Contact Marianne on 07557119497 or marianne.patterson@ramblers.org.uk for more information

1 hours 6 minutes | 2.2miles 3.5km | Easy

ID: 0.688 | Developed by: Marianne Patterson | Checked by: Filomena Solan | www.getwalking.org/walk-durham-in-2012

This is a fairly easy circular walk that is mostly on the C2C National Cycle Network. Take care on roads and on footpaths that may be muddy. It heads towards Kyo, birthplace of North East Olympian Jack Potts.

Starts at

Plainsman Pub Front Street Annfield Plain Co Durham DH9 7SY

Ends at

Plainsman Pub Front Street Annfield Plain Co Durham DH9 7SY

Route instructions

1. Leave the Plainsman Pub car park, turn right and walk straight ahead to join a rough public footpath. The pub will be behind you. Continue up this footpath which is part of the C2C national cycle network.

2. When you reach stone wall structures and the path forks, take the left hand fork and stay on this footpath. When you reach a National Cycle Network sign and the path forks take the right hand fork.

3. Turn right when you reach Kyo Lane and walk up the road. Take care of traffic

Jack Potts from Kyo ran the 10,000m for Great Britain in the 1936 Berlin Olympics in front of Adolf Hitler, finishing in 7th place. He was the son of a miner and started running during the 1926 General Strike when races were organised for prizes of boxes of food.

4. Turn right when you reach The Ox Inn and walk up the footpath on the right hand side of the road. You will pass Oxhill Youth Club and Ely Terrace on your right.

Oxhill Youth Club is 50 years old this year and offers a wide range of activities including basketball, bowls, badminton, cricket, dodgeball, football, gymnastics, hockey, kurling, netball and table tennis.

5. Turn right into North Terrace at the end of Ely Terrace and join a rough footpath that has allotments to the left and woodland to the right. Stay on this track as it bears left then right between the fields.

6.Turn left onto another rough footpath keeping the fence on your left. Stay on this footpath through the trees and take care as it may be muddy. Continue on this footpath until it re-joins the C2C path. Bear left and head back towards Annfield Plain.

7. When you reach the stone wall structure and the path forks take the right hand fork and stay on this path back to the Plainsman.

54 minutes | 1.8miles 3.0km | Easy Access

ID: 0.686 | Developed by: Marianne Patterson | Checked by: Filomena Solan | www.getwalking.org/walk-durham-in-2012

This is an easy circular walk that passes Chester-le-Street Amateur Rowing Club, Durham County Cricket Club and Riverside Sports Complex. It is wheelchair and pushchair friendly and there are toilets and refreshments in the nearby Riverside Park.

Starts at

Chester-le-Street Amateur Rowing Club Riverside Chester-le-Street Co Durham DH3 3DR

Ends at

Chester-le-Street Amateur Rowing Club Riverside Chester-le-Street Co Durham DH3 3DR

Route instructions

1. Start the walk at Chester-le-Street Amateur Rowing Club. Turn right onto the riverside footpath. The boat house will be on your right and the River Wear will be on your left.

The club was founded in 1888. A downturn followed its heyday in the 1950s but Bob Heywood revived the club in the 1980s. It now boasts junior, senior and veteran teams and a world champion. Victoria Bryant rowed in the under 23s ladies 8 in the World Championships.

2. Walk along the riverside footpath and pass Durham County Cricket Club on your right. You will then pass the Riverside Sports Complex on your right which includes football pitches, rugby pitches, tennis courts and an athletics track.

As the youngest County in the County Championship, Durham’s brace of title wins in the space of 20 years is an impressive feat. Since they were added to the senior ranks in 1992, the County has won the Friends Provident Trophy at Lord’s and back-to-back titles in 2008 & 2009. Home-grown talents such as Paul Collingwood, Graham Onions and Steve Harmison even represented the England side at the Riverside venue, which held its first International Test with the visit of Zimbabwe in 2003, and has since hosted Bangladesh and the West Indies. The County will also stage an Ashes test against Australia in 2013.

The sports complex is home to many clubs and organisations including Chester-le-Street Athletic Club, Chester-le-Street Rugby Club and Durham Area Disability Leisure Group, the Gateway Wheelers and a wide range of junior (boys & girls) football clubs. The facility has hosted many prestigious sporting events including the World Veteran’s Athletic Championships, the Nike UK Cross Country Races and the Nike Premier League Under 16 Soccer Tournament.

3. Continue on the same path as it bends round with the river and a wildlife area to your right. At the end of the wildlife area you will have houses to your right and the river will bend away from the path to the left.

4. 50m after the river bends away from the path turn right onto a footpath between two houses to enter a housing estate. Turn left onto Bradman Drive and continue along this road until it bears right and Durham County Cricket Club will be in front of you.

5. Turn left and stay on the footpath on the left hand side of the road with Durham County Cricket Club to your right.

6. At the round a bout cross over the road and stay on the footpath as it bears left to return to the car park next to Chester-le-Street Amateur Rowing Club.

27 minutes | 0.9miles 1.5km | Easy Access

ID: 0.645 | Developed by: Marianne Patterson | Checked by: Filomena Solan | www.ramblersroutes.org

This is an easy circular walk taking in the hidden sporting gems of Annfield Plain, including the bowling green and the tennis courts. The walk is suitable for robust pushchairs. Take care crossing roads and on uneven footpaths.

Starts at

Plainsman Pub Front Street Annfield Plain DH9 7SY

Ends at

Plainsman Pub Front Street Annfield Plain DH9 7SY

Route instructions

1. Start at the Plainsman Pub . Turn right onto a side road keeping the pub behind you and take the first left onto a public footpath (robust pushchairs could be pushed through the gap by the fence post). Continue up a rough footpath passing a field on your right and houses on your left.

2. As the tarmac path bends round a stone wall turn right as the path forks and continue on this tarmac path. You will pass allotments on your left and then a row of terraced houses. Continue on the footpath passing Annfield Plain Junior School on your right.

3. Turn left when you reach Front Street and cross the road at the pedestrian refuge. Go straight onto the footpath to the left of Tesco signed C2C Consett. Stay on the path with Tesco on your right.

4. Bear left with the path and exit through a gap in the wall. You will then arrive at the tennis courts and bowling green of Annfield Plain Park which was built in 1920 by the miners in the area and stands as a testament to the hard work and community spirit of the region. There is a bowls club, tennis courts, football pitch with changing rooms, children’s play area, games area, sensory garden, picnic tables, and car park. Tennis coaching and play ranger activities are carried out in school holidays by Leisure Works.

5. Turn left and join St Aiden’s Crescent. The houses will be on your right.

6. At the end of the houses turn left through a gap in the wall and turn right to re-join Front Street. Cross over Front Street at the pedestrian refuge and turn left. You will pass Annfield Plain Junior School on your right.

7. Bear right when you reach the round a bout and continue back up Front Street to the Plainsman Pub.

Additional ‘Point of Interest’ information

A) Annfield Plain Park Bowling Green – The Bowling Club was formed in 1926 and has had many success, being winners of the N.W. Durham district county Finals in 1948 for the rink, triples, pairs and singles.

The President’s Match was held in 1964, 1965, 1967 and 1970. The Shimmeld Bowls has been won 11 times by the club.

B) Annfield Plain Park Tennis Courts – The original layout consisted of seven tennis courts, due to subsidence in 1935 some of the courts were abandoned and their usage changed to ornamental gardens.

As football became more popular some of the tennis courts have changed to become football fields.

1 hours 30 minutes | 3.0miles 4.9km | Easy Access

ID: 0.680 | Developed by: Marianne Patterson | Checked by: Filomena Solan | www.ramblersroutes.org

This is an easy 5000m walk that takes in Chester-le-Street Amateur Rowing Club, Durham County Cricket Club, Riverside Sports Complex and Riverside Park. It is pushchair and wheelchair friendly and there are refreshments and toilets in the park.

Starts at

Chester-le-Street Amateur Rowing Club Riverside Chester-le-Street Co. Durham DH3 3DR

Ends at

Chester-le-Street Amateur Rowing Club Riverside Chester-le-Street Co. Durham DH3 3DR

Route instructions

1. Start the walk at Chester-le-Street Amateur Rowing Club. Turn right onto the riverside footpath. The boat house will be on your right and the River Wear will be on your left.

The club was founded in 1888. A downturn followed its heyday in the 1950s but Bob Heywood revived the club in the 1980s. It now boasts junior, senior and veteran teams and a world champion. Victoria Bryant rowed in the under 23s ladies 8 in the World Championships.

2. Walk along the riverside footpath and pass Durham County Cricket Club on your right. You will then pass the Riverside Sports Complex on your right which includes football pitches, tennis courts and an athletics track.

As the youngest County in the County Championship, Durham’s brace of title wins in the space of 20 years is an impressive feat. Since they were added to the senior ranks in 1992, the County has won the Friends Provident Trophy at Lord’s and back-to-back titles in 2008 & 2009. Home-grown talents such as Paul Collingwood, Graham Onions and Steve Harmison even represented the England side at the Riverside venue, which held its first International Test with the visit of Zimbabwe in 2003, and has since hosted Bangladesh and the West Indies. The County will also stage an Ashes test against Australia in 2013.

3. Continue on the same path as it bends round with the river and a wildlife area to your right. At the end of the wildlife area you will have houses to your right and the river will bend away from the path to the left.

4. 50m after the river bends away from the path turn right onto a footpath between two houses to enter a housing estate. Turn left onto Bradman Drive and continue along this road until it bears right and Durham County Cricket Club will be in front of you.

5. Turn left and stay on the footpath on the left hand side of the road with Durham County Cricket Club to your right.

6. Turn left at a blue sign for Riverside Park opposite Bannatyne’s Health Club and walk between two car parks.

7. Turn right at the next blue sign for Riverside Park and walk under the underpass into the park. Walk straight ahead towards the play area and bear left towards the Park Centre where toilets and refreshments are usually available.

8. Stay on the uppermost riverside path and pass the bowling green and Riverside Gardens on your left. Chester-le-Street Golf Club is over the river to your right. As the footpath forks take the right hand fork and walk straight ahead with Riverside Wildlife Area on your left.

9. Turn right when you reach Cong Burn and follow the stream till it joins the River Wear.

10. Turn right at the blue metal footbridge and walk along the riverside path with the river on your left. Take care passing the swans. Pushchairs and wheelchairs can take the higher path at this point to avoid the sand. Stay on this path passing the fishing platforms on your left and the outdoor gym on your right.

11. Walk beneath the underpass and back to Chester-le-Street Amateur Rowing Club.

1 hours 24 minutes | 2.8miles 4.5km | Leisurely

ID: 0.643 | Developed by: Filomena Solan | www.getwalking.org/walk-durham-in-2012

This is a circular walk leading through the old railway walking lines of the area before returning via woodland. Some steep areas, not suitable for wheelchairs.

Starts at

Meadowfield Sports Centre, John Street North Meadowfield, Durham, County Durham DH7 8RS

Route instructions

1] Leave Meadowfield Sports Centre and turn left towards the car park. Once in the car park turn left and head towards the skate park.

[2] Walk past the football pitch and the skate park and go through the grassy cut towards the green metal fence surrounding Brandon Cricket Pitch.

[3] Once you have reached the path in front of the green fence you should turn right and follow the path around past the Cricket Ground on your left. Turn right when you reach the ‘Brandon to Bishop Auckland’ walking line and continue walking along the line until you reach the main road.

[4] When you reach the main road you should cross over and continue following the ‘Brandon to Bishop Auckland’ walkway.

[5] At the next road you once again cross over and continue following the line. So far along the line the path goes steeply downhill!

[6] You will shortly cross a small bridge across ‘Deerness River’. Keep walking on the lightly coloured gravel ignoring the ‘Brandon to Bishop Auckland’ walking line situated on your right.

[7] Keep walking climbing steadily uphill and when you reach the posts/fence with the cycle route signposts you should turn left and follow a well used public footpath. On your right you right you will see lovely picnic area with car parking.

[8] You should continue along the footpath for some time before turning left up some steps just after an old railway bridge above you.

[9] Once you have climbed the steps you should turn left and then turn right to continue on the footpath ,the railway bridge will be located directly behind you.

[10] Keep walking downhill on footpath. Please be aware of the steepness of the steps on this footpath whilst walking downhill.

[11] At the bottom of the hill you will once again need to cross over ‘Deerness River’ over a bridge. Follow the footpath with a corn field to the left of you.

[12] After the corn field you should bear right and walk until you reach the road. Once you have reached the road you should cross over towards a small pavement and turn right to follow the road for a short while.

[13] So far along this road you should take the footpath to the left following the public footpath sign.

[14] Walk on this footpath towards the woods, when the path seems to fork you should take the path heading directly through the woods.

[15] Follow the well used path through the woods and when you come to a crossroads within the woods you should keep going forwards. When you reach the fence you should bear right. At the next t-junction in the woods you should turn right and head towards the houses.

[16] Once you reach the houses you should leave the public footpath and turn left then head forwards towards the main road. Once you reach the main road you should cross over and head past Brandon Cricket Club and back onto Meadowfield Playing Field.

Additional ‘Point of Interest’ information

A) Meadowfield Sports Centre field is home to many activities, such as being the training pitch to the Durham Tigers rugby league side! The site is also home to annual sporting events and steam rallies.

34 minutes | 1.1miles 1.8km | Easy Access

ID: 0.672 | Developed by: Filomena Solan | www.getwalking.org/walk-durham-in-2012

This is a short 1500m walk leading from Meadowfield Sports Centre and heading down towards Meadowfield Front Street before returning to the sports field via the old railway walking line.

Starts at

Meadowfield Sports Centre, John Street North Meadowfield, Durham, County Durham DH7 8RS

Route instructions

[1] Leave Meadowfield Sports Centre and walk towards the main road. At the path turn left and walk with the main road on your right.

[2] Walk past St Patrick’s Catholic Church and Primary School which will be situated on your right.

[3] You should also walk past a Lidl Supermarket which will also be on your right. Keep walking for a short while further and when you are opposite Lloyds TSB turn left and walk past Tesco Car Park then cross over St Cuthbert’s Walk road and continue walking on Black Road.

[4] At the end of the road bear left past the ‘give way’ sign opposite ‘Whitwell Villas’.

[5] Keep walking and when you get to the red post box on your left you should cross over the road to your right in order to stay on a pavement. Be careful of traffic on this road.

[6] Keep walking in the same direction and you will need to cross over the road to your left again at the ‘40’ sign.

[7] Once you have crossed over the road you should head into the woods on to the ‘Brandon – Bishop Auckland’ line and keep walking up a slight incline.

[8] The line will shortly bear left past the cricket ground with a green metalled fence to your right.

[9] Follow the path around to the right and then just before the skate park turn left down the field back towards Meadowfield Sports Centre.

Additional ‘Point of Interest’ information

A) Meadowfield Sports Centre field is home to many activities, such as being the training pitch to the Durham Tigers rugby league side! The site is also home to annual sporting events and steam rallies.

ID: 169.2 | Developed by: Filomena Solan | Checked by: Filomena Solan | www.getwalking.org

This Walk leads through Meadowfield Industrial Estate incorporating the railway track before heading back via the golf course road.

Starts at

Meadowfield Sports Centre, Durham, DH7 8RS

Route instructions

[1] Leave Meadowfield Sports Centre and walk forwards taking the path to the left and heading towards the road.

[2] Cut over the small strip of grass between the path and the road and cross over the road heading onto St Johns Road. Be Careful, this road can get rather busy!

[3] Walk on St Johns Road with the road to the right hand side of you. Follow the path as it follows the road crossing over any minor roads as you come to them.

[4] Keep walking to pass ‘Kingfisher House’ on your right and pass St John’s Ambulance building on your left. You should turn left down the road following the path as it bears left just before the ‘BuyTiles.com showroom’ sign onto Oakway Court.

[5] Walk past the ‘Oakway Court’ sign and then cross over to your right and turn right onto the public footpath just after the 30mph sign walking past ‘Taps Plumbing and Heating Supplies’

[6] Follow the footpath around as it bears left then right following the perimeter fence, follow the path as it bears left crossing over the railway bridge.

[7] Immediately after the bridge turn left onto the public footpath up incline and join the golf club road. Keep walking forwards with the train track on your left. Be careful as there is no pavement to walk on!

[8] When the golf club road ends just past ‘Envirotyre’ join the next road and then cross over to join the pavement on the right hand side. The road should be to the left of you.

[9] Keep going past ‘North East Granite Ltd’, you are now on Rosebay Road. Follow the path as it bears left over the Railway Bridge and keep walking up the path crossing over the road to your left at ‘Arbor Timber’ building.

[10] Walk to the main road and follow the path as it bears left with the main road to your right.

[11] Walk past St Patricks School and when you get the St Patricks Church on your left you should cross the road to your right and turn left to walk back up to Meadowfield Sports Centre.

Additional ‘Point of Interest’ information

A) Meadowfield Sports Centre field is home to many activities, such as being the training pitch to the Durham Tigers rugby league side! The site is also home to annual sporting events and steam rallies.

ID: 169.1 | Developed by: Filomena Solan | Checked by: Filomena Solan | www.getwalking.org

This is a circular walk starting at Meadowfield Sports Centre leading down Meadowfield Front Street and up a section of Black Road before returning to the sports centre via the Brandon-Bishop Auckland line.

Starts at

Meadowfield Sports Centre, Durham, DH7 8RS

Route instructions

[1] Leave Meadowfield Sports Centre and walk towards the main road. At the path turn left and walk with the main road on your right.

[2] Walk past St Patricks Catholic Church and Primary School which will be situated on your right.

[3] You should also walk past a Lidl Supermarket which will also be on your right. Keep walking for a short while further and when you are opposite Lloyds TSB turn left and walk past Tesco Car Park then cross over St Cuthbert’s Walk road and continue walking on Black Road.

[4] At the end of the road bear left past the ‘give way’ sign opposite ‘Whitwell Villas’.

[5] Keep walking and when you get to the red post box on your left you should cross over the road to your right in order to stay on a pavement. Be careful of traffic on this road.

[6] Keep walking in the same direction and you will need to cross over the road to your left again at the ‘40’ sign.

[7] Once you have crossed over the road you should head into the woods on to the ‘Brandon – Bishop Auckland’ line and keep walking up a slight incline.

[8] The line will shortly bear left past the cricket ground with a green metalled fence to your right.

[9] Follow the path around to the right and then just before the skate park turn left down the field back towards the sports centre.

ID: 0.195 | Developed by: Jason Woodruff | Checked by: Filomena Solan | www.getwalking.org

A circular walk through the Crookhall suburb of Consett.

Route instructions

[1] This walk begins at Citizens’ House in Consett.

When facing Citizens’ House take the combined cycle and footpath to the right hand side that passes along the edge of the medical centre car park.

The path here is wide and clear but do keep a look out for cyclists who share this space.

[2] At the end of this short path turn right and cross the A692 using the pedestrian footbridge. Turn right and then left and pass to the side of the end of the terraced houses until the coast to coast (C2C) National Cycle Network route 7 is reached (A).

[3] Turn left and follow the C2C. At this point the path follows to the left hand side of an extensive area of playing fields.

[4] At the top end of the playing fields the C2C path enters a small wood. Leave the C2C path at this point and walk back along the south side of the playing fields.

[5] After a short distance there is gap in the wood on the left hand side. A path drops downhill through this gap in the woods towards the visible terraces of Crookhall.

For a history of Crookhall browse the website of the Crookhall Foundation http://www.thecrookhallfoundation.org.uk/index.html

[6] Passing the auto bodyshop on the left hand side enter onto Main Street and turn left.

[7] Take the first right into South Street. Walk the length of South Street and onto the open ground beyond. Follow the track that curves around to the right and leads onto First Street.

[8] Head down First Street until a signposted footpath to Iveston is reached at the corner of a disused hard tennis court. Take the footpath.

[9] At the junction of footpaths that is shortly reached turn right as if walking around the perimeter of the fenced cricket / sports field on your right hand side.

[10] Follow this footpath to the housing estate visible ahead.

[11] When a road is reached (Iveston Road) keep walking in the same direction until the junction with Castledene Road is reached. Turn right and follow Castledene Road uphill.

[12] At the junction of Castledene Road and Gloucester Road, opposite the pet shop, turn right.

[13] After a short distance cross Castledene Road and take the footpath immediately after the block of garages. Head uphill towards the Tesco supermarket.

[14] Pass the Tesco store on your left hand side and follow the path onto Delves Lane. Cross Delves Lane, turn right and walk to the pedestrian footbridge across the A692 that is visible.

A mine, known variously as Saint Pit, Latterday Saint Pit and Delves Colliery (C), was sunk in 1847. It produced good-quality coking coal, as well as good-quality fire clay; these products were used in nearby works. By 1894 at the latest, a line of coking ovens had been constructed next to the colliery. The mine closed in 1913. The site was cleared and a new colliery, known variously as Victory Pit and Crookhall Victory pit [B], was sunk in 1921. This mine continued in production until 1963. After that date most of the colliery buildings and infrastructure were cleared.

[15] Use the footbridge to cross the A692 and return to Citizens’ House using the crossing point with the mid-carriage island to once again cross Delves Lane.