The Grey Panthers

This walk is basically very straightforward, over well made and well marked tracks. Although there are some ascents and descents, none of them should pose any difficulty.
The biggest attraction of the walk is the delightful woodland found in Chopwell Woods. The trees are mainly Beech, Sycamore and Oak, with a sprinkling of Pines.
However, although there are plenty of easy to use tracks, we managed to lose our way on several occasions!
With so many tracks, it is quite easy to wander off course, and it was only the fact that we had a sat nav that enabled us to keep on track.
The route shown on the overlay, below, is the one that we actually followed, - courtesy of the sat nav.

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 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 web site, - just use QUO!!

Park in the car park at Derwent Park in Rowlands Gill (NZ169 585).
Walk Southwards down the B6314 and where this road meets Stirling Lane (about 200 yards down) you will find the start of the Derwent Walk, - an old railway track bed.
Follow the Derwent Walk for about 1.5 miles, until you come to a footpath on your right at NZ154 570.
Descend down this footpath to Lintzford Mill. Cross the main road and take the track, almost opposite but to the left, that takes you to Chopwell Woods.
Fairly soon after entering the woodland, there is a track on your right that is waymarked with the "Red Kite Trail" sign. Follow this track until you come to a junction of tracks opposite a small settlement.
Now take the right most track that leads you to this settlement.
Continue on the track past the settlement until you come to the minor road that leads to Hooker Gate and High Spen.
Continue up this road to St. Patrick's Church, where there are some great view od the Derwent Valley from the churchyard.
Retrace your steps to the settlement and back into Chopwell Woods.
When you come to the first main track junction, take the right track to the Car Park.
Cross over the Car Park and take the track northwards until you come to the disused railway track bed.
Here turn left and follow the track bed. almost to the edge of the woods, where you turn left to head Southwards down Forestry tracks.
South of Carr House, the gate that lead to the track to Armondside is closed with a notice saying that since September 2014 the way ahead has been closed to Public Access and directions are given to an alternative route.
Close to this point is another footpath that eventually takes you East along Forestry tracks to where you first entered Chopwell Woods.
Now retrace your steps back to Rowlands Gill.