Walks in County Durham

Over the years, our secretary has compiled a list of his - and our - favourite walks. Many of these are described in books or in a regular column in the Northern Echo. These walks are listed in the table below and, under that, is another list showing where we found them.

Location	Route	Length	Start grid reference	Source
Allensford	Shotley Br, Ebchester, Derwent Walk, Burn House	5 miles easy	Allensford Park	NCW3 page 19
Aycliffe Village	Preston le Skerne, How Hills Farm, Lime Lane	8½ miles	The County Hotel, Aycliffe	N Echo 11/6/98
Barnard Castle	Flatts Wood, Cotherstone, Pecknell	7 miles fairly easy, 1 climb	Galgate car park	NCW1 page 85
	Flatts Wood, Cotherstone, Deepdale	10 miles	Galgate Car Park, Barnard Castle	N Echo 12/3/98
	Smart Gill, Nabb Bridge, Lartington, Scur Beck	8 miles	The White Swan, Startforth	N Echo 16/4/98
	Tower Hill, Pecknell	3 miles easy	Scar Top, Barnard Castle	WDC page 22
	Egglestone Abbey, Desmesnes	3 miles easy	Scar Top, Barnard Castle	WDC page 26
	Egglestone Abbey, Whorlton, Winston	8 miles (linear walk)	Barnard Castle NZ 050 165	RVW page 151
Beamish	Coppy Lane, Causey Arch	4 miles	Beamish Picnic Area NZ 205 551	WCD page 48
Bishop Auckland	West Mill, Escomb, Primrose Hill	4 miles easy	Bondgate Car Park	NCW2 page 100
	Bishop-Brandon Walk, Page Bank, Auckland Walk	9 miles moderate muddy	Bondgate Car Park	NCW2 page 98
	Tock's Br, Byers Green Station, Auckland Way	8 miles	Bondgate Car Park, Bishop A.	N Echo 4/3/99
	Castle Park, Vinovia	3½ miles easy	Bishop Auckland Clock Tower	WCD page 38
Blanchland	Baybridge, Gibraltar Rock, Hunstanworth	5 miles moderate	Blanchland car park	NCW3 page 22
Bowes	Gilmonby, God's Br, Sleighthome	7½ miles easy to moderate	Bowes car park NY 996 135	NCW1 page 82
	God's Br, Race Yate, Goldsborough, Levy Pool	12 miles strenuous	Bowes car park	NCW3 page 26
	Craddock's Plantation, The Rigg, Plover Hall	3½ miles	Bowes Car Park	WCD page 46
	Brignall Mill, Greta Bridge	7 miles (linear walk)	Bowes car park NY 991 135	RVW page 61
Bowlees	High Force, Holwick Head Br, Newbiggin	5 miles fairly easy	Bowlees car park NY 907 283	NCW1 page 98
Bowlees	Gibson's Cave, Newbiggin, Wynch Bridge	3 miles easy	Bowlees Picnic Area	WDC page 28
Brandon	Brancepeth, Willington, Park House, Little White Farm	7½ miles	Brawns Den, Dere Park Estate	N Echo 23/7/98
Butterknowle	Diamond Bank, River Gaunless	3 miles easy	Quarry Lane Picnic Site NZ 100 256	WCD page 32
Butterknowle	Potter's Cross, South Side, Diamond Bank	3 miles moderate	Quarry Lane Picnic Site NZ 100 256	WDC page 30
Causey Arch	Coppy, Beamish, railway path, Blue Bell Inn	7 miles easy	Causey Arch picnic area	NCW3 page 9
Causey Arch	Birkhead Cottages, Beamish Hall, Coppy Lane	6½ miles	The Causey Arch Inn	N Echo 2/4/98
Consett	Hownsgill Viaduct, Waskerley Way	12 miles	The Grove Picnic Area NZ 099 494	N Echo 5/2/98
Cow Green	Langdon Beck, Falcon Clints	8 miles moderate/strenuous	Weelhead Sike car park NY 810 309	NCW1 page 100
	Falcon Clints, Widdy Bank Farm, Langdon Beck	7 miles	Weelhead Sike car park NY 810 309	RVW page 146
	Couldron Snout, Maize Beck, High Cup	13 miles linear walk there and back	Weelhead Sike Car Park NY 810 309	RVW page 144
Crook	High Beechburn, Craig Lea, Sunniside, Stanley Beck	11 miles	Crook Car Park	N Echo 12/11/98
Durham City	Houghall, Maiden Castle, Elvet Br, Old Durham	4½ miles easy	Shincliffe Br	NCW1 page 126
	Baxter Wood, Beau Repaire, Club Lane, Flass Vale	5 miles	The Pot and Glass, Neville's X	N Echo 10/12/98
	Durham Peninsula	3 miles easy	Durham Market Place	WCD page 20
Edmundbyers	College, Old Man's Grave, Edmundbyers Common	9 miles moderate	Edmundbyers roadside	NCW1 page 104
Haswell	High Haswell, Haswell Moor Farm, Haswell Lodge	4 miles	The Oddfellows Arms, Haswell	N Echo 6/5/99
Haswell Plough	Haswell, Shotton Colliery	5 miles	The Plough Inn, Haswell Plough	N Echo 22/4/99
Hett	Tudhoe, Sunderland Br, Low Butterby, Annie's Pond	8½ miles	The Hett Arms	N Echo 1/7/99
High Force	Holwick Head Br, Skyer Beck, Holwick, Low Force	7 miles moderate/energetic	High Force Hotel Car Park	NCW3 page 38
Kibblesworth	Ravensworth Forest, Birkheads Incline, Riding Farm	6 miles	The Plough Inn, Kibblesworth	N Echo 19/3/98
Killhope	Allenheads, Cowshill, Low Rush	10 miles strenuous	Killhope Wheel Centre	NCW2 page 105
Lanchester	Railway walk , Hown's Gill, Consett, Park Head	13 miles	The Queen's Head, Lanchester	N Echo 13/5/99
Langdon Beck	High Force, Low Force, Middleton-in-Teesdale	9 miles (linear walk)	Langdon Beck Hotel NY 853 312	RVW page 147
Langley Park	Browney Valley, Lanchester, Black Wood, Langley Hall	10½ miles	The Centurian, Langley Park	N Echo 11/2/99
Langley Park	Witton Gilbert, Fendoune Hill,Beau Repaire	5 miles	The Centurian, Langley Park	N Echo 17/12/98
Littletown	Hallgarth Church, Sherburn, Sherburn Hill	4 miles	The Ramblers' Rest, Littletown	N Echo 15/7/99
	High Haswell, High Moorsley, High Pittington	7½ miles	The Ramblers' Rest, Littletown	N Echo 8/7/99
	Pittington, High Pittington, St Lawrence's Church	3½ miles easy one climb	Ramblers' Arms, Littletown	WCD page 40
Middleton in Teesdale	Bowlees, High Force, Holwick Head Br	10 miles fairly easy to moderate	Centre of M in T	NCW2 page 95
Middleton in Teesdale	Left Bank of Tees, Barnard Castle	11 miles (linear walk)	Middleton in Teesdale NY 947 255	RVW page 149
Middridge	Windlestone Grange, Newton Aycliffe, Moor Lane	6 miles	The Poacher's Pocket, Middridge	N Echo 1/4/99
Penshaw Monument	Offerton, Claxheugh Rock,Fatfield, Mount Pleasant	11 miles easy/moderate	Below Penshaw Monument	NCW3 page 30
Romaldkirk	Eggleston Br, High Shipley, Cotherstone	7 miles fairly easy	Romaldkirk roadside parking	NCW2 page 88
Rowlands Gill	Busty Bank, Bird Hill, clockburn Lonnen, Derwent W	6 miles fairly easy	Derwent Park Rowlands Gill	NCW3 page 24
Salter's Gate	Quarry Wood, Tunstall Reservoir	3.3 miles	Salter's Gate NZ 077 426	WCD page 36
Sherburn	Littletown, Low Haswell, High Moorsley	9 miles moderate	Sherburn roadside	NCW2 page 124
Shincliffe	Shincliffe Hall, High Butterby, Strawberry Lane	3½ miles easy	High Shincliffe Post Office	WCD page 42
Spennymoor	Railway walk to Bishop Auckland	4 miles (linear walk)	Whitworth Rd Car Park	WCD page 60
St John's Chapel	Side Head, Middlehope Burn, Westgate	5 miles moderate, 2 climbs	St John's Chapel market square	NCW2 page 102
	Race Head, Cowshill, Wearhead, Ireshopeburn	7 miles moderate/strenuous	St John's Chapel market place	NCW3 page 7
	Middlehope Burn, Westgate, Rookhope Burn, Stanhope	12 miles (linear walk)	St John's Chapel NY 885 380	RVW page 193
Staindrop	Sudburn Beck, High House, Moor Beck	8 miles	The Royal Oak, Staindrop	N Echo 23/4/98
	Cleatlam, Newsham Hall, High Barford, Sudburn Beck	8½ miles	The Royal Oak, Staindrop	N Echo 26/3/98
	Sudburn Beck, Snotterton Hall, Raby Wood	4 miles	Staindrop Post Office	WCD page 58
	Sudburn Beck, Snotterton Hall, Cleatlam	4 miles	Staindrop Post Office	WCD page 62
	Sudburn Beck, Snotterton Hall	3 miles easy	Staindrop Post Office	WDC page 24
Stanhope	Eastgate, Rookhope, Weatherhill, Crawley Edge	13 miles moderate/strenuous	Stanhope roadside	NCW1 page 106
	Stanhope Dene, Weatherhill Engine, Crawley Edge	8 miles fairly strenuous	Stanhope market place	NCW1 page 95
	Parson Byers, Bollihope Burn, Hill End	8 miles moderate, stiff climbs	Stanhope Market Place	NCW3 page 44
	Parson Byers, Hill End, Bollihope Burn, Wolsingham	7 miles (linear walk)	Stanhope Market Place NY 996 393	RVW page 195
Stillington	Shotton	3½ miles	St John's Church, Stillington	N Echo 14/1/99
Sunderland Bridge	Croxdale Hall, Shincliffe, Strawberry Lane	7 miles fairly easy	Sunderland Bridge NZ 265 377	NCW1 page 123
Sunderland Bridge	Brandon, Page Bank, Valley Burn	11 miles moderate	Sunderland Bridge NZ 265 377	NCW2 page 122
Thoralby	Stake Rd, Addlebrough, Thornton Rust	10½ miles	The George Inn, thoralby	N Echo 30/4/98
Thornton Rust	Addlebrough, Cubeck, Worton	6½ miles	The Institute, thornton Rust	N Echo 9/4/98
Tow Law	Thornley, General's Plantation, Sunniside, East Hedleyhope	9½ miles	The Cattle Mart Inn, Tow Law	N Echo 12/1/98
Whitworth Hall	Burton Beck, Auckland Walk, Hagg Beck	4 miles	Shafto Inn, Whitworth Hall	N Echo 11/3/99
Winston	Gainford, Piercebridge	5 miles (linear walk)	The Bridge, Winston NZ 142 163	RVW page 153
Wolsingham	Frosterley, Elephant trees, Hamsterley Rd	10 miles moderate	Wolsingham market place	NCW1 page 102
	Wolsingham, Tunstall Reservoir	8 miles moderate, steep climbs	Demesne Mill Picnic Area	NCW2 page 86
	Monkfield, Witton-le-Wear, Bedburn Beck	15 miles	Wolsingham Sq NZ 075 373	RVW page 198

Where to find descriptions of the walks

The column Source has a code into it, which refers to where we found the description of the walk, either in a book or in a weekly column in the Northern Echo. The list below explains those codes.

If a book is stocked by Amazon.co.uk, its title will be underlined and you can click on it to go to the Amazon web site to order it. Alternatively, Waterstone's bookshops in Durham and Newcastle have a good stock of local books and 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey maps.

NCW1: North Country Walks Vol 1, by Keith Watson
Published by The Northern Echo in 1989, ISBN 0 9515288 0 7 (no longer available through Amazon)
NCW2: North Country Walks Vol 2, by Keith Watson
Published by The Northern Echo in 1990, ISBN 0 9515288 1 5 (no longer available through Amazon)
NCW3: North Country Walks Vol 3, by Keith Watson
Published by The Northern Echo in 1991, ISBN 0 9515288 4 X
N Echo: Charlie Emett's 7 Days walks column in the Northern Echo on the stated date.
(US readers should note this is in the European dd/mm/yy format.)
RVW: North Country River Valley Walks, by Tony Stevens
Published by Sigma in 1997, ISBN 1 8505848 6 9 (no longer available through Amazon)
WCD: 100 Walks in County Durham, by John Bennington,
Published by Crowood in 1992, ISBN 1 8522352 1 7

Our favourite walks

Where to find descriptions of the walks

Last updated on 8 December 2007 by Roger Cornwell.