7.6 miles

Explorer Maps 305 (Bishop Auckland)

This walk starts from the centre of Escomb (and its 7th Century Anglo-Saxon Church0 before following the Weardale Way footpath to Witton Park.
The route continues over field footpath from Witton Park to near Witton Castle, before continuing to the village of Witton-le-Wear.
Although the map shows that the Weardale Way runs all the way from Escomb to Witton-le-Wear, past experience showed that this route could be slippery and somewhat hazardous, so it was avoided.
From Witton-le-Wear to return to Escomb was by road to Witton Park, and then the Weardale Way footpath to Escomb,

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.

OS Link

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.

Park by the Church in Escomb. (NZ189301). There is a small walled-in area to the North of the Church which seems to be a car park.
Follow the Weardale Way footpath to Witton Park. Turn right after passing under the railway bridge, and continue along the road until you see a footpath sign for the Weardale Way.
However, at this point you will find a footpath on your left that heads across fields. This footpath is ranched by a scramble up a grassy (and muddy) slope.
Follow this footpath across fields until you come to a farm track.
Turn left and follow the track past East Park Farm>
Turn right and follow the field footpath to emerge at a track that heads Northwards towards Witton-le-Wear,
Follow this track all the way to Witton Bridge.
Cross the bridge and continue along the road to the village of Witton-le-Wear.
From Witton-le-Wear take the road (Low Lane) to Slotburn bridge.
At the road junction turn right and follow the road back to Witton Park (Most of this road has either pavements or verges where you can avoid traffic).