Consett Steel and the River Derwent
Distance: 4 miles,
Minnimum Time: 1hr 45mins,
Difficulty: Easy,
Description:
Even into the late 1970s views of Consett would still be described as âterrible and magnificentâ. As Henry Thoroldâs Shell Guide to County Durham, published in 1980, recorded, âVulcanâs great forges stand there on the hillside enveloped in steam; cooling towers, cylinders, chimneys, incredible and intimidating.â It was true then - just. But the steel mills of Consett closed in that very year, bringing to an end a story of growth and enterprise that began in 1837 when iron ore was discovered here. The first works opened four years later: by the 1880s the Consett Iron Company, founded in 1864 as a successor to the Derwent Iron Company, employed more than 6,000 people in the rapidly expanded town. The closure a century later could have devastated Consett. Instead, it has reinvented itself as a place of growing service and manufacturing industry, which also looks back with pride to its history of steel making. The Derwent Valley. Dividing Northumberland and Durham, this stretch of the River Derwent was the cradle of the northern steel industry. Forge Cottage, just over the footbridge at the start of the walk, indicates that iron working had been long established in the valley. German steel makers, producing fine swords, lived in Shotley Bridge as early as the 1690s - the village later became the fashionable place for the upper middle classes of Consett to live. Shotley Bridge was also a spa - in 1841 it was said that it would soon come to rival Harrogate, Cheltenham and Leamington. As the walk approaches Allensford, there are the remains of a 17th-century ironworks near by.
Allensford Country Park and Woods. Developed by Durham County Council - and right on its northern boundary - Allensford Country Park consists of 14 acres (5.7ha) of riverside grassland. As well as pleasant walks, there are play facilities for children and access for people using wheelchairs. Within the park is Allensford Wood - the walk takes you through part of it. It is semi-natural ancient woodland that is mainly of oak and birch. There has been some recent replanting with native species. A series of trails criss-crosses the wood; the routes are marked with a symbol of a walking man. Steelworks Site. The section of the walk along Pemberton Road between the road junction (see Point 5) and the path into the woodland seems quiet today. But until 1980 the whole of the area to your right, now landscaped and grassed, was one of the most industrialised in the country. Here stood one of the British Steel Corporationâs mills, its huge buildings alive with noise, smoke and heat. Today it provides an area for recreation and enjoyment, crossed by paths that follow the old railway lines that served the works.
While you're there: The two 20ft (6m) high Terris Novalis sculptures stand beside the Consett and Sunderland Railway Path. The huge steel representations of traditional surveyorsâ instruments, on animal feet, are the work of sculptor Tony Cragg and were manufactured by local craftsmen. They took four years to make and were unveiled in 1997. Visit Muggleswick, 3.5 miles (5.7km) west of Consett, where, at the farm near the church, are the battlemented remains of a great medieval manor house, built as a grange in the 13th century for the priors of the monastery in Durham. From here they could look over their lands in the Derwent Valley - and today there is a fine view of Consett.
What to look out for: Otters have been spotted in the River Derwent, though you would need to be very lucky to see one. Evidence of their proximity may be found though, including the characteristic footmarks, with their lopsided fivepointed toe marks that turn inwards. Look, too, for the mark of the tail dragging behind the animal. You may also spot places where otters have made mudslides into the water, or where they have scraped up sand into a mound. Adult male otters can be up to 2ft 6in (76cm) long and have a tail - which is thick and tapered and acts as a rudder when the animal is swimming - of up to 20in (50cm). Their short brown fur provides excellent insulation and otters have the ability to close their nostrils and ears to keep out the water.
Where to eat and drink: There is a refreshment area in Allensford Country Park, which also attracts ice cream vans. Otherwise you should head for Shotley Bridge, Castleside or Consett itself, all of which offer plenty of variety for hungry walkers.
Directions:
From the roadside parking area, locate steps down to the footbridge and cross over the River Derwent. Walk upstream along the tree-lined path, ignoring turnings to the right as it meanders between riverside meadows and the Derwent. Pass another bridge and, where the path divides, stay by the river. Eventually reach an area of beech woodland where the path rises on to a wider track.
Follow the track, keeping left when it forks - there are waymarks on this section. The path follows wire fence, and eventually bears right over a tiny stone bridge skirting a house to reach the A68.
Turn left down the hill. Go over the road bridge, passing from Northumberland into Durham.Where a road joins from the left, go left through the entrance into Allensford Country Park. Bear round to the right, and walk through the grassed riverside area to a car park. Go through the car park to reach a road by the entrance to the caravan site.
Cross the road to a stile marked âDerwentside Local Nature Reserve Allensford Woodâ. Follow the path, which goes up two sets of steps. At the top follow the grassy path. Where it divides, bear to the left and follow the winding path into woodland and continue downhill. When you reach a crossing path, turn left to the road.
Turn right and follow the road (take care because it can be busy). It rises through woodland, then passes through a more open area. After 0.5 mile (800m), pass a road off to the right. In 0.25 mile (400m) beyond, look for a footpath that descends on your right to meet the road, by trees.
Continue to follow the road for 400yds (366m). As the roads rises, take a signed footpath left, downhill into woodland. The path opens out into a track, then becomes a path again. Follow the path for 0.5 mile (800m) to reach a lane. Turn left here, downhill. Continue down the lane, passing Grove House on the left to reach the parking area.
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