Teesdale Way Section 10 (Hurworth to Middleton One Row)

Introduction

Section 10 of the Teesdale Way links the villages of Hurworth-on-Tees and Middleton One Row – both in the Borough of Darlington and the ceremonial county of Durham – in a relaxing walk between two fountains. Starting from the King George V commemorative fountain in Hurworth-on-Tees the route passes through another medieval village – Neasham – and gets close to Sockburn Hall known for its finds of Viking artifacts and association with the “Sockburn Worm”. Despite these attractions it changes course to make its way, gently and sinuously, through woods and fields to “The Front” at Middleton One Row where the disused public fountain near the Devonport Hotel serves as a finishing point.

Stats at a Glance

Distance 9.9 km/6.2 miles | Height Gain 80 m/264 ft | Maximum Elevation 47 m/153 ft (Neasham Hall) | Going Generally good, muddy in places. Sheltered on trails, tracks and road through farmland and woodlands | Navigation (OS Maps Explorer 304; Landranger 93); GPS File | Hospitality & Supplies Hurworth-on-Tees (BB; GS; PH); Neasham (PH); Middleton One Row (Ho) | Start King George V fountain, Hurworth-on-Tees NZ 303102 (w3w: runways.daydream.chip) | Finish Water fountain, The Front, Middleton One Row NZ 352122 (w3w: hiking.cheering.revamped) | Grade Moderate | GALLERY

Trail Updates

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

Description

From the King George V commemorative fountain in Hurworth-on-Tees, the trail passes the village green on which several depressions are thought to indicate the locations of medieval plague pits. Around the green are many interesting properties one of which is the Old Parsonage with its striking medieval door beneath a lintel into which are carved the dates 1450 & 1935 (suggesting the original date of the house and a date – I’d guess – when the lintel itself might have been installed or inscribed).

Beyond the green, in the churchyard of the medieval All Saints (built on a possible Anglo-Saxon site), lies the mathematician William Emerson who was born and lived in Hurworth but spent a lot of time in Weardale where the surname is still prominent. As it enters Neasham, the route passes the site of a Benedictine priory – founded c1156 and dissolved in 1540 – before taking to a riverside path atop an embankment built to separate the village from the threat of a swollen River Tees, where you’ll also find a pleasantly situated pub.

Leaving the embankment for the tarmac of Sockburn Lane the route passes the entrance to Neasham Hall. Sockburn is the most southerly diocese in County Durham and was the manorial home of Sir John Conyers who is said to have slain the legendary Sockburn Worm using a sword known as the “Conyers Falchion”, a replica of which is presented to each new Bishop of Durham in a ceremony on Croft Bridge (mentioned in the previous section).

The trail however, heads for Low Dinsdale where the manor house once belonged to the Surtees family (from the French “sur-tees” – “upon Tees”). The most striking building however, is the distinctive church, dedicated to St John the Baptist and constructed, like St Peter’s at Croft, from local red Triassic sandstone.

The trail then crosses a field (sometimes containing cattle) into Dinsdale Wood, where – in spring – it rises and falls through carpets of wild garlic and bluebells while getting ever closer to the river. On emerging from the wood, my preferred option is to use the trail that diverts around a private house – once the site of Dinsdale Spa – rather than self-consciously crossing the patio. At the bottom of the drive – past the site of “Pountey’s Bridge” – is a final section of riparian woodland passing below Tower Hill, the site of a Norman motte that may have protected the long-gone bridge.

A Roman road is believed to have crossed the Tees (the name of the bridge derives from “Pons Tees”) at this point. The road was proposed by the c18th antiquarian John Cade and is referred to as “Cade’s Road” (though Cade himself thought that it crossed nearer to Sockburn). Foundations of a bridge have been investigated in the riverbed at the site.

A bit further on, through the wood, look up to see if you can spot a pair of eyes carefully fashioned in the trunk of a tree. The trail reaches Middleton One Row soon after by ascending an unusually, steeply-sloped medieval village green along “The Front” where you’ll find the fenced-off fountain more or less directly opposite “The Devonport”, a distinctive, white-painted c18th coaching inn, which is now a pleasant hotel.