County Durham Rambles - A 5 mile ramble from Langley Park

Owing to various health conditions which I don't want to bore anyone with I haven't been able to walk much  for the last ten months, and this was the 1st time I'd managed to walk more than a couple of miles since May of last year. If I'm being honest that's all I expected to do when I put Bramble and Daisy (aka the chaos twins) into the back of the car and headed for Langley Park. The original  plan being to walk a short out and back route along the  Lanchester Valley Railway Path toward Bearpark only for some reason fortune smiled and I managed to walk a figure of eight route via Beaurepaire, Saint Michaels and all Angels church near Witton Hall and Hill Top

The car park is off the old station yard which is only accessible by travelling East along Wallnook Lane from Front Street Langley Park, Wallnook lane is (as I found out) closed where it crosses the River Browney.

The Lanchester Valley Railway Path as it's name suggests follows the track bed of the railway line which ran between the east coast main line at Durham and Consett where it supplied the steel works with Iron Ore. It was also used to transport coal from collieries such as the one at Langley Park. The railway was opened on the 1st of September 1862 and closed a hundred and four years later in 1966. Being a lifelong rail enthusiast I often wonder what those people who worked on the railways when they were in their prime would think if they came back and saw the state of them now.

Walking eastwards along the railway track bed I encountered a couple of old bridges one of which still had it's makers plate on it (see below) which stated that the bridge, or at least the iron work for it, was fabricated by Close and Company of Sunderland in 1875, which is interesting as the railway first opened in 1862. On further investigation it appears that the railway was  originally just a single line and was doubled at a later date which may account for this. Sadly I couldn't find anything relating to Close and Company.

The railway path passing through a pleasant agricultural back drop, above.

It was when I reached the point where the railway path met the path leading down to the River Browney near the ruins of Beaurepaire Priory that for unfathomable reason my knee wasn't killing me like it had for the last 10 months, and whilst it may have been as flexible as a rusty farm gate the pain level was greatly reduced. After a little deliberation I decided that rather than turn around and walk back the way I'd come I would put a little loop in and follow the River Browney up to St Michael and All Angels church at Witton Gilbert after which I would descend back to the railway path. I did think about visiting the remains of Beaurepaire Priory which is accessed via an old stile on the eastern side of the River Browney Bridge, but owing to the slippery nature of the muddy path leading up to it decided not to push my luck. I would mention however, that if I'd travelled this way either on, or just before the 17th of October 1346 I would have encountered a Scottish army of some 12,000 men who, under their King David the second, had plundered and pillaged their way through a a large swathe of northern England prior to being defeated at the battle of Neville's Cross, which will be the theme for my next outing.

Instead of visiting Beaurepaire I took the path via a much newer stile which followed the banks of the River Browney toward Witton Gilbert.

The track leading down to the River Browney -above. The remains of Beaurepaire Priory is on the high ground just left of the centre of the picture. The new stile which leads on to the public footpath which follows the River Browney toward Witton Gilbert - below.

The path is well used, and easy to follow and surprisingly given the amount of rain we'd had, not as muddy as it could have been, Daisy and Bramble certainly enjoyed this part of the walk.

The Browney is a tributary of the River Wear which was heavily polluted in the industrial past, there was no signs of that today as we were treated to the sight of a Kingfisher flashing by. 

After following the Browney for approx. three quarters of a mile the path makes a right turn into a wooded area and instead follows the banks of the Dene Burn. Emerging from the woods it bears right toward St Michaels and All Angels Church, where, if you look at the OS map it looks as if you can travel either clockwise, or anti clock wise around the church yard to join up with the footpath that leads past the sewage works back to the River Browney. Should you find yourself in this position take the anti clockwise option keeping the church yard on your left shoulder, not only is it easier it also gives you a better view of the church.

The wide path/track with the church yard on the left - above and a view of the church entrance - below. The route followed the public footpath sign keeping the church yard on my left shoulder. I did take a better picture of the church, unfortunately it came out blurred. The Church it's self had, a warm, friendly look about it which was maybe down to the sign saying come on in everyone welcome, which if I didn't have two nutcase dogs with me I may very well have done.

The path leading down to the footbridge across the Browney, and the bridge itself.

Once I crossed the bridge I turned left I followed the path for a short distance until I reached a fork where I took the shorter right hand option which took me back to the right hand path where once again I had the option of either following the track bed back to the cap park or going straight across up the side of a hill to the aptly named Hill Top before dropping back down to Langley Park. My knee still wasn't hurting so in the belief that I might not get another chance at a half decent walk I opted for the latter.

Having made the decision I soon found myself climbing up a well used path across an open field which although it was uphill was easily manageable even if it did make me cough and bark in a similar manner to the steam engines that once pulled the heavy trains of coal and iron ore up and down the valley. After crossing the first field the path continued next to the field boundary until it reached a T junction with a well used farm track where I turned right toward Esh Hill Top Farm. Total distance from the railway path to the T junction was 0.6 miles with an elevation gain of 227 feet. This was the only real hill on the route.

The path climbing up across the open field - above, and following the field boundary -below.

The path, or route, follows the farm track down to Esh Hill Top Farm where it passes between the end of a farm building (barn) and the telecommunications mast before reaching a staggered cross roads where it goes straight across (1 o'clockish) and drops down the hill back to the car park and the end of the walk.

Heading down toward Esh Hill Top Farm above and passing between the farm building and telecommunications mast below. This is actually looking back the way and the mast was actually on my right as I headed back to Langley Park.

Dropping down the lane back to the car park at Langley Park, above and below.

Conclusion

 This is a nice, fairly gentle 5 mile  ramble through some pleasant countryside with Beaurepaire priory, Saint Michaels and All Angels and the railway itself adding some historical interest. I could well imagine doing this walk again on a summers evening, or maybe combine it with a picnic on the banks of the River Browney.

Notes for dog walkers

There was plenty of water in the drainage ditches beside the railway path or in the River Browney, although in summer the river might be the only source.

There are dog bins at the car park at Langley Park (on the western side of the old station yard heading toward Lanchester) and near the entrance to Saint Michaels and All Angels Church.