The Grey Panthers

7.0 miles

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

A delightful walk, which starts out through Croxdale Woods and continues beside the River Wear to Shincliffe village.
The return is past Houghall Farm and Low Burnhall. In this latter area, the Woodland Trust have created interpretative trails, and have planted new trees.
Although the walk is easy to navigate and there are no special difficulties in it, there is one signoficant factor which MUST be taken into account.
The secion of the walk through Low Burnhall passes beside the River Wear where there was clear evidence that in times of flood the walk would be impassible. THis walk is therefore best undertaken in dry weather.

A map of the route followed has been plotted on the Ordnace Survey mapping website, By selecting the ink below you will be taken to this map, - complete with distances and heights marked on the route.

The route shown is on a standard map. To view the route on an Ordnace Survey map, select the icon in the lower right of the screen. If the route is dispkayed on a 1:50 OS map, zoom in to see the details on a 1:25 OS map.
There is also the option to view the route in a satellite image.

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 then take the signposted footpath along the track to Croxdale Hall. Shortly after crossing a small stream on this track, turn right and continue past Croxdale Hall and the Chapel.
Continue along the track to High Butterby Farm.
Just past the farm take the footpath marked to Shincliffe Hall.
Where this footpath emerges from the woods, continue on the Weardale Way footpath through the woods.
When you enter the village, turn right up the main street, then left to visit the parish church.
From the church, head for the main road (the A177), turn left and cross Shincliffe Bridge.
Over the bridge, turn left and take the farm road to Houghall Farm (this road carries a small amount of traffic, so care needed).
At Houghall Farm, do NOT enter the farm but continue straight ahead along what had once been a railway track bed.
Turn left at the end of this track to take the footpath to Low Burnhall.
Follow the waymarks towards the buildings in Low Burnhall.
Just before the buildings in Low Burnhall, a footpath sign directs you to the path beside the River Wear. However, when the river is in flood, you will have to continue straight ahead through the Garden of a small house. THis path is shown as a footpath, but the owner clearly does not wnat to encourage its use.
Follow the footpath beside the River Wear to the A167, to return to Sunderland Bridge.