Durham Heritage Coast Walk

I actually did this one on Sunday, but have only just got round to writing it up!  I've been waiting several years to do this walk - I came up on holiday once planning to do this, but had to return home early due to a bereavement.  More recently I'd thought about walking it and returning by bus, but easier said than done!  Then through my letterbox came a postcard advertising the Limestone Landscapes (http://www.limestonelandscapes.info/) and from that site I found that a guided walk had been arranged with return by minibus.  Couldn't have been more perfect!

And so, Sunday morning found me at Noses Point with 19 other people.  The keen walkers were frighteningly well equipped as always but I held my head up high and acted like I didn't feel inferior.  It was a mainly fine but breezy day and off we set along the coast path.  Our guide was a heritage officer responsible for this area and he explained how the landscape had changed from bleak industrial to a rare and thriving wildlife habitat.  Orchids were flowering in profusion, and a skylark sang overhead.  It was wonderful to walk along with so much greenery around.

Later we diverted onto a path leading round the cliff edge - not so much to my liking as me and heights don't usually mix, but I steeled myself and the cliffs aren't towering and the paths aren't right on the edge, so I managed with only a small amount of panic and hyperventilating.

Next up was a steep stairway down to the beach itself where the contrast between old industrial beach and new clean heritage beach was vivid.  Then it was back up the stairs again.  In fact there was a lot of ups and downs as we crossed the denes.  Apparently if the tide had been out, we could have walked a significant stretch of the walk on the beach. 

Back at beach level we stopped for lunch (keen walkers produced tripod stools, flasks, vast quantities of sandwiches, bananas, (and I bet someone had a kitchen sink there somewhere).  We had a granstand view of a white van getting well and truly stuck in the industrial mud.  Why were they there?  Illegal dumping?  Fishing?  No one was brave enough to go and ask, and we didn't offer to push either.
 

At last, Crimdon and the minibus, though sadly no sign of the promised icecream van, and back to our starting point.  I'm glad I waited to walk this.  I was with a lovely group of people and now that I could recognise places such as Hawthorn Dene, Blackhall Colliery and Rocks, Crimdon Dene, Castle Eden Dene it made it even more enjoyable.  And to crown it all, the new boots didn't even rub!

steps from the beach



new boots!




black beach