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Low Pittington and High Moorsley - County Durham

Difficulty Leisurely

Walking time 2 hours 01 minutes

Length 6.6km / 4.1mi

Route developer: Roger Carpenter

Route checker: Stephen Edwards

Start location Blacksmith's Arms, Low Pittington, Durham
Route Summary A pleasant rural walk around Pittington with fine views through an area with a mining past.
*move mouse over graph to see points on route
Getting there

By bus: Go North East bus services 260 and 265 serve Low Pittington from Durham City. (no service on Sundays or Public Holidays)

Description

[1] Turn east from the Blacksmith's Arms towards Pittington village.  After 50m, turn left on a signed public footpath with a stream on your right.  Cross a stile and continue straight ahead across a field to a road.  Turn left on the road for 30m, and then turn right on a signed footpath along a former railway track for 1500m.

(A)The Marquis of Londonderry's Wagonway (MOL) ran from Pittington to Seaham Harbour

(B) Pittington Station was opened in 1837 by Durham & Sunderland.  It closed to passengers in 1953 and closed completely in 1960. The Sunderland & Durham was he first line in to Durham came from the east. It ran from Sunderland Town Moor to Pittington in 1836. The line reached Sherburn House in 1837 and its terminus on 28th June 1839. However the station was not actually in Durham but at Shincliffe, south of the city. Intermediate stations were built at Ryhope, Seaton Bank Top, Murton and Haswell. Initially the line was rope hauled; this lasted for over 20 years before locomotives were introduced.

[2] Turn right off the track by a footpath signpost and go up a field towards houses on the ridge above with a hedge on your right.  Cross a stile by a gate and turn right and contour around the hill with a fence on your right to a road.  Cross the road and go over a stile next to a gate on a signed footpath.  Contour around the hill to a gate at a hedge crossing.

[3] Go straight ahead on a path with a hedge on your right.  After a short distance turn right through the hedge over a stile and follow a footpath as it descends and then bears left along the hillside.  After another stile, where a path turns right through a gate, keep straight ahead passing a quarry on your left and with views of Pittington below.  Where a footpath forks right and descends, keep left and contour around the hill to reach a road.

[4] Turn left on the road for 100m, and turn right down a signed track for 100m.  Turn right on a clear track through a wood, bear right by the agricultural buildings and follow this to a road.

(G) Lord Lambton's Wagonway was built between 1828 and 1831 from his Rainton pits to his harbour at Seaham.  Rainton was closed in 1896 and the line became redundant.

[5] Go straight ahead to a crossroads, and go diagonally across, taking a narrow signed footpath with a building on the right and a school field on the left.  Turn right at a facing house wall, and then immediately left along a wide track.  When the grassed area (a playground) is reached, the path just beyond the left fence line should be followed, although this may be slightly overgrown, to reach a stile into a field.  Go half left towards a gate.  Pass the gate and go straight ahead down a field path with a hedge on your left.  Continue straight ahead at the bottom of the field, with a building on your right across two field boundaries. The path may be overgrown.  Go slightly right to exit onto the road over a stile.  Turn left for a short distance to the start.

POI information

(C) Site of Lady Seaham pit (1845-1896)

(D) Site of Alexandrina pit (1824-1896)

(E) Former Northumbrian Water service reservoir

(F) Site of Adolphus pit (1826-1890)

(G) (H) Route of Lord Lambton's (LL) wagonway from Sherburn House and Littletown pits

(I)  Duke of Wellington PH named after the Iron Duke who visited in 1827

For more information on the railways see http://www.porthistory.talktalk.net/eastofdurhampitsandrails.html

 

 

 

Notes No details available.
Acknowledgements No details available.
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    Towards High Moorsley
    By - Malc McDonald
  • High Moorsley Quarry
    High Moorsley Quarry
    By - Oliver Dixon
  • St Laurence
    St Laurence's Church, Pittington
    By - Peter Robinson
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