Annfield Plain: a moderate 5000m walk with Jack Potts

Parking is available in side streets close to the starting point. This route is also accessible via public transport. From Durham, take Go North East bus no. 44. From Chester-le-Street, take Go North East bus no. 78. From Stanley, take Go North East bus no. 44, 78, V8 or Stanley Travel bus no. 707.

[1] From the Day Care Centre cross the busy B6168 (TAKE CARE) and follow the side road to the right up to Hartside Cottages, then turn right. 

[2] Walk around the MASAC centre and join the road through Hamsterley Gardens.

[3] At the T junction with Blackett Street cross the road and turn right then left to follow Oak Terrace. At the end of this street turn left up Swan Street.

[4] Swan Street ends at the entrance to some allotments. Continue up the lane past the allotments and at the end cross the stile in front of you

[5] Proceed up the hill and cross the stile just before the house (Annfield House). Walk in front of the house, turn right between this house and the next one and keep right around the back Annfield House. Cross stile next to gate on the left. Follow the short fenced lane to another stile. Cross and walk down keeping the small plantation on your right. 

[6] Turn right after crossing the next stile and keeping the plantation on your right.

[7] Continue straight on over a few stiles until a metal kissing gate is reached. Pass through gate and keep straight on until reaching the edge of the pond on your left. Do not cross the stiles to the pond but turn right down the path past the cemetery. Turn left along cemetery wall then right along the tarmac path and follow this around past the entrance to the next cemetery until the road (B6168) is reached.

[8] Turn right along the road, cross the road past the school and turn left to go behind Harperley Gardens. Follow the path around the estate to reach Kyo road and turn left here. Turn right past the Earl Grey pub and follow the path to the edge of the estate and continue straight on to the C2C (Sustrans) track. Turn right along this. At the exposed stones (a sculpture called Kyo Undercurrents (by Richard Harris). Take the right fork and follow this back to the starting point.

A) Jack Potts from Kyo ran the 10,000m for Great Britain in the Berlin Olympics in front of Adolf Hitler, finishing in 7^th place. He was the son of a miner and started running during the 1926 General Strike when races were organised for prizes of boxes of food.