COUNTY DURHAM RAMBLES - TOW LAW TO DURHAM
The route from Tow Law to Durham came about as part of my never ending quest to walk every public right of way in County Durham. Living as I do close to Bishop Auckland I realised I could catch the number 1 Arriva bus from Bishop to Tow Law, walk the 12/13 miles to Durham and get the bus back. On closer inspection of the map I saw a route which ran West to East via Low West House, East Hedley Hope and Stanley Hall Farm to the Deerness Valley Railway Path. It would then be a matter of following the former railway track bed via Waterhouses, Esh Winning and Ushaw Moor to Broom park where I would follow the Lanchester Valley Railway path north for a short distance before turning right and making my way via a combination of public footpaths and public roads to Durham bus station.
One of my earliest memories of Tow Law was witnessing the surreal sight of a pair of motorbike handle bars and wing mirrors sticking up from a snow drift. If my memory serves me right this was on Castle Bank and was caused by a combination of the natural fall of snow and the council snow plough that had piled the snow up along the roadside and buried the bike which wasn't as surprising as it might seem given that Tow Law is over a 1000 ft above sea level. As an added bonus this meant that the majority of the walk was downhill.
Arriving in Tow Law, which occupies an exposed location on the eastern flanks of the Pennine Hills I was greeted by an inhospitable freezing fog complimented by a dusting of snow. To say it was cold was an understatement and I could have sworn the statue on top of the war memorial shivered as I took a photo. Not that the cold bothered me as I was thoroughly looking forward to getting out into the Durham Countryside, no matter what the weather did.
The route which is covered on the OS Explorer maps no's 305 and 308 started by following the High Street north up hill for approx 0.4 of a mile before making a right turn onto the B6301 which I then followed for a hundred yards or so before turning right onto a bridleway known as Pink Lane which took me to Low West House.
Tow Law in the freezing fog above, not the most welcoming of sights, but at the same time it's bad days like this which make the good days in the summer all the better. Pink Lane below, which was followed from Tow Law to Low West House Farm.
Tow Law and the surrounding area were heavily involved in the coal mining industry and if I'd walked this way a hundred years or so I would have found myself walking past the likes of Hedleyhope and Sunniside collieries which once employed hundreds of men. All gone now, with little to show for an industry that was a way of life for so many in the North East of England. Unfortunately owing to the freezing mist there wasn't much to see at all on this stage of the walk.
From Low West House the route continues heading East toward East Hedleyhope where it meets a public road which is followed for a matter of a few yards before a right turn is made onto another public footpath which follows a farm track up the side of Stanley Hill to Stanley Hall Farm. This is the only ascent of any note climbing some 280ft in half a mile. The one mile from Low West House to the public road at The Valley was the only muddy section on the whole of the walk with parts of it being churned up by agricultural vehicles. Mercifully the ground was semi frozen and this wasn't as bad as it could have been. It was on this section that I came across the one and only awkward gate which was both fastened up and in danger of collapsing if climbed upon. Luckily there was a low section of fence close by which allowed me to pass with relative ease.
The track east of Low West house above, and the dodgy gate below.
Once through the dodgy gate the path passes through some woodland which I would imagine will be quit pleasant during the winter. As can be seen in the above picture it was a bit of a quagmire on the day. I also got my first view of the River Dearness which had hitherto been shrouded in thick fog.
East Hedleyhope with the right turn onto the farm track which climbs Stanley Hill to Stanley Hall Farm above, and the track itself below, climbing back into the freezing fog.
A friendly horse who came to see who the idiot was out walking on such a foul day above, and the open nature of the fields between Stanley Hall farm and the Deerness Railway Path, below.
Turning left onto the Deerness Railway path it was simply a matter of following the repurposed railway track bed for 5.8 miles to Broompark. This was easy going with a good, clean walking surface and as you would expect with a former railway little in the way of ups and downs. There is a small picnic area adjacent to the Russel Road crossing, which made a welcome stop for a snack and drink of tea.
Railway bridge abutments with some interesting stonework above, and another glimpse of the River Deerness below. The railway was built primarily to transport minerals such as coal from the likes of Hedley Hill and Waterhouses Collieries. There were some passenger services, but these only operated between Durham and Waterhouses and not the full extent of the line.
The picnic area at Waterhouses above and Waterhouses Station as it was in 1958 - photo credit Walter Dendy/Wikepedia.
_station,1958_(geograph_5070616).jpg)
The Deerness railway path between Waterhouses and Broompark above and below (4 pics).
The latter part of the route from Broompark picnic area to the bus station on North Road is as follows:-
- Follow the Deerness Rail Path East for a short distance.
- Bear left onto the Lanchester Valley Railway Path.
- Continue for approx half a mile and turn right onto bridleway through farm yard.
- Continue on bridleway over the river Browney to Toll House Road.
- Turn right on Toll House Road to junction with A167.
- Turn left for a short distance to footbridge. Cross the A167 on footbridge and turn right to head south for short distance.
- Turn left onto Redhills Lane for half a mile.
- Continue Flass street for short distance.
- Turn right Sutton Street
- Turn left on A690 and cross road to Bus Station.
The start of the Lanchester Valley Railway path which passes through Baxter Wood and a Heron in what looked to be a purpose built wetland area next to the path below.
Having turned right off the Lanchester Valley Path the bridleway passes through a farmyard, above, before continuing via a tarmacked road over the River Browney, below.
The above picture depicts the featureless field that in 1346 was the site of the Battle of Neville's cross where a numerically inferior English force of 700 men under Sir Ralph Neville defeated an of 12,000 Scots led by King David the 2nd. The battle took it's name from both Sir Ralph Neville and a Saxon cross which adorned a low lying hill where the Scottish army made their stand.
The footbridge across the A167 above which was the steepest climb of the day and descending Red Hills lane below.
Flass Street with the impressive one hundred foot high, eleven arch Durham railway viaduct below. Once under the viaduct it was just a matter of crossing the busy A690 to the bus station and the end of the walk.
Conclusion
I would say this was the right walk for the conditions of the day in that with the exception of the boggy track to the East of Low West House I was walking on farm tracks or former railway track beds. Even the farmland I encountered between Stanley Hall Farm and the Deerness Valley Railway Path was firm under foot. Owing to the dreary nature of the weather I didn't get to see much of a view, but I still enjoyed the walk and would do it again, only maybe next time in the summer travelling "uphill" from East To West. Total cost for the bus journeys was less than £5 which was without doubt value for money.
Total distance (as per my exercise tracker) 12.98 miles. Elevation (as per my OS App) +569ft/-1456ft
Comments
Post a Comment