The Grey Panthers
7 July 2010, - Seaham Harbour & Hawthorn Dene


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11.1 miles

Explorer Map 308, - Durham & Sunderland.

A walk for any time of the year, which is basically very straightforward and provides a varity of walking over well-defined paths.
BUT.......
The walk described involved following a footpath directly through Hawthorn Dene. This footpath was very faint in parts, and followed steep and overgrown parts of the Dene. You should only follow this path if you are confident in your abilities.
Otherwise, follow the clearly defined paths that are available, and the walk affords a very pleasant day out.


Memory Map
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!!

Quo logo


Start from the car park in Seaham that overlooks the Harbour (NZ43020 49665).
Head South along the road that runs past the Harbour until you comes to the track (that leaves the main road) and leads to Noses Point.
At Noses Point there is a low stone shelter that overlooks the coastline, and nearby are various interpretative boards.
Continue along the clearly defined path until you come to a brick bridge that crosses the main railway line.
After crossing the railway line, follow the footpath that is beside the line until you are beside another railway crossing. (At a stile).
Here turn right, and then shortly afterwards take the Path South into Hawthorn Dene.
Cross the Hawthorn Burn by the footbridge then follow the well marked and easy to follow footpath up to the Trig Point on Beacon Hill.
From Beacon Hill take the track to Easington Lea Farm.
Just past the farm entrance, there is a footpath across a field that takes you to a grassy track that heads West.
Follow this track all the way to the B1432 Sunderland road.
Turn right and follow the road (pavement all the way) to Hawthorn village,
In the village, head down the main street past the Church to a small grassy area with a bench.
Retrace your steps down the main street, and at the end turn left.
Taje the well marked footpath South Eastwards to Hawthorne Dene.
When you enter the Dene, follow the path (down steps) into the Dene where you cross the Hawthorn Beck via a footbridge.
You initially ascend out of the Dene, but towards the top of the bank there is a faint footpath that continues through the Dene itself. This footpath is very faint in parts, and takesa lot of concentration to follow over rough ground.
Eventually, the footpath leads you to a clearing by some Beech trees, where you descend to cross the Hawthorn Beck by a well used path. This path then joins a very well used and clear track which takes you back to the mouth of the Dene near the railway viaduct.
Here, retrace your steps back to Seaham.


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