2
May
2009
Page Bank to Bishop Auckland (Weardale Way)
Filed under: Weardale WayDistance: 11 miles
Map : Explorer 305
Start: River Wear at Page Bank (GR NZ234355)
Click to View Start Position on Google Maps
Grade: Medium
The Weardale Way has existed in several forms for a long time in various guises. A route was established by Alan Earnshaw who was an early member of the DCRS service around 1973. He started at the developing site of Killhope Wheel and ended his route, which involved a substantial amount of moorland walking, at Sunnybrow near Willington which we pass today. The next guide was a Dalesman Guide by Ken Piggin published towards the end of the 1970`s which started at Sunderland and finished at Killhope which I believe is the natural finish. This route was waymarked by DCC and shown on OS19. In the mid 1990s a further guide to the WW, partly sponsored by DCC, was written by Alastair Wallace and this route is shown on the current OS Pathfinder maps. It follows Piggin’s route from Sunderland to Witton-le-Wear but thereafter concentrated on a lower route omitting Knitsley Fell and the elephant trees and terminating at Wearhead where the river first becomes the River Wear. In 2008 the WW has been altered again climbing back to Knitsley Fell. A new updated guide by Wallace is to be published soon. In my own view I would like to see a High Route and a Low Route close to the river but in the meantime be aware that the waymarked route may differ from that on your map
Page Bank bridge, as shown on the plaque, was opened by Tony Blair, as this is part of the Sedgefield constituency, and replaced an older bridge which had strict weight restrictions. Up the hill to the north was the village of Page Bank which was a coal mining settlement. The mine opened in 1853 and closed in 1930 although in its latter days it produced fireclay only for the brick business. This area has many brickworks due to the extensive clay deposits hereabouts. Page Bank was designated a Category D village in the mid 1900s but unlike Woodland, Victoria Garesfield, Waldridge and the nearby Oakenshaw it did not get a reprieve and the village was erased from the map.
The way follows the left bank of the Wear closely and like the previous section from Sunderland Bridge there is normally a good variety of birdlife to be seen around here. After 2 miles Jubilee Bridge is reached and the path goes through Sunnybrow Country Park mentioned in the introduction as the first finish for the Weardale Way. Just up the hill is the township of Willington. At the start of the 20th Century this was a very small village whose population expanded from about 150 people to nearly 9000 in 10 years due to the opening of coal mines. The village on the south is Newfield with its large brickworks. The path crosses Helmington Beck and then Hunwick Gill (which is shortly after Furness Mill Farm) to reach the Bishop Auckland to Brandon Railway Walk developed by Durham County Council. This was the site of Hunwick Station and the nearby pub called the New Monkey now sadly defunct. The last passenger train on this railway was in 1964 and at this station in 1869 was a serious accident. Waggons which were being shunted further up the line broke loose and gathering speed they crashed into a train which had stopped at the station en route from Bishop Auckland killing the driver and fireman.
During this walk there has been good views across the valley which is our return route. From Hunwick Station there is the choice of continuing on the railway but the preferred option is to stay on the Weardale Way over the Haugh. This is a Northumbrian word for flat, generally wet land, in the bend of a river and is common in Northumberland but I am not aware of it occurring any further south than here. We continue to pass under Newton Cap Viaduct which was converted to use as a road bridge in 1995. The old way across the river which we use is a beautiful 14th century bridge still in use as a road bridge although it is now bypassed by most of the traffic except during periods of high winds when the viaduct can be closed to certain vehicles.
After crossing the bridge we descend via some stairs to go alongside the river through the Batts where in times past the area was used for archery practice. Other Batts or Butts can be found in Stanhope and Alston. After approximately half a mile we pick up the minor road from Bishop Auckland to Binchester and walk along the riverside to Jocks Bridge. To the right is the wall of Auckland Park Jocks Bridge crosses the River Gaunless which joins the Wear here after a comparatively short journey of about14miles and we here take the path on the right into Hazel Bank Plantation. This was very much Roman country with the fort of Binchester (Vinovia) down to the left after the bend in the Wear and we now cross the line of the old Roman road of Dere Street which extended north all the way to the Forth valley in Scotland.
We have a choice of two routes here depending on ground conditions. We can continue past the west of Lodge Farm to join the Auckland Way near the present day village of Binchester or alternatively we can head uphill due east to join the Auckland Way near to a path leading to Park Head Farm. Auckland Park and Palace is the home of the Bishop of Durham who in times gone by was a very powerful person (hence the Prince Bishops). The Auckland Way railway ran from Spennymoor to Bishop Auckland and was built in two stages. The section from Spennymoor to Byers Green belonged to the Clarence Railway Company and was built to transport coal to Port Clarence on the River Tees in 1841 from where it went to London. Over 40 years later the line was extended to Bishop Auckland by the North Eastern Railway (NER) and this linked Bishop Auckland to the east coast mainline near to Cornforth. The NER became the LNER in 1923 after the grouping when all the countries railways were amalgamated into four companies (LNER,LMS, SR and GWR).
If the route avoiding Bellburn Wood is taken you arrive on the railway next to a cutting and thereby hangs a story. Bishop Lightfoot who was bishop when the line was being constucted insisted that he did not want to see the line passing through the park and therefore the line went through a cutting. The associated bridge was made especially wide so that trees could be planted to hide it.
Heading towards Spennymoor the village of Binchester is passed and at Station Cottages the alternative route is joined. At Old Park a footpath to the left, sometimes overgrown, is taken which goes towards Byers Green and before getting there we go on another path to the right past Hagg Farm to emerge onto Hagg Lane which takes you to Whitworth Hall. This is now a very good hotel with its grounds converted to a Country Park and if time permits a visit to the lake and grounds is worthwhile.
Whitworth Hall was rebuilt following a fire in 1892 and is in the late Georgian style. Its attendant church is in the Early English style and was built in 1850. This was the home of the Shaftoe family who owned a lot of land in both Durham and Northumberland. The most famous Shaftoe is he of silver buckles fame although there is no evidence that he ever went to sea . He did not marry the lady of the song but changed his affections for a wealthier woman who was Lady Feversham of Duncombe near Helmsley. She in later life inherited land at Downham in Wiltshire on the death of her father and the latter part of their lives were spent there where he was the local MP for a “rotten borough”.
It is now a straightforward walk down Whitworth Bank back to the start at Page Bank Bridge.