9.6 miles.

Outdoor Leisure Map No 308 - Durham and Sunderland

This is a "four seasons" walk, which can be made at any time of the year.
There are no problems with finding your way around, and providing you have a good map and a sense of direction it is an easy route to follow.
In wet weather the footpath can be somewhat muddy near the river, but this is the only difficulty you should face.

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For a Memory Map overlay of the walk described, please select the above link.
(Overlay made with Version 4 of Memory Map)

Some new mapping software is now available which you may want to try, - QUO mapping. You can download the software for free from the link below, complete with demonstration maps. Having installed QUO, you can import and export Memory Map overlays. Thus YOU DON'T NEED Memory Map to use any of the overlays provided on the Grey Panthers website, - just use QUO!!

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Start from the car park beneath Penshaw Monument, just off the A183 road (NZ3357654290). Climb up to the Penshaw Monument for a superb view of the surrounding area.
Take the footpath that runs North East from the monument towards Offerton, continuing along the road to Offerton (CARE needed where the footpath meets the road at a right-angle bend).
In Offerton, follow the track downhill to the River Wear, and turn right along the footpath once you reach the river.
Follow the footpath beside the river to pass under the A19 viaduct.
On the other side of the viaduct, a track leads up to the A19, where you turn right to cross the viaduct on the footway.
On the North sode of the viaduct, steps lead down to the footpath which first passes under the viaduct then continues all the way to Fatfield, - past the Waterfowl Centre and Cox Green.
Cross the River Wear by the road bridge at Fatfield, then turn left and follow the footpath back to Cox Green.
Just before the village of Cox Green, the footpath back to Penshaw Monument is clearly signposted.