6.5 miles
Explorer Map No 304, - Darlington and Richmond
A perfect walk for a day when there is a good weather
and conditions are good underfoot. Because this walk is largely beside
the River Tees, then in bad weather in the winter the route is liable
to be very wet underfoot.
The half-way point of the walk is a spot upstream of the bridge over
the River Tees at Winston, which makes for an ideal picnic spot.
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 centre of Gainford, on the village Green. (NY17023
16793).
Walk Southwards by the Green to the church of St. Mary. Passing through
the churchyard there is a footpath down to the river.
Continue in a South Westerly direction beside the river on this footpath.
The footpath continues North Westwards beside the river (NOT shown on
the OS map) to emerge at a track.
Cross the track and continue on the permissive footpath (again, NOT shown
o the OS map) until you reach the A67 main road.
Turn left to take the footpath down to the spa fountain, then ascend back
to the A67.
Continue Westwards on the footpath beside the A67 until you come to the
old railway track, running Southwards, at NZ156 175.
Walk a short distance along this track until you come to the West Tees
bridge.
Descend on the steps to the footpath beside the River Tees.
Follow this footpath until it rises to a point close to the A67.
Leave the footpath and walk along the road (initially a lay-by) until
you come to the footpath (hidden in a hedge) on your left.
Follow the footpath to the Church of St. Andrew.
From the church, descend by the steps and footpath to rejoin the Teesdale
Way footpath.
Follow the Teesdale Way to Winston Bridge, and cross the bridge.
Take the footpath beside the river for a couple of hundred yards.
Now return the way you came, but instead of ascending to the Church of
St. Andrew simply stick to the Teesdale Way.