8.0 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.
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!!
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
left through a set of gates on a track that leads to Low Butterby Farm.
Before you reach the farm, turn sharp right to take a track that leads
through Croxdale Woods to Croxdale Wood House Farm.
Turn left and take the track to High Butterby Farm.
Just past the farm take the footpath marked to Shincliffe Hall.
Where this footpath emerges from the woods, keep to the river bank to
continue to Shincliffe village.
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.