The Great Northern Coalfield once provided the raw fuel that powered Britain through the Industrial Revolution. For over two centuries, coal from the mines of Durham and Northumberland was trundled down a maze of wagonways and rail lines to the coast to then be shipped to London.
The mines are long gone, but eight miles north of Durham city, relics of the north-east’s industrial heritage can be found hidden amid ancient woodland and a steep-sided gorge.
I’m familiar with parts of this area from childhood walks and teenage escapades, but my eight mile circular route connects key historical sites and finishes at a pub with links back to the Napoleonic wars.
My journey into the past begins at Eden Place, a picnic area near the village of Beamish on the site of an old terrace of miners’ houses. I set off along a disused railway path, which until 1985 was a busy line linking the Consett steelworks with Sunderland. It is also part of the Irish Sea to North SeaC2C cycle routeso, in search of a bit of solitude, I transfer to a parallel track through the malevolent-sounding Hellhole woods. In fact, they are a delight as I stroll through patch after patch of pungent wild garlic in full flower.
After wending its way across fields and a couple of roads, the route arrives atTanfield Railway– which claims to be the world’s oldest railway. Built in 1725 by the Grand Allies, an association of colliery-owning families, as a horse-drawn wagonway to carry coal from inland pits to the Tyne, it later became a rail line. Since it closed in 1964, enthusiasts have brought a three-mile section back to life, and vintage steam trains now shuttle visitors between East Tanfield station, where I am, and Marley Hill.
The station houses a tearoom, while an engine shed displays old maps that show just how rail lines used to vein the area. It’s tempting to break off from my route and take the six-mile round trip by train to Marley Hill, but I’m keen to see the most dramatic part of the walk.
A path from the car park, signposted to Causey Arch, leads into woods, and I’m soon walking along the top of a steep-sided gorge. Woodland has covered this area for centuries, and as I look down at the stream below in the gloom, it feels ridiculously remote – until the spell is broken by the hoot of a locomotive chugging along the other side of the gorge.
About half an hour after leaving Tanfield, a huge bridge across the dene (valley) comes into view. This isCausey Arch, which a noticeboard proudly announces is the oldest surviving single-arch railway bridge in the world. In 1725, the Grand Allies commissioned local stonemason Ralph Wood to span the ravine. He turned to Roman technology for his design and, when the original wooden bridge fell apart, it was rebuilt in stone. But local legend has it that, fearing a second collapse, Wood committed suicide by throwing himself off the top of his construction. After restoration in the 1980s, the bridge is still standing nearly 300 years later.
I walk across the top to join a few other hikers inspecting an old wagon on display, before heading down a steep path to the bottom of the gorge. Here, a footbridge gives the best view of the perfect arch, framed by the trees as it rises majestically 24 metres above the burn.
As I carry on walking, I begin to hear shouting; then a wall of rain-stained, yellow sandstone comes into view. This is CauseyQuarry, a popular rock-climbing spot and the place where I learned the basics of rope work many years ago. I do a short traverse above the muddy ground for old times’ sake, shuddering slightly as I remember the rock antics of my youth.
Steps up a huge wooded artificial embankment lead to a much-needed stop at Poppy Coffee Pot cafe in the Causey car park. Fortified with cake, I continue along a bridleway, part of the 80-mileTyne and Wear Heritage Way, before heading along a track called Coppy Lane and into open countryside. This eventually turns downhill, and before long the roof tiles ofBeamish Hallappear, for centuries home to the local landowners.
Starting life as a fortified farmhouse in the 13th century, the current hall was built in the 1800s, and previous occupants include the family of former prime minister Anthony Eden. It is now a hotel and, as I stroll up for a closer look, its manicured lawns offer a welcome break from the rough tracks in the woods (doubles from £92). The old stables now house both a restaurant and The Coach House Cafe, which offers afternoon tea, but I feel a little too grubby to sit down to dainty cakes and sandwiches, and so continue on my route.
This now clings to Beamish burn (stream), and as I turn towards a hill I begin to hear a babble of voices, then the rattle and ding of a bell as a tram moves across the skyline. I hadn’t realised I was quite so close toBeamish open-air museum, a huge 140-hectare (350-acre) site dedicated to the preservation of life in the north-east, which was last week crownedArt Fund museum of the year.
With only the occasional dog walker for company, it is hard to imagine that in the early 1800s this area was a hive of industrial activity, boasting a paper mill and iron forges, one of which had the reputation of “casting the finest muzzle-loading cannon in England”. Soon after passing Flint mill, I enter Ousbrough Wood, a site of nature conservation importance comprising ancient trees and a conifer plantation that at one time provided pit props for the mines.
There are myriad paths through the oak and silver birch, and I occasionally take a wrong turn, retracing my steps to get back on to the heritage way route. There’s some steep uphill walking, but eventually the path deposits me on a country road. I turn left and, after passing a row of almshouses built in 1863, I arrive at the pub.
TheShepherd & Shepherdessdates from the 18th century, getting its name from two life-size painted lead figures above the original door. The story goes that these date from the Napoleonic wars, when a French blockade on lead meant these metal figures were smuggled into Britain as “works of art”, to be melted down for weaponry. These two were saved by a squire at Beamish Hall, eventually ending up at the pub.
Whatever the tale, they make a nice historical touch to this fine hostelry, complete with an open fire in the winter and a menu of sturdy pub fare. This includes lasagne, sea bass and fish and chips, as well as good vegetarian and gluten-free options. My eye, though, is drawn to the local delicacy of corned beef and potato pie served with greens, chips and gravy. Accompanied by a pint of the pub’s own cask ale, this is the perfect post-walk sustenance in Beamish country.