Steven's Blog: Weardale Way: Roker to C-L-S

Distance: 14.6 miles
Time: 5 hours

The route shown above it what I walked today (click it to see a readable size), the GPS said it was 14.6 miles although I'm not sure how accurate that is I think it was probably slightly more. The GPS lost the signal quite a lot of times in woods and by the river bank (due to trees and bank side) when this happens it draws a straight line from the last signal to where it got a signal again. So it may well be up to a mile more but I will go with what it actually recorded.

I suppose I should describe the route a bit. I never found the monument that was supposed to be at the start, I'm guessing it was slightly further up the sea front but I walked as far as it seemed I could go. This kind of sums up the Sunderland side of the walk, it isn't marked at all. There are no signs what so ever and it could probably do with them when it's a built up area.

The first 5 miles were a little boring and I was pleased to get into countryside and away from the roads. My main memory of the Sunderland part of the walk was of rubbish and graffiti which is unfortunate. They do seem to be trying to tidy the area up and there are lots of new developments.

Just over 4 miles in I started walking along the wrong path, it was the correct path according to the map which still shows a dismantled railway line. This is incorrect the Metro line runs along it and I had to back track to walk under it. My written instruction were correct but I was following the map. Once I walked under the A19, the path became a lot more scenic and tidier.

I'm not going to describe the entire route or I will be here all night. After walking next to the golf course and Cox Green the path changed and there were lots of coloured routes as part of James Steel Park Fitness trails. It looked like a nice area to run in if I lived near there. I was looking for somewhere to sit to eat my dinner, I looked at a map on a notice board and it showed a picnic area just before the Victoria Viaduct I never found it, all I could see was bushes and I wasn't going to clamber through them. I kept walking until I got to Mount Pleasant lake where I sat and ate my sandwiches and drank some tea. When I turned up 2 groups of people suddenly started packing their fishing gear up which was strange. One of them must of been there all night, they had a tent and tons of gear. After 10 minutes I set off again.

I then walked along towards Penshaw Bridge and it was a really nice place or at least I really liked the street straight after the bridge. On the opposite bank to this street were 3 pubs with the Lambton Worm hill straight behind. There just a nice feel about the straight :-)

Next the path meets the Washington Highway and to me this was the worst part of the whole route. The path runs parallel to the road for just under half a mile but I was pleased when the path turned right away from the road and past Biddick Hall not that you can see it for trees. Somewhere around here the path must enter County Durham because suddenly signs appear marked Weardale Way and the path is then well marked and maintained.

Once past Bournemoor and the edge of Fencehouses the rest of the path is nearly all woods which all look very similar except for a short walk along the road to Castle Dene. It was very muddy in Lumley Park wood. It was nice to reach the golf course and I knew I was nearly at the finish for the day.

I had rang my parents to pick me up when I was walking towards Castle Dene, so when I got to the car park my parents were there waiting. I was pleased to be at the finish, it was my first walk since November, my legs were starting to tell me so!