This
short section was covered by two even shorter walks a couple of months apart: a
circular route from Hurworth to Croft and back; and a brisk there and back from
Hurworth to Neasham. Together they would give a six mile figure of eight.
***
Parking
by the Village Green in Hurworth I head for the Spar shop, turn the corner,
cross the road and follow the footpath sign down a ginnel, or back passage,
behind the terraced houses. This becomes a track then a path behind first The
Grange then a modern housing estate, before crossing over the railway. The path
continues across a field to meet the A167 just north of Croft.
Turning
left it is just a short step to the familiar bridge over the Tees at Croft, but
the Teesdale Way now leads left following the road up the hill to Hurworth
Place. After about 50 yards, immediately after re-crossing the railway (at
Railway Terrace appropriately enough) a stile on the right leads down to a path
alongside the railway lines, where it’s quiet on the sunken path, until an
inter-city 125 roars past.
Soon
the path turns sharp left into the Rockcliffe Estate, passing the swish
Middlesbrough FC training complex and the even swisher Rockcliffe Hall Hotel
and Golf Club, before emerging into field paths. Away to the left are the Hurworth
School grounds and the view to the right soon opens up to reveal, across the
farmland and fairways, the winding river and distant hills.
The
field path ends at a stile leading out onto a lane, and turning left the
village approaches. However before it is reached another stile on the right
leads into a field; the way out is not immediately obvious, but at the bottom
left hand corner the exit stile is located which gives entry into a sunken lane.
This rises gently to emerge back at the Village Green, completing an easy 3 mile stroll, on a cool but bright
December day, in just about the hour.
***
Two months
earlier, following a dental appointment at Hurworth, and the day being fine, I take
the opportunity to knock off that portion of the Teesdale Way Path from there
to Neasham, which follows the road rather than the river.
Hurworth’s
Green is wide with mature trees, with leaves just on the autumn turn, and is
fringed with distinctive detached properties, becoming more higgledy piggledy
and terraced beyond the solid looking Norman church.
Leaving the
village at The Otter and Fish, the mile to Neasham is straight and level with
the river somewhere to the right and farmland to the left, flat enough to give
a glimpse in the distance of the Darlington Arena, erstwhile ruinous home of
Darlington FC and now, bizarrely, owned by the amateur rugby union club Mowden
Park. Newbus Grange adds interest to the right before entering Neasham at the
new flood defence works, impressive in scale and hopefully in effectiveness.
The route
goes right, as signed, along the flood defence wall to immediately reveal the
Tees, wide and majestic, with today a solitary swan, white against the brown
peaty water. The raised path along the grassy embankment gives a fine aspect
along the river, and also into the back gardens of the ‘Des. Res.’ that make up
the South side of Neasham village. One of the properties is the Fox and Hounds
pub whose “winter hours” preclude a midday pint despite the sunshine and warmth
of this October day.
After half a
mile the path descends into Sockburn Lane, which today is my turning point,
returning through the village and back along the road to Hurworth. Here the Bay
Horse is open for winter business and it seems only right to reward such
enterprise by purchasing a glass of excellently maintained Jennings draught
Cumberland Ale.
