The Grey Panthers
25 April, -Sunderland Bridge & Shincliffe
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10.2 miles

Explorer Maps 305 (Bishop Auckland) and 308 (Durham and Sunderland)

A delightful walk which takes in a mixture of farmland and woodland, but using easy tracks and footpaths, in a part of County Durham that is surprisingly rustic.
Navigation is fairly straightforward, though it helps to use the 1 : 25000 scale OS map on the odd occasion.
In Shincliffe Woods there are one or two fairly steep climbs, but these have been made easier by the use of steps.
The walk is suitable for any time of year, but in wet weather some of the paths may become a bit muddy.

Memory Map
For a Memory Map overlay of the walk described, please select the above link.
(Overlay made with Version 5 of Memory Map)

Some new mapping software is now availabe 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 Point : The old road bridge over the River Wear outside the village of Sunderland Bridge. (NZ44628 22725).
Park in the road to the West of the bridge.
Cross the bridge and head for the A167. Cross the A167 and walk down the main street of the village, past the parish church.
About 200 byards down the street, a footpath sign points you Southwards towards the railway line.
Just before the bridge over the railway, turn left down the clearly indicated footpath to follow the railway until you come to Hett Lane. Turn right, and after a short distance take the footpath on your left across a field following the plantation edge.
When you come to a gate, cross the Croxdale beck by the bridge. A short distance up the lane, take the steps up a bank (on your right) into a field. Then follow the edge of the field by the woodland on the South Side.
Continue on the footpath into Tursdale Wood, and continue Eastwards to Hett Mill.
Now turn left and follow the lane Northwards all the way to Shincliffe.
At the end of Strawberry Lane, cross the busy A177 and head downhill to Shincliffe village.
As an "optional extra" continue to Shincliffe Bridge. On the South side of the bridge is a footpath beside the River Wear to the footbridge the other side (by the Durham University Sports Ground). Now follow the path back to Shincliffe Bridge.
In Shincliffe vilage head South along Hall Lane.
Where the lane meets Shincliffe Woods, go through the pedestrian gate and follow the footpath beside the River Wear to re-enter Shincliffe Woods. Continue on the clear track when you exit the woods to High Butterby Farm, Croxdale Wood House, Croxdale Hall, and back to Sunderland Bridge.