisitioned by the Army. The fittings were sold in 1954 and the house demolished in 1955. However the size and wealth of the house can still be envisaged by some of the land which we will now pass. It is thought that the Hall was built on the site of a medieval village and traces of previous activity can be seen on the ground in several places. We walk up the road to the west to the entrance to Park Head (GR 161505) and turn down towards the house which is passed via a diversion to the right. We now go steadily downhill in a south-east direction to the corner of a field where we rejoin the old driveway. This is crossed and the same direction continued towards a lodge house on the A6076 at Ornsby Hill. The buildings on the left just before the road were at one time a specialist hospital for highly infectious diseases. It is now a short walk down the hill and back into Lanchester.
Castle Eden Dene and the Durham Coast
Filed under: OtherApprox. Distance: 12 miles
Start: Masonic Hall car park opposite Castle Eden Inn, off B1281 (GR NZ 423375)
Click to view start position on Google Maps
Map: Explorer 306 – Middlesbrough and Hartlepool & OS Explorer 308 – Durham and Sunderland
This walk is probably the easiest walk to navigate on any that I do as a Durham County Council walk. It is a very attractive walk of 12 miles which can be broken down into roughly three equal sections which are all totally different.
The walk starts opposite in Castle Eden village. We start by passing to the right (south) of the Castle Eden Inn and when you get behind the pub you will see a footpath sign on the left with a narrow lane passing between two houses. This crosses over the trackbed and you then proceed over a stile into a large field. Go diagonally north-east across the field to the far corner to a stile onto a clear lane which is followed north to the road (B1281) near to an attractive house. Cross this road and follow the footpath east towards Hesleden to reach some other houses and a terrace of estate houses. There is an alternative to avoid this bit of road walking by proceeding down the line towards Hart for 200 yds and then taking a footpath north to the same spot but this can be left for the return journey.
Castle Eden is a spread out place and until recent times was well known for its brewery known as Nimmo’s and later owned by Whitbreads. The brewery was demolished in 2003 although part has been converted into business accommodation and land sold for some housing development. It was originally known as South Yoden which was a corruption of Yew Dene. There was coal mining here in the 1800s and also ropeworks and bleaching carried out in the village. The bleaching site is named on the map to the south-east of the houses. Walking down the lane you soon come to the church of St James built in 1764 apparently on the site of a much earlier medieval chapel. Since then there has been additions and the spire contains an attractive clock. The church was built and paid for by Rowland Burdon who had purchased the estate at that time. Burdon was an inventive and benevolent person who was, amongst other things, the local MP from 1790 to 1806. After that he devoted his efforts in the service and welfare of his poorer neighbours until his death in 1838. He also founded the brewery along with the Nimo family (note the spelling change).
After passing the church you go through a side gate to reach the track into Castle Eden Dene and turn downhill into the dene by the interpretation board. Castle Eden Dene is run by Natural England and is the largest area of natural woodland in north-east England. The vegetation here goes back 10,000 years to the last ice age. Here can be found over 450 species of plant as well as a good variety of birdlife. There is a good chance here to see Greater Spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatch and Treecreeper. In early spring the wood is full of lesser celandine and wood anenome and this is followed later by masses of bluebells. There are several paths in the dene but care must be taken as the dolomitic limestone (Permian) which is the rock here is slippy when wet. The sides of the dene are very steep and crumbly. Yew trees are still common as they thrive on this soil. Our route follows the Castle Eden Burn all the way to the sea staying close to the beck all the time and ignoring paths that lead upwards out of the dene. You cross the road (A1086) and head back into the dene to pass under the railway viaduct. Alternatively you may find it easier to continue past the school to the main road.
After passing under the viaduct continue towards the sea until you see the bridge over the burn on your right. Cross this and ascend the path onto the cliff top.A great panoramic view awaits you along the coast to the south and the cliffs north of Whitby and north to Souter Lighthouse north of Sunderland. Over the last 20 years this area has seen massive changes under two main programmes. One of these was Operation Neptune when the National Trust actively went about purchasing as much coastline as possible to prevent further buildings on the coast and this was followed by Turning The Tide from Durham County Council and partners, where much of the coastline which had been despoiled by the coal industry was restored. In the past the spoil heaps reached down to the cliff edge and the area was used for a dramatic scene in “Get Carter” with Michael Caine. The beaches were black with shale and a business existed of gathering sea coal. Paradoxically this shale protected the cliffs from the ravages of the sea but standing at the end of Castle Eden Dene and looking north you could well be in Cornwall such is the change.
Heading south there are two choices, either on the beach, or you can keep your fine views by staying on the cliff top following the Durham Coast Path. The beach route is slower and you have to pick your way but it does include Blackhall Rocks where there are interesting caves. Watch the tide though! The grasslands above have internationally unique grasslands with quaking grass, rock rose and bloody cranesbill to be found. There are 15 species of butterfly to be found here including the northern brown argus and the cistus forester which is a green moth that breeds on the cliff tops. The coast path (known as the English Coast Path ECP) occasionally leaves the clifftop to avoid steep drops into Blue House Gill and other denes and eventually you come to Crimdon Dene Holiday Park. Do not go through the caravans but keep to the clifftops through the site to reach a car park. Here you continue south along the road towards a white building which is a riding stable.
At the end of Crimdon Dene you are entering a special place because here, so close to the caravans (and indeed Hartlepool) is a colony of Little Terns. Call into the site hut where you will find the wardens Trevor Stephenson and Derek Brown who protect this site from many threats. Little terns are a rare breeding bird which have been in decline partly through loss of habitat. There are only about 1200 pairs each summer in the UK, arriving back from the Antarctic in early May. During the breeding season the site is fenced off but there is always a threat from foxes and hedgehogs which are common as well as rats and occasionally stoats. The breeding records illustrate the big annual changes in breeding rates but when the birds first arrived they were given very little chance of being successful. 2006 saw the breeding pairs fall from 65 to 25 but the year after saw 106 chicks from 46 breeding pairs. This was the highest number ever fledged from a UK colony since recording started. 2009 was even better with 118 fledged chicks from 60 pairs which was prolific as 2 chicks per pair is exceptional, particularly when the national picture is quite bleak. This is entirely due to the dedicated workers on the site.
If you are in this area look out for the Newsletter of the Durham Heritage Coast called Coastlines . Further info from 0191 3833351 or www.durhamheritagecoast.org
We now cross Crimdon Dene by the bridge and head up the clear track to cross the railway line by a new footbridge seen on the skyline to arrive at the end of the Haswell to Hart railway walk. The conversion of this to a fine bridleway was also part of the Turning the Tide Project. The history of this line is interesting, being opened by the Harlepool Dock and Railway Company. The purpose was to get into the Durham coalfield and thereby get coal sent to Hartlepool to be shipped out and the line got as far as Haswell going through Castle Eden, Wellfield and Shotton. At the same time George Stephenson was building a line south from Sunderland to Haswell and this opened on 23rd November 1835. Both lines terminated at Haswell but they arrived at right angles, so Haswell had to have two stations for the passengers. The Hartlepool company abandoned their expansion plans when the Sunderland company opened a branch line from Murton to Durham which reached many pits. Much of this is walked on other walks such as the Elemore Woods walk and the return of the Weardale Way walk from Finchale to Shincliffe which is where the line originally ended. A link was constructed at Haswell (linking the two routes) and the line was heavily used by passengers until the coast line was opened quite late in 1905. The line was finally closed in 1980 under the Beeching axe but when the mainline was closed for repairs the Haswell branch was brought into use. There is a photo of the Flying Scotsman on this route on one of the interpretation boards. Hard to imagine now!
The railway path leads directly back to Castle Eden passing through good country with wooded denes mainly to the left. The main one is Hesleden Dene, a corruption of Hazel Dene. On the way back we take a diversion off to the left at Hesleden Hall which is a short distance after the lake on the left. There is good birdlife at the lake if you are patient. It is then straight ahead to Monk Hesleden. Here was the church of St Mary which dated back to the 13th Century and was the only Anglican church around here. When the rectory (now Browns farm) was being built the foundations of a much earlier monastery were discovered. Sadly after some vandalism in the 1960s the church was demolished in 1968 and now only the graveyard survives.
We pass Low Hesleden Farm and across two fields back to the line which is followed back to the start at Castle Eden. It is worth mentioning however that this line can be followed for a further mile to where it links up to the Castle Eden Walkway which can be walked, cycled or ridden on horseback south past Hurworth reservoir to Stockton or north to Sunderland.
Elemore Woods and Pittington
Filed under: OtherApprox. Distance: 12 miles
Grade: Medium
Start: Littletown Village Green off Coalford Lane (GR NZ 339434)
Click to view start position on Google Maps
Map : OS Explorer 308 – Durham and Sunderland
Much of this walk was done some years ago starting at Rainton Meadows Reserve run by the Durham Wildlife Trust. At the time the size of Elemore Woods (owned by the Woodland Trust) was 70 hectares which is just over 170 acres. However a couple of years ago the Woodland Trust purchased a further 83 hectares (203 acres) of what was mainly arable land to the east making the total size of the wood, with its recent plantings, 154 hectares. When the newly planted trees are established this will be the largest deciduous wood in Co. Durham and is the largest Woodland Trust site in the north of England. On previous walks we have seen how fast new trees can establish themselves (Ajax Wood in the Derwent Valley and Lotties Wood at Sunniside to name a couple) and it will be interesting to watch the development of this wood. During other walks we have seen most of the sites owned by the Woodland Trust and full details can be found on their website. This is a worthy and very well focussed organisation which should be supported.
We start at Littletown which is an old mining village. The scenery around here has changed dramatically over the last 40 years and standing here it is difficult to imagine how high the pit heaps in this vicinity were. Now all is green and the planting and landscaping make this a pleasant corner.
The Woodland Trust make all their woods accessible to the public and although there is no public footpath shown on the OS map there are a good range of paths which we will explore. The route is clear through Dog Kennel Wood and just after passing Elemore Grange we turn south up Green Lane. The Hall behind the Grange serves as a school for children, mainly boys, with special needs and was built in brick in the 18th Century.
The old woods contain Sycamore, Ash, Beech and Elm and the site has many Wych Elm. Currently the Woodland Trust is thinning waste and this will continue throughout this year. Parts of Elemore Wood are on what is known as a Planted Ancient Woodland Site (PAWS) and some of the old plantations are from the 18th Century and because of this the Trust is treating the whole site as a PAWS. Throughout this walk we will also come upon marked posts as there is an orieteering course being established.
At the T-Junction Green Lane turns east, passing by Lily Hill Plantation, and continues uphill to just short of High Haswell. Note all the new fencing erected around the site. High Haswell, at around 500 ft high, gives extensive views in most directions looking out to the Pennine foothills in the west. Of more immediate interest is the view of the new acqisition to the north east looking across the valley towards Snippersgate and White Hill. White Hill is indeed the name that the new woods are now known as. This purchase cost £1.35 million pounds and was funded by Co Durham Environmental Trust, Heritage Lottery Fund, Biffaward, SITA, and also by local fundraising which some of you contributed towards. The distance from Littletown to the A182 at Snippersgate is 2.5 miles (4km).
We now turn down Chapel Garth to Low Haswell Farm enjoying the view in front of us where there are two paths. In dry weather you can descend to the valley bottom where the Coldwell Burn is crossed by a footbridge but in two places the cattle have made this very muddy. Today we will turn back west down the broad track to re-enter the wood quite close to where we left it. We take the broad track down to the burn which is crossed by a bridge and proceed along this track parallel to the burn for about 300 metres. The bank side to the north is fairly steep but where there is a gap we take the track up north-west for a short distance before turning left on a path looking down on the main track near the burn. We now walk along the clear track which heads due north just inside the wood to the top of the wood (GR355447) where we turn east to follow the wood edge. Here the path returns into the wood at the corner, descending steeply downhill down to the original path alongside the burn. Continuing east along this we eventually exit East Wood to enter the new land which you will observe has been planted with very small saplings known as whips. In total there are to be 90,000 trees planted in the land from here to the A182 and in addition there will be areas left for wild flowers which on the magnesium limestone soil are a very special habitat. For your route finding here stay west of spot height 126 and if you find yourself in planted areas take care not to damage the new saplings.
Eventually we come to Snippersgate Corner (GR372455) where the road is crossed and work our way round the edge of the houses to pick up the footpath across Murton Moor to Constitution Hill where we take the access road to Carr House Farm. This is on the old Salters Road which here is a track but from Snippersgate to the south has been built up as a road to Wingate and beyond. Continuing past Great Eppleton we pick up Downs Pit Road and turn south into Hetton Lyons Country Park. Here we find another excellent restoration scheme with ponds and fishing lakes, populated by many birds. Apart from the ubiqitious mallard and black headed gulls there were also many coot on the lakes as well as other gulls, tufted duck and moorhen. We now cross the Stephenson Walk near to Stephenson Lake. This is a walk devised by Sunderland City and follows the original railway from Hetton le Hill to the River Wear near to Monkwearmouth Bridge where the coal transported was discharged on to colliers. This was the first purpose built railway in the world, built by George Stephenson’s brother Robert. There is a blue plaque in Hetton Lyons, passed on the Stephenson route at the end of a terrace of houses where he lived.
We now follow a pleasant railway path from here to Low Pittington which was another very early railway. Part of this was walked from Houghall to Sherburn on the Weardale Way walk from Finchale to Shincliffe on the return route through to Pittington. This railway was started in 1836 from Sunderland to Ryhope and by 1837 it had got to Sherburn, so the track on which we are walking is 137 years old. The route reached Shincliffe by 1837 and here was the site of Durham’s first railway station. The route was rope hauled until 1857 when locomotives were used and in 1893 there was a branch which left the track near Sherburn Leper Hospital to enter Durham at Elvet. This was never a great success and Elvet Station closed for general use in 1931 although it was open every year for the Durham Miner’s Gala when it was very busy. The last train was in 1953 when it was used by a European circus which was appearing in Durham.
This is a pleasant, easy walk with a lot of bird life after it gets through Hetton. At Low Pittigton we take the path at the Blacksmith’s Arms to High Pittington and follow the road to Hallgarth Hotel and the lovely church of St Lawrence. Nickolaus Pevsner describes the north aisle as one of the most exciting pieces of architecture in County Durham and this was the work of Bishop Pudsey’s men. The church itself is much older and goes back to Saxon times and is contemporary with Escomb and Jarrow. On leaving the church we continue to Littletown Farm where we turn east along the footpath to Littletown reaching the village near the site of the old Duke of York pub.