Almost everything else on the walk I'd seen on a number of occasions before, either on foot on the field paths in the lovely Team Valley, or cycling along the railway path that runs from Beamish to Stanley. The railway path climbs steadily towards Standish, and it's safe enough if everyone behaves themselves, but I didn't appreciate the guy tearing along the path on a motorbike....

Paddy Dillon

I also followed the parrallel woodland paths because the section on the road felt quite dangerous. FYI there were quite a few access controls so it's not a very accessible route....

Lucy S

The route takes you out of the village where you then turn right into a field - along a footpath. You cross over the Bowes Railway Path where there were some rogue streams which had caused erosion. A short distance along the road and over the bridge you cross the road onto another footpath. The route then takes you past factory units over the railway into the town of Birtley....

Philip Le Marquand

The path skirts the edge of Oxclose and then you go right over a bridge and then head left skirting the Blackfell District. As you leave the town you head out along another shared path to a roundabout. Down a ramp at the end then alongside the road until you reach the Bowes Railway Path. It was a short earth bank to the very steep steps leading down to the Railway Path. The Bowes railway path is shared with cyclists and good walking. There is a short section before the road into the village where the path was all churned up and eroded....

Philip Le Marquand

A good route with a pleasant and surprisingly green north half in Gateshead with the cycle way and Riverside Park taking you all the way to the south bank of the Tyne. The south half is walking on minor roads, but even on a Sunday afternoon there were enough passing cars to require caution. This is especially so on the Coach Road where the noise of the nearby A1 means you can't always hear traffic coming....

Andrew Davies

The last part north is on a road with no pavement but there is a convenient path running parallel to the east which is notable for many clumps of electric cables growing in the bushes......

Andrew Davies

You soon leave the wooded path up through pastures where I discovered from waymarkers I was sharing this section of the route with the Tyne and Wear Heritage Trail. You climb through some beauitiful woodland and eventually join the Consett & Sunderland Railway Path which you follow until the final short path into Stanley Town Centre....

Philip Le Marquand

I walked this route in two halves on separate days starting on the Coach Road in Lobley Hill each time, but the review is written from Whickham to Kibblesworth. The route follows the road and as you reach the first house in Lobley Hill, bear right on to a path runs steeply down into the Beggarswood Park (pic 11). Turn right on to the Coach Road and follow the road south as it runs next to the A1. This has a path along its perimeter that follows the road that offers much better views than the footpath on the road (pic 14). * the road section west of Lobley Hill can be avoided by using the tracks through Watergate Park to the school and the drop down to the road, crossing at the much safe central refuge...

Andy Redfern

In summary this route is in two halves - the town centre section which is actually almost all off road, and the rural section which is on quiet lanes and footpaths along quiet roads....

Andy Redfern

As the path approaches Birkheads Lane, there is a very steep section out of the old railway cutting up to the road level - very tricky for wheel-based users. A quick detour once you cross the road takes you to Tanfield Railway - friendly cafe on the Andrew's House platform at weekends when the trains are running....

Andy Redfern

This route has a great deal of potential as it follows the excellent old waggonway from Kibblesworth to Andrew's House station on the Tanfield railway. However, it then follows the main road from Andrew's house to Sunniside. This is NOT safe for pedestrians and should not be attempted....

Andy Redfern

A dog leg at the Autumn drive traffic lights is a safe crossing place and then the route follows an old waggonway through to Ropery Road. The suggested route across Lobley Hill road is too dangerous during business hours and I would recommend using the pair of underpasses and the bridge to you at the start of the Coach road. The section along the Coach Road is easy to follow but does require a cautious approach as it is narrow in some places and has a 60mph speed limit. As you approach Lady Park the official route follows a short path up to Banesley Lane and then through to Ouslaw Lane. A much better route as noted by the previous reviewer is to head on through Lady Park and follow Banesley Lane towards the A1 junction. There is a short public footpath from Banesley Lane to Lamesley Road which saves cross the road at the busy Coalhouse Roundabout....

Andy Redfern

This attractive and well maintained path follows the route of the railway all the way to Sunniside and beyond....

Philip Le Marquand

I cannot therefore recommend this route - however all is not lost as there is a great aletrnative route which replaces the road section - The Tanfiield Railway Path which I have described in Sunkib two....

Philip Le Marquand

The first of the routes pedestrian underpasses negotiated there is a section of walking beside a busy road before heading along marked footpaths towards the Trading Estate. There is a possible option to cross the A1 Western Bypass over a footbridge which might be worth investigation as just after this to avoid crossing a busy road I detoured through another underpass. The two cross country sections could maybe be avoided by continuing though Ladypark and Lamesley which would also have avoided one of the road sections and steep uphill climb!...

Philip Le Marquand

The road to Lamesley is via a footpath along the road which is easy going. I then walked along the coach road which sadly meant walking on the road as there is no footpath....

Philip Le Marquand

The route as given includes a section of road walking which I would consider as dangerous but there is some adjacent woodland paths which I used....

Philip Le Marquand

The bulk of this route follows the Bowes Railway Path. Once on the Bowes Railway Path 'proper' the path was a straight incline with variable surfaces along the track....

Philip Le Marquand