Teesdale Way Section 9 (Darlington to Hurworth-on-Tees)

Introduction

Section 9 of the Teesdale Way links the borough town of Darlington to the village of Hurworth-on-Tees both within the ceremonial county of Durham. From the car park at Broken Scar Picnic Area to the King George V Memorial Fountain, the entire route is generally flat and fairly easy going. This is the ‘sportiest’ section on the Teesdale way, embracing golf, cricket (there’s frequently a game at the weekend) and football (Middlesbrough FC’s training ground) – the latter pair being within the grounds of Rockliffe Hall at Hurworth.

Stats at a Glance

Distance: 9.4 km/5.8 miles | Height Gain 50 m/165 ft | Maximum Elevation 53 m/175 ft (Blackwell) | Going Generally good but muddy in places. Sheltered on trails, tracks and road through farmland, woodlands and parkland | Navigation (OS Maps Explorer 304; Landranger 93); GPS File |Hospitality & Supplies Darlington (All) [1 km]; Hurworth Place (PH); Croft-on-Tees (Ho); Hurworth-on-Tees (BB; GS; PH) | Start Broken Scar Picnic Area, Darlington NZ 259138 (w3w: flip.grain.mice) | Finish George V Fountain, Hurworth-on-Tees NZ 303102 (w3w: runways.daydream.chip) | Grade Gentle | GALLERY

Trail Updates

The following updates have been published by The Durham Cow for this section: 310525

Description

From the picnic area at Broken Scar, the route follows the course of the river as it drifts lazily along towards the village of Blackwell on the southern outskirts of Darlington. In summer the banks are very popular, producing a noticeable increase in activity compared to previous sections. Following a short stretch of attractive woodland, close to Castle Hill (which might may have been a Roman signal station but where the evidence for a castle seems scant), the trail emerges onto a short, relatively quiet section of road through Blackwell, before joining the traffic on the A66 link to the A1(M) for a short distance to a large roundabout at Blands Corner where it’s necessary to cross not only the A66 link but the equally busy A167 (which features later in this section). Negotiate the roundabout anti-clockwise to Snipe Lane.

Along Snipe Lane and through Blackwell Grange golf course, the road gives way once more to trail, passing through woods and fields of seasonal crops close to the deep glacial pools of ‘Hell Kettles’ (‘Double Kettle’ and ‘Croft Kettle’). After rejoining the A167, the trail crosses the River Skerne (one of five tributaries feeding the River Tees) before arriving in Hurworth Place where Croft Bridge spans the River Tees between County Durham and North Yorkshire. Today, newly incumbent Bishops of Durham are formally welcomed into the diocese in a ceremony on Croft Bridge though it was originally at a ford over the Tees near Neasham. On the other side of the river – in the former spa village of Croft-on-Tees – stands the fine, medieval Church of St Peter. Built from red Triassic sandstone it’s famously linked with Lewis Carroll – creator of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ – whose father was rector there.

The route ignores the church however (though there’s no reason for you to do so), turning steeply uphill instead, on the road to Hurworth-on-Tees. After crossing a stile on the railway bridge at the top of the hill, the route takes to the trail alongside the East Coast Main Line before entering Rockliffe Park where the sporting venues mentioned previously are located. A relaxed saunter over clipped, grassy trails takes you out of the park onto Blind Lane where you’ll enjoy expansive views across the Tees towards the North Yorkshire Moors. From here it’s no more than a kilometre to the finish of the section at the King George V commemorative fountain in Hurworth-on-Tees although I’m also acknowledging a way-marked Teesdale Way option about 400 m before the published finish. This turns right, off the road, across a field, to a footpath leading eventually to the village green. It omits the fountain and nearby convenience store so would be particularly appropriate for anyone not planning to visit either of these features.