Kite goes Exploring, Trip Reports

Late Summer Holiday Adventuring, Part 3 (12 – 14th September)

12th September – Aire & Calder Navigation

Having started with the Aire & Calder Navigation (which runs between Leeds & Goole via Knottingley & Castleford with a branch to Wakefield) over the summer with Leeds to Castlefield, the idea for today was to focus on the section towards Goole. Due to the distance involved between Knottingley & Goole, I decided to split it up at Whitley Bridge station near the large village of Eggborough. Sadly, Whitley Bridge station doesn’t get much in the way of trains (2 trains to Leeds & 1 train to Goole daily) which meant I needed to use the bus from Selby (which was a bit easier to reach than Pontefract).

The day began with the 05:27 from Grateley with 159012 to Clapham Junction, changing onto 701011 to Vauxhall where I made a swift change onto the Victoria line with 11086 & 11085 to King’s Cross St Pancras. After grabbing some supplies from the little Tesco close to the station, I boarded a reasonably busy 801205 on the 07:30 service to Edinburgh for the nonstop run to York before taking 155345 to Selby, giving me a comfortable connection into the Arriva run hourly route 476 service to Pontefract. Not the busiest of buses from Selby as it headed towards Eggborough via Brayton, Burn & Hensall, getting reasonably busy in Eggborough as I departed the bus to begin my walk. I crossed over the railway at Whitley Bridge station and onto an old road bridge, picking up the Aire & Calder Navigation (also known in this area as the Knottingley & Goole Canal) near Templar Close with an unmarked footpath link.

Platforms at Whitley Bridge Station by Kite, on Flickr

As this canal gets used by larger sea going ships (although probably not as much as it used to since the colliers & power stations closed), the canal is reasonably wide with strong sides. No risk of minding gaps due to erosion today. I decided to head towards Castleford with the canal not being the most interesting. The M62 ran to the south which generated a bit of road noise across the fields, with the towpath quality on the south bank (this is a section where there is a dual towpath) was grassy. I reached Sudforth Lane where my guide book & prior research found the towpath beyond this point being unusable due to issues relating with the Kellingley Colliery.

This meant a marked diversion via a bridleway, crossing over the railway on a foot crossing to re-join the canal at Southmoor Lane. I headed to the point where previously it was blocked off with a large fence (Streetview) only to find the fence had vanished, so I did some investigating. I passed the remains of Kellingley Colliery with the coal loading wharf, going underneath the railway and reached the road bridge I was standing on earlier, annoyingly there was no need for that diversion (and seemingly since I did the walk, it seems the Street View images have been updated by someone who tours various canals/rivers taking lots of pictures).

Aire and Calder Navigation near the former Kellingley colliery (4) by Kite, on Flickr

I doubled back towards Kellingley Colliery & Southmoor Lane, continuing along the canal bank heading towards Knottingley. Parts of this path the canal was hiding behind trees. I detoured via the short Bank Doe branch which links the canal with the River Aire (and onwards to the Selby Canal at Chapel Haddlesey via Beal, which is something I will do next year, just to plug a gap in my walking coverage). After doubling back, I returned to the Aire & Calder Navigation in Knottingley, a place I felt a bit uneasy for some reason.

Anyhow I continued along the canal as it skirted around the northern edge of Knottingley, the path sandwiched between the canal & river Aire, reaching Ferrybridge Lock, where the canal section came to an end with the navigation running into the River Aire. Now on the Aire, I crossed over with the historic Ferry Bridge (The Old Great North Road Bridge), going across fields to reach Brotherton, where the river side path detours inland to re-join the riverside near some bodies of water I presume was related to the long-closed power station.

Old Great North Road bridge over the River Aire (Aire and Calder Navigation) in Ferrybridge by Kite, on Flickr

I was back on the footpath alongside the river, although the river was hidden from view with trees, but it was a nice woodland path with a reasonable surface. I headed underneath the A1(M) and the railway at Fairburn Viaduct (which has a walkway bridge alongside it). I soon reached the RSPB Fairburns Ings Nature Reserve with the river a distance memory. The path within the nature reserve gave some nice views of various bays of water, certainly a pleasant place to spend an hour exploring the area.

When I reached the Castleford Viaduct (which used to carry a railway line across it), I was onto an area I explored back in 2022 when I walked from Garforth along said former railway line. This section was along the short Bulholme cut of the Aire & Calder Navigation, with a little detour to the entrance lock but sadly no decent views of the viaduct due to the angle of the sun. The walk along the navigation ended when I reached Barnsdale Road, and a gentle stroll towards the station, detouring via the nearby Aldi to grab some more liquids. The quickest way back to London involved taking 150144 & 158908 to Pontefract Monkhill for a short wait for 180105 to arrive on a Grand Central service to London.

180105 arriving at Pontefract Monkhill Station by Kite, on Flickr

This wasn't the busiest of trains, the front coach only having 3 other passengers in, 2 which left the train at Doncaster. Even at Doncaster it didn't get that busy for the run to London, unusually for a Grand Central service there wasn't any sign of the guard doing a ticket check after Doncaster. Anyhow at London I headed to the underground with the Bakerloo showing severe delays I took 11079/11080 to Vauxhall and 701008 to Waterloo, where after grabbing some dinner items I boarded a very busy 159003 to take me back to Grateley.

A mostly enjoyable walk along the Aire & Calder Navigation, the highlight being the nature reserve area.

13th September – Exploring Nuneaton

Today was originally going to be a restful day with a short walk in London, but I decided to change my mind when I saw that both my remaining active 730s were gettable, and dust off a plan involving Nuneaton. The day began with 159108 & 159015 from Grateley to Andover followed with 159017 to Reading where I had time to grab some supplies before boarding 221108 & 221127 on the 09:15 service to Manchester where the 10-coach voyager would split at Birmingham so the rear unit was a bit quieter than the front. I took this to Lemington Spa (where the train was diverting via Solihull due to an incident between Coventry & Birmingham), changing onto 196002 to take me all the way to Nuneaton where my walk began.

Heading out of the station, I picked up the A444 road crossing over the railway to the south of the station, following the road to pick up a path running alongside the river Anker towards Sandon Park & Weddington Meadows, returning to the roads in a housing development. I followed the roads & a couple of footpaths to reach the route of the former Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway route which ran from Nuneaton towards Ashby. A small part at the Nuneaton end has been turned into a mixed used route which ends on the A5 near Higham on the Hill.

River Anker in Weddington Meadows (Nuneaton) (2) by Kite, on Flickr

This was a nice woodland path, decent surface and when I reached the A5 I did an U-turn to head back towards Nuneaton, passing the point where I joined the route to reach the ending point near the WCML. I picked up a short road which went underneath the WCML and the freight chord from the Hinkley line, and up a footbridge which crossed both routes towards Coleshill (the curve leading into the low numbered platforms at Nuneaton and the track used by XC to cross over the WCML, this area being a maze of railway lines).

The last section of today's walk was via the roads, passing Abbey Green, detouring via Asda for some supplies before making my return to Nuneaton station, which was very busy due to the incident earlier in the day. Winner 730236 rolled in with 730221 on the rear and I easily found a seat towards the back of the train for the run towards Rugby where there was some confusion regarding a possible delay due to the onward driver being late, but after a short pause the train continued and I bailed at Milton Keynes Central where my last active 730 (so excluding the trio which haven't entered service) was due to be on a stopping service to London.

Path along the former Ashby & Nuneaton Joint Railway near Nuneaton (Cycle Route 52) (22) by Kite, on Flickr

Well 730206 did indeed arrive at Milton Keynes, but the return to London was cancelled due to a shortage of train crew, which was a bit annoying as there was a gap in London bound services due to issues elsewhere on the WCML. 390124 was the first train to arrive which was due to continue to London and I took this Pendo to Euston, transferring to the underground with 51619 & 51620 to Waterloo and onto 159006 & 159004 to take me to Andover for a 30-minute fester before 159022 rolled in from Reading to take me the last step to Grateley. I will need to return to Nuneaton to finish my exploring (Riversley Park, Bar Pool Brook) but that could easily be a winter time visit.

14th September – “The Source, 12 Miles”

The idea for today’s walk was to finish the Thames Path, having reached Cricklade on a warm July day, I didn’t want to leave it too long due to the risk of mud on the rural section of the River Thames. The day began with a drive to Salisbury and onto the 06:35 service for Worcester with 165131 for the trip to Swindon (one of the few direct trains to Swindon from Salisbury). Swindon was in a bit of chaos due to an incident at Twyford with both platform 1 & 3 having delayed London trains on. Thankfully the 165 used platform 2 where it got swamped with school kids. I left the station, heading towards the bus station area via Tesco for some supplies (mainly to waste time) and onto a late running Stagecoach run route 51 service (running around 20 minutes late for some unknown reason).

This bus took me to Cricklade where I began my walk from the bus stop in the centre of the town. I followed the road (detouring via a handy toilet block) to reach the Thames Path near the North Wall, crossing across a grassy area to the north of the built-up area. In a farmyard area I crossed over the Thames and entered the North Meadow Nature Reserve, following the route across various fields with the occasional glimpse of the river on my left-hand side. It was nice and peaceful but a bit rough on the legs (for it was a bit bumpy in places). I reached the route of the former Midland railway route which ran from Cricklade towards Cheltenham via Cirencester, part of which is walkable from South Cerney.

Thames Path in Cricklade (4) by Kite, on Flickr

The next short section of the Thames Path ran along the former railway line before heading into the Cleveland Lakes Nature Reserve. This nature reserve was quite pretty with various lakes; some used for water sports others just for fishing. The path quality was quite reasonable in this section as well as I followed the path as it snaked its way via various lakes being careful to follow the correct path (for there were many in this area) before arriving at Ashton Keynes. I followed the path as it ran along a couple of roads to return to the River Thames, picking up a footpath which ran alongside the river.

Well, it did for the first section before the river dried up, leaving the riverbed and the path along the southern edge. It gave me an impression of a disused canal. After crossing the busy B4696 the path headed towards another area full of lakes, the dried-up Thames running between various lakes leading to a very posh looking area (which looking on Google Maps suggests it's full of accommodation options). I reached Somerford Keynes with the path running along a road to reach the Neigh Bridge Lake Nature Reserve, before the path headed away from the lakes and back into fields.

Thames Path between Ashton Keynes & Somerford Keynes (14) by Kite, on Flickr

I followed the Thames Path and the route of the Thames, along the edge of various fields, pausing for some lunch along the way before carrying on heading north towards Ewen. The path in this area being variable quality, some parts were a bit rough and overgrown, others fine. I reached the end of this section alongside the dried-up Thames in Ewen, where the Thames Path detours via the roads close to Kemble. I met up with part of the Thames Path I walked back in 2021 when I did a small loop in the Kemble area. This was a woodland path with the river on my left-hand side, heading towards the A429 where I was back onto new coverage, the route of the river being on my right-hand side, although it was a mere ditch as I crossed fields and the A433 towards Thames Head and the Source Stone.

I saw the stone in the distance, picking up my speed in excitement, grabbing a couple of photographs of the stone (and the writing saying the stone marked the source of the River Thames). This was the end of the Thames Path. I paused for a few moments to rest and enjoying the silence before retracing my steps, detouring a footpath crossing over the railway on a foot crossing and heading to Kemble station via the roads (rather than a bumpy field). I shouldn’t have rushed as the next London train was delayed by 20-odd minutes as a busy 802014 rolled in from Cheltenham to take me towards Reading, changing onto 165112 on the stopping service to Basingstoke. The final train of the day was a busy 159022 (for the 2nd day running!) to Salisbury, where I drove home to get my rucksack sorted ready for my North East adventure.

River Thames Source Stone, Thames Head (End of Thames Path) by Kite, on Flickr

As always, thanks for reading, more photos can be found on my Flickr *here*]. Part 4 will follow when I write it.

Well done on completing the Thames Path good sir, that’s quite the accomplishment!

I reckon you’re getting about as impatient as me for those last 3 730/2s, ready and waiting to pounce as soon as they’re out

You’ve also indirectly reminded me I have a number of canals on my wishlist to complete, indeed the Peak Forest I haven’t even started!

Techniquest said:

Well done on completing the Thames Path good sir, that’s quite the accomplishment!

I reckon you’re getting about as impatient as me for those last 3 730/2s, ready and waiting to pounce as soon as they’re out

You’ve also indirectly reminded me I have a number of canals on my wishlist to complete, indeed the Peak Forest I haven’t even started!

Click to expand...

Mostly a decent surface with easy access at Whalley Bridge/New Mills etc

Late Summer Holiday Adventuring Part 4 – 15th – 18th September – North East

15th September – North East Day 1

For my main trip for the 2nd week of my late summer holiday, I decided on a return to the North East, getting a room in a guesthouse in Whitley Bay for the usual charge. As always, it’s hard to decide what I want to do on the days in the North East as I’ve got so many options, thankfully this trip it wouldn’t be roasting hot so some of the options I paused in August came to mind.

The trip began with my usual 06:57 service to Waterloo (with 158887, 159019 & 159009) for a speedy run into London and a gentle stroll across the city arriving with plenty of time to grab a decent seat on the 09:30 Edinburgh service with 801208. All was going well until the train got caught up with some sort of issue around Newark, losing time so arrival into Newcastle was 32 minutes late (helped out by a voyager blocking the platform until it’s departure time, without that voyager I suspect the delay would have been under 30 minutes, so every little helps).

After picking up my Travel North East £7.50 day ticket (or whatever it was called) I headed to the Metro, jumping onto an airport bound 555030 to the Regent Centre where I managed a tight connection onto an Arriva run route 44 service to the village of Dinnington. This bus headed via North Gosforth and Hazlerigg Village, to pass the end of the runway at Newcastle airport to reach Dinnington where my walk began. I followed the signs to pick up cycle route 10 which was a decent quality path heading east with countryside on both sides, crossing over the A1 and heading towards Seaton Burn in the sunshine.

Cycle Route 10 path between Dinnington & Seaton Burn (6) by Kite, on Flickr

In Seaton Burn I picked up the route of the Seaton Burn Waggonway path, an old railway route built for the era of coal mining. Firstly I headed north towards the end of the path, doubling back on myself to cross over Bridge Street, and towards Wideopen. The path skirting around the side of this village with some nice views on my left hand side, especially of the hill at the Weetslade Country Park. I reached a junction where the Wideopen/Havannah Mineral Railway headed towards the village, passing many modern houses to reach the end before doubling back on myself once more.

After returning to the main Seaton Burn Waggonway path I continued heading east into the Weetslade Country Park, a country park built on a former colliery and making use of a spoil heap to create a manmade hill. It would have felt wrong not to climb the steps to the top of the hill for a decent view of the surrounding countryside. I came down the hill, following a path rather than going via the stairs, as this gave more views of the countryside, even getting a photograph of a passing Azuma. I returned to the Waggonway path heading towards the ECML bridge near the A189 before turning south on the Burradon to Westmoor Waggonway path.

View from Weetslade Hill, Weetslade Country Park (2) by Kite, on Flickr

This path follows the ECML (hidden by trees, but has a random foot crossing) towards the West Moor area, crossing the railway close to the site of the former Killingworth station. I left the old waggonway path and headed towards Killingworth via the rather delightful lake, ending the walk at a bus stop near Southgate school. I could have easily continued to do some more paths in Killingworth & Camperdown to finish at Northumberland Park but I wanted to get checked into my accommodation at a reasonable time. I turned down the first bus for a Go North East operated route 354 for Newcastle which was more direct, as other than a trip via the Quorum Business Park (home of Greggs) it called at Four Lane Ends Metro which was quite helpful to change to 555018 to take me to Monkseaton, where I headed to my accommodation going via Morrisons & Home Bargains to pick up some bottles of water & fizzy pop to keep in the room for the next few days.

I checked into the guest house and returned to the Metro and took 555037 to Gateshead Stadium where I spent half an hour or so with my little deckchair, calling it a night as my hunger levels rose and taking 555016 for the trip back towards Whitley Bay. After detouring via the local Spoons for dinner, I relaxed for the remainder of the evening, looking at options for the Wednesday. A good first day in the North East.

802219 crossing Killingworth Drove (B1505), West Moor by Kite, on Flickr

16th September – Waskerley Way

The Waskerley Way is a path along the route of the disused Weardale Extension of the Stanhope & Tyne Railway running from Consett towards the County Durham Moors and either to Stanhope or Rookhope (the marked path ends near the former Blanchland/Parkhead station high above Stanhope). Originally, I was going to walk from Rookhope towards Consett, but that involves a very steep incline (Boltslaw Incline) and was a bit more awkward to visit owing to more restrictive bus times at Rookhope. So, I decided to reverse the walk to start from Consett to walk up hill towards Blanchland before taking on the Weatherhill & Crawley Inclines downhill.

The day began heading from Whitley Bay towards Monument on 555038, grabbing some supplies for breakfast and making my way to the Eldon Square bus station for a bus to Consett. Annoyingly the bus I was aiming for was a no show so it was onto a Go North East run X70 service to Consett via Sunniside, Burnopfield, Dipton & Leadgate to reach the little bus station in Consett. I made my way via the town centre towards a Morrisons to grab some lunch (and to make use of the toilet). I picked up the cycle path which ran alongside the A692 before heading south west, passed an area of redevelopment (no doubt more housing). This section of the path was technically the "Consett & Sunderland Railway Path" according to my OS Map.

Terris Novalis sculpture alongside the Waskerley Way Railway Path, between Consett & Hownsgill Viaduct (2) by Kite, on Flickr

My walk continued along the tarmac path reaching Lydgett's Junction where the railway path towards Lanchester heads away and I continued towards the rather nice Hownsgill Viaduct. I suspect a viaduct which has seen many tragic events over the years owing to the tall fences on both sides to prevent suicide, even with the fences the view was wonderful. After the viaduct the path continues towards the former Rowley Station (no evidence remains), crossing the A68 and into a little picnic area. I continued along the path with the stunning views opening out and the path climbing towards the moors.

The path turned to head south, still climbing and still with the beautiful views of the countryside mixed with some woodland. Near the former Burnhill station the railway line path runs away from the route of the original railway which has been turned into a nature reserve, heading towards the former junction where the railway would have continued towards Crook and the path follows the Stanhope branch. Still some beautiful views of the countryside on this remote path, although I was glad, I didn't do it back in August as there wasn't much in the way of shelter from the sun.

View from Hownsgill Viaduct on the Waskerley Way Railway Path (Cycle Route 7) (2) by Kite, on Flickr

I reached the former Waskerley station site and a car park before the surface changed from smooth tarmac to a hard surface which was a bit bumpy with the countryside changing to the moors on both sides. Reminds me of Rannoch moor for remoteness, certainly there wasn't many other walkers in this part, only a few cyclists to enjoy the views and the uphill climb. Soon I reached the building of the former Blanchland station, now turned into a café with the railway line path splitting with one arm going to Rookhope & the other towards Stanhope. I was considering Rookhope but the bus connections were a bit rubbish so that is an option for a future walk potentially.

Away from the cycle path, the path quality soon changed to rougher, with some beautiful views of the countryside as I started to drop on a path alongside the B6278 (complete with sheep) as I was coming down the Weatherhill incline. The footpath alongside the road ended near the site of the former Crawley engine as I followed the pavement alongside the road down the Crawley incline (dropping around 450 feet in just over a mile). I reached the end of the walk in Stanhope getting lucky with timings for the hourly bus towards Bishop Auckland as one was due a few minutes after I arrived near the hospital (my backup option was to walk into the town centre alongside the Wear and relax near the Castle). What a stunning walk for the beautiful scenery.

Route of former Stanhope and Tyne Railway line between the former Parkhead Station & Crawleyside (6) by Kite, on Flickr

It was onto a Weardale Travel run route 101 double decker service, the reason for the double decker began clear when it arrived in Wolsingham as a lot of school kids boarded (sadly including at least 5 who were vaping on the bus). I did have the option to bail at Crook for another bus towards Durham but decided to stay on the bus towards Bishop Auckland, leaving it near the railway station where I made a swift connection onto 156483 for the run to Darlington before taking an Aberdeen bound 800112 to Newcastle. A tight connection was made onto 158859 for the run towards Sunderland where due to the football I ran away back to Newcastle on 158815, passing a required 555 on an airport service near Pelaw.

A good thing I checked, as Google Maps was suggesting this unit might not return to the city centre (for it terminated at Regent Centre) so I jumped onto 555001 to Kingston Park, turning down a winner 555 on a South Hylton service for winner 555045 on the Regent Centre terminator. A short wait at Regent Centre and I took 555001 to South Gosforth followed with 555036 to Haymarket where I made use of the station WiFi to upload my photos taken on my walk. A short time later winner 555025 took me to Gateshead Stadium for another short fester before 555026 returned from Sunderland which I took to South Gosforth finishing the day with 555041 to Whitley Bay. Unsurprising I ended up in the Spoons for dinner before relaxing in my room after a very nice day.

555045 at Regent Centre Metro Station by Kite, on Flickr

17th September – Berwick Upon Tweed, The Tyne & Derwenthaugh Park

The idea for today was originally going to be a trip towards Carlisle via bus, making use of the limited-service route 74 from Newcastle to Hexham, connecting onto the route 122 towards Carvoran for a HW1 service to Carlisle. A lazier day compared to the Wednesday, however like most things I changed my mind at short notice. The day began with winner 555023 from Whitley Bay to Central Station where I failed to grab something warm from the Sainsburys for breakfast and made my way towards the bus station at Eldon Square via a handy Tesco for some supplies. I arrived earlier than expected and ended up in the Haymarket bus station where I decided to switch back to an original idea and boarded the Arriva run X18 service to Berwick via Alnwick.

For a long bus route, I decided to turn down the front seats for lack of leg room, instead picked a nice seat near the middle of the top deck, decent leg room and seat comfort on the newer double deckers used on the Arriva network north of Newcastle. Which was a good thing considering this bus route is over 4 hours long! (Yes, I was mad enough to do it in one sitting, rather than the more sensible option to break it at Alnwick).

The bus headed away from Haymarket bus station towards Gosforth being more limited stop along this section, before running nonstop along the A1 towards the Morpeth area. As it was morning rush hour, I was surprised at how busy some of the other Newcastle bound buses were in the Gosforth area, certainly they get well used. After visiting Morpeth bus station, the bus headed towards Pegswood, Widdrington & Acklington before reaching the coast at Amble. The bus continued along the A1068 towards Warkworth and Alnmouth, the cycle route going onto my list for potential walking ideas. After Alnmouth the bus headed towards the town of Alnwick, doubling back towards Hipsburn (the location of Alnmouth station) before going via the coastal route north. Craster, Seahouses & Bamburgh, the bus getting busy along the way but emptied out at Bamburgh where there was an impressive looking castle.

View of the North Sea from a bus stop in Craster by Kite, on Flickr

The bus moved inland, crossing over the ECML near Belford before following the A1 towards Berwick Upon Tweed. The other Newcastle - Berwick bus route (the X15) is more direct as it follows the A1 more. Needless to say, after 4 hours sat down on that bus, I wanted a little stroll so leaving the bus at the railway station I headed towards a path alongside the Tweed via Coronation Park, pausing for a photograph of a train over the viaduct (sadly it was a pair of voyagers, but you can't have everything!). After passing the Royal Tweed Bridge it started to drizzle, as I followed the town walls path before heading back to the station area having just missed a TPE service (which turned out to be a blessing considering that TPE randomly lost time before Berwick & Newcastle and got looped by the LNER service I caught).

800107 from Aberdeen took me the 67 miles to Newcastle station, where I made a tight connection onto 158901 working the Hexham stopper to Blaydon for another walk as I had some unfinished business with the River Tyne in this area. Leaving Blaydon station via the northern exit, with direct access to the Keelman's Way path I headed east towards an industrial area before picking up the riverside path once more, near the A1 bridge. This was quite a pleasant area for woodland & views of the river. I headed underneath the disused Scotswood railway bridge & headed towards the mouth of the River Derwent. I did a little loop of a riverside path on the opposite side of the Derwent, but to be honest that wasn't anything worth shouting about as it was a business park, the river hidden from view by bushes.

A pair of voyagers on the Royal Border Bridge, Berwick Upon Tweed by Kite, on Flickr

I returned to the Derwent to where I walked from Consett earlier in the year, walking on the opposite river bank, towards Axwell Park and the Derwenthaugh Park (or Derwent Walk Country Park). This was a decent path alongside the river, and within the park I did a couple of loops before making my way towards Winlaton Mill, turning down a random extension towards Winlaton itself via the "Black Path" and caught a Go North East run route 47 towards the Metro Centre (the bus continued towards Newcastle, but as there was a train due within a couple of minutes I made a quick connection to jump on 158860 to take me towards Newcastle station (rather than getting caught in rush-hour traffic as this wasn't one of the limited stop bus routes).

Time for a metro hunt, earlier in the day I had spotted 555029 at Whitley Bay, so I headed underground keeping my eyes peeled for any winners, jumping between Monument & Central station a couple of times to waste some time before winner 555024 popped up to take me to West Jesmond, wasting some more time to end up in Felling to ID a South Shields unit which passed me when I was heading north, which turned out to be winner 555029 which was a good way to end the day with the run to Whitley Bay, where once more I ended up in the local Spoons!

555029 at Whitley Bay Metro by Kite, on Flickr

After dinner, I returned to my accommodation for the final night, coming up with my plan for the Friday (changing from my original idea to walk from Benton towards Newcastle city centre via South Gosforth & the Jesmond Dene to something I was considering in August. The River Tyne is now complete within the Tyne & Wear area.

18th September – The Sunny Side of Sunderland

For my final day on Tyneside, I decided to do a walk in the Sunderland area along a couple of disused railway paths. After checking out of the guest house, I headed to Whitley Bay Metro and onto 555041 to West Jesmond where I made a quick dash to the nearby Sainsburys Local to grab some breakfast items before taking 555020 for the long run towards Pallion, where I remembered to touch out with my Pop PAYG card to benefit from the £2.50 flat fare when using PAYG (rather than £6 odd for a paper single).

Leaving Pallion metro on the south, I soon picked up the route of the Painshaw branch of the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway towards the Millfield area, going via some roads before picking up the Hetton Colliery Railway. This had signposts for the Stephenson Trail which is something I need to research. Anyhow I followed the signposted path heading south towards the Silksworth Sports Complex, built on the former Silksworth colliery and featuring a nice lake. The former railway route continued south but I decided that could be a job for another day as it heads towards Hetton.

Lake within the Silksworth Sports Complex, Sunderland (2) by Kite, on Flickr

After doing a loop around the lakes within Silksworth Sports Complex, I picked up a cycle path heading towards the route of the former Silksworth Colliery Railway towards the former Ryhope Colliery, meeting up with where I walked to earlier in the year (when walking from Seaham). My original idea was to catch a bus towards Sunderland city centre, but I had plenty of time so after leaving the old railway near a boxing club, I followed some roads to head underneath the A1018 & railway to reach the coast picking up the Coastal Path.

This path was high above some cliffs, giving some nice views of seemingly isolated beaches as I headed north towards the Hendon area of the city, dropping down onto the Hendon beach promenade, heading towards an industrial area. I followed some roads to reach Mowbray Park, doing a little explore before reaching Sunderland station. After grabbing lunch from Tesco I headed to the platforms (a place the sun doesn't shine) and onto 180112 on the 12:30-odd departure to London, grabbing a seat in the unreserved seating area at the southern end of the train for the run via the Durham coast & ECML to London, the train getting busy at York (not helped with various LNER cancellations due to issues north of Newcastle).

Hendon Beach, Sunderland (5) by Kite, on Flickr

At London, I headed to St Pancras and onto 700122 to London Bridge, swiftly followed with 376012 & 376022 to Waterloo East and onto a short formed 16:50 service formed of 159002. Not as bad as expected for crowding due to being a Friday. This sprinter took me home where my North Eastern adventure concluded. As always thanks for reading, more photos can be found *Here*. The last part (5) will be posted when I write it, hopefully at some point over the course of the weekend as my catch up continues. Funny how this trip ended up being nearly what I was planning to do in August (Waskerley Way, Berwick Bus & Sunderland) before changing my plans due to the hot weather.

I struggle to put up with Hereford to Gloucester on Route 33, which is less than half the journey time of that Newcastle to Berwick bus you did. Quite how you coped with that I have no idea!

Some amazing views there and definitely looks like some walking I’d enjoy too. Maybe one day I’ll get there to sample the area myself I’ll definitely be making my way to the Whitley Bay area again, it’s nice up there and I was meant to go this year. Alas, it didn’t happen but next year!