The Grey Panthers

The walk starts and finishes in Seaham, in the small car park by the War Memorial.
The outward leg follows the footpath along the coast, Northwards, almost to St. Mary;s Church.
Here there is a footpath that takes you Westwards to join the Railway Walkway that takes you into Ryhope.
From Ryhope you return to Seaham along the England Coast Path that runs along the cliff tops.
Navigation is straightforward and there are few gradients.

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 a small car park that overlooks Seaham Harbour (NZ430 496).
Walk Northwards along the road, and then the cliff top path. Descend to the promenade which runs under the cliff.
Follow this promenade to the point where it ends, and ascend to where there is a car park with a sculpture and information boards.
JUst past the car park follow the road to Church Lane and walk to St. Mary's Church.
Opposite the church entrance is a footpath which runs to the South of Seaton Hall.
Where a footpath branches of the main footpath, on the right, take this path. This takes you to a footpath beside the road (Lord Byron's Walk). After crossing the railway line, a footpath on your right follows the road to emerge at a road junction controlled by traffic lights.
Cross over the road at this point and turn right.
After about 150 yards there is a footpath on your left. This takes you through an industrial estate and through a pair of tunnels under the Seaton-Ryhope Road.
This brings you to the railway walkway. Turn right and continue all the Ryhope and the remains of Ryhope Station.
Now take the waymarked ECP footpath along the cliff top.
At Ryhope Dene, the footpath heads inland to wards the main road, and then returns to the cliff top.
Walk along the top of the cliff to where the path turns inland towards Ryhope.
Turn right on the road and walk a short distance to the Village Green (where there is a War Memorial).
From the Village Green walk Eastwards across the Green, then turn right for a few yards on the road.
On your left is a road that passes under the railway line.
Having passed under the railway, turn right to climb up to the cliff top footpath.
Now follow this path (the England Coast Path) all the way back to Seaham.