Lower Teesdale Way - Leg II: Winston to Piercebridge – Friday 27 September 2013

Parking at Piercebridge, from near the remains of the Roman fort I boarded the 12.28 bus to Winston village, a short ride followed by an even shorter stroll down to the river, enabling the Teesdale Way path to be engaged at about 12.45.

This section of the path soon moves pleasantly through woodland, interrupted once by a lush reed bed crossed by a wooden causeway, and deserted apart from a single fisherman whose worried look indicated that he could be lacking a permit. After about half an hour a stylish bench, complete with walking stick rack, beckons from the bank, and it’s a good spot to spend 15 minutes eating a sandwich and watching the wide river flow slowly past.

Five minutes up the bank an old but solid looking viaduct crosses high above and I’m re-routed up to its disused railway line and away from the river to the A67. A half mile up the road a sign directs me back down to the river bank, initially in the wrong direction but, at the foot of the hill, a hairpin switches me back to an easterly direction. After a pleasant few hundred yards the path once more rises up to the A67 for the final stretch into Gainford.

Turning right off the trunk road, down Low Road, brings the old village into view. Past a grey gabled old pile with the stump of a windmill in the garden, is the old coach house covered in a red climber (Virginia creeper?) and then a wide green opens out fringed with a combination of large manor houses and smaller cottages, only four modern town houses detract from the timelessness of the spot.

Leaving Gainford it’s back on the A67 for five minutes before the path forks right and heads back towards the river, initially constrained by fences then over four stiles and under a small stone arch to emerge as a well-established route some 30 feet above the riverbank to the right and with rolling farmland to the left.

And that’s the way it stays for a couple of miles as Piercebridge is slowly approached. The path slowly drops to river level and on the left some variation from sheep, cows and crops is provided by the unusual sight of a field of free range chickens.

Emerging into Piercebridge through a wall at the imposing bridge, the best option is to walk over it to the George Hotel where good beer is available and an outdoor area on the riverbank offers a fine view of the bridge majestically crossing the Tees (just upstream from where the Romans took Dere Street across a couple of thousand years ago).

A pleasant two hour, five mile, stroll with the main points of interest being Gainford village and Piercebridge.

Lower Teesdale Way - Leg I: Barnard Castle to Winston – Thursday 24 October 2013

Parking the car in sunshine in Winston village I was in good time to catch the 11.34 number 75 bus, alighting ten minutes later in Barnard Castle. A fine drizzle is evident and by the time I’ve strolled along Market Place, down The Bank and left into Grey Lane, leading into some parkland with benches and play equipment, I have to stop to slip on a waterproof jacket.

From here the path along the river bank is evident and passes through a few fields before rising up a bank to emerge onto a minor road just before Abbey Bridge. Here the planned route, based on the OS map, goes over the river by the road bridge before continuing along the south bank; however the waymark posts take me immediately across the road, over a wall stile and into another field path that quickly dives into trees. By the time it becomes clear that this isn’t a traffic free route to the actual bridge I am the best part of a mile on (still following waymarks) and presumably following an alternative, north bank path. At least the rain has become so light that the drops literally dry on the waterproof as fast as they land.

This route is along the narrow strip between river and farmland, so densely wooded that the river, close as it is, can be heard but not often seen. Towards the end of this ‘Tees Bank’ plantation the path exits and goes north east through a couple of fields, via wobbly stepping stones across a stream feeding a drinking trough; at this point the lightest of showers produces the faintest of rainbows.

Soon the wooded riverbank is regained, just opposite the romantically named ‘Joining of the Waters’ where the River Greta joins from the south. Mainly the path squeezes between the steep wooded bank on the right and farmland on the left; the flat route broken only by steep steps down to cross a water-falling stream coming from East Shaws, then back up more steps to return to the familiar terrain.

Eventually the path emerges in Whorlton, where I take advantage of the shelter of trees and the support of a wall to stop for a quick packed lunch, treated also to a double rainbow over to the north. This turns out to be the last hurrah for the showers and a bright afternoon begins to develop.

Refreshed I head down the hill, via steps, to the splendid Whorlton Suspension Bridge; just a single track of wooden planks and an information board giving the history and the tariffs. No need to cross the bridge however as the path continues on the north bank from 50 yards up the road just as it switchbacks up to the village.

The path is for once right on the river bank, a bit worryingly for a while as the Tees is running quite high, but soon the way turns in and up, heading the wrong way for a short climb before emerging from a the wooded bank onto the familiar easterly trek along the farmland edge. A brief interlude of field paths cuts across one river loop at Dubock Pool, before diving back into woodland, then out again to gain height on a farm track opposite Ovington.

Here a slight overshoot creates concern but retracing a few yards reveals a waymark to the right into Holme Wood. After a detour around some new lodges the river bank is regained, once more with trees to the right and fields on the left. By now the sun is low down casting long shadows in front of me, but just as it drops below the Pennines in the west I emerge at Winston Bridge and five minutes later am back in the village chucking my dirty boots into the back of the car.

The seven and a half miles have taken about 3 hours and 40 minutes, with stops for lunch, map reading and admiring bridges. The terrain was undemanding; the route well marked in the main and the landscape pleasant if a bit repetitive.