1) Wheatley Hill to Thornley.
Leaving the cemetery and Heritage Centre the route passes
Wheatley
Hill
Primary School
and continues to Quetlaw Road. Turning left follow this road to the fire station at the junction with the former A181. Turn right and using the footpath, follow the road westward to the “Pit-Pony” memorial roundabout. Continue along the “new” A181 toward
Durham
until reaching the information board east of the Crossways Hotel. Follow the former mineral railway eastward skirting Thornley to its junction with the bridleway to/from “The Hilly”. Turn left, into the village and follow the trail to Thornley Library.
2) Thornley – Wingate
Leaving the Library, follow the trail eastward through Thornley, crossing the B1279 to the Community Centre. Follow the former mineral railway towards Thornley Station Industrial Estate. Sections of the trail in this area are prone to flooding in wet weather. Continue to the B1280, which needs to be crossed with care, then to the junction with the Haswell-Hart Walkway. Turning right, follow the route southward until it reaches the A181 trunk road. This needs to be crossed with great care at the formal crossing which incorporates a mid road refuge. Once across, the trail continues, under Wellfield Road until it reaches the picnic rest area and information board at the junction to the Sustrans Cycle-way. Turning right on to this, the trail climbs through the small wood and beyond to the timber sculptures. Turn left on to the Moor Lane
bridleway. Follow his bridleway to Moor Lane
, passing
Wingate
Junior
School
to cross the B1280, on to North Road Wingate. Turn left and follow the footpath to Wingate Community Centre. bridleway.Follow his bridleway to Moor Lane, passing Wingate Junior School to cross the B1280, on to North Road Wingate.Turn left and follow the footpath to Wingate Community Centre.
3) Wingate to
Station
Town
On leaving the Centre, follow the footpath along Wingate Front Street, pass the mini-roundabout into
Station
Town
. Continue, passing Ridgway House Nursing Home, cross the road. At the end of the terrace turn left after the former chip shop.
Station
Town
Community Centre is located on the right.
4)
Station
Town
– Deaf Hill/Trimdon Station
On leaving the Centre, re-trace the route to Ridgway House and pick up the public footpath on the left as it climbs to the former mineral railway. Turn left and follow the route skirting
Wingate
Park
, onto Deaf Hill. Leave the railway at its junction with the footpath to the housing estate. Follow the footpath with the housing estate on your right, until reaching the car salesroom opposite. Cross the road, pass the car salesroom and walk towards the shops, on reaching the road junction turn right and walk the distance to Trimdon Station Community Centre.
5) Trimdon Station – Wheatley Hill
On leaving the Community Centre, turn right along
Station Roadand walk to the road junction. Cross the road and follow the public footpath sign on to the bridleway. Follow the trail pasts the re-developed former High Moor Farm over the stile and down the hill side. This area gives a view of Wingate Quarry Nature Reserve on the left. After reaching the valley bottom, the trail climbs Marley Banks. At the stile at the top turn left and sharp right passing the access road to East Farm, follow the bridleway/road to its junction with the A181, cross with great care. On the opposite side, walk the short distance to the Wheatley Hill Junction, turn right and follow the footpath along Woodlands Avenue, to the cemetery and the Heritage Centre.
The Complete route is approx. 12km (about 7 miles).
The trail is way-marked with the distinctive marker discs shown below.
