Forthcoming Walks and Events

All walks start at 10.00am unless otherwise stated

Friday 13th March Branchlines 10.30am - Coastal Circular from Seaton Sluice

Sunday 15th March   Seaton Sluice/Holywell Dene Circular

Sunday  29th March  South Shields Circular

Sunday 5th April-Easter Sunday        Alnwick Greenway

Sunday   19th April                               Thrunton Woods

Friday  24th April                               Branch Lines TBA

Sunday 3rd May                                 Shiremoor

Monday 11th - Thursday 14th May       Holiday at Barnard Castle

Sunday 17th May                              Bluebell Woods

Friday  22nd May                               Branch Lines TBA

Sunday 7th June                                 Lesbury Circular

Saturday 13th June Darlington and Shildon Railway Museums - coach arranged, details to follow

Sunday 21st  June                             Bardon Mill Picnic & walk

Please click on this link to download a copy of our walks programme for 2026 as a pdf file

Please check our Guidance page, if you are unsure of anything, which helps to make our group walks so enjoyable

Walk Information

If in doubt about any aspect of a forthcoming walk, please contact the walk leader for advice. Phone numbers are in the walk details in Trackchat. If, on your journey, you become aware that you may be late for the start, please ring the walk leader as it may be possible for the group to wait for you.

Reminder

Members, please make sure you have your current membership card with you and that it is easily accessible in your rucksack.

It is the responsibility of each member to carry their own first aid kit with them.

Friday 13th March – Branch Lines - Coastal Circular from Seaton Sluice

Meeting point:    Astley Arms at Seaton Sluice (NE26 4JX) for coffee/tea at 10.30a.m. 

There is a private carpark directly opposite the Astley Arms which is free for patrons so long as you register your vehicle at the bar counter (or risk a hefty fine!). There is also a free public car park (Fountain Heads) nearby the roundabout, but this can be busy with dog walkers. If you wish to arrive early, the Astley Arms does a good buffet breakfast, but you probably wouldn’t manage lunch too on the same day.

Generally, after a cuppa, we’ll walk along the coast either northwards towards South Beach or southwards in the St Mary’s Lighthouse direction depending on weather and ground conditions on the day. We are favouring coastal venues at this time of year as there are hard walkways for us to use. However, we hope to venture into countryside routes once better weather is more likely. 

After our walk those who wish can enjoy lunch together. The Astley Arms has a daily carvery plus pizzas, burgers, fish, and a number of vegetarian options (see their website The Astley Arms | Pizza & Carvery Restaurant in Whitley Bay). If you do plan to stay for lunch, please could you let Jennifer know so we can arrange for us to sit together? There is a conservatory area where we could be accommodated if we let them know how many to expect.

Sunday 15th March – Seaton Sluice Holywell Dene circular

Distance:       7-7½ miles

Leaders:        Margaret and Roger

Start point:    Fountain Head Car park. Seaton Sluice  

W3W:             /// always.alive.quite

This should get you to the access road to the car park off the big roundabout on the A193. If this car park is full you may need to park nearer to the Waterford Arms or the King’s Arms pubs.

Walk details. 5 easy stiles and one steep flight of steps near the beginning. We follow the Seaton Burn for a while then up the steps. After that we walk through fields, with views of Delaval Hall and its Obelisk and end up on the path of the old Blyth and Tyne railway. We then walk past the Holywell Pond Nature Reserve and round back to the wagonway. Then we head into the dene following the burn, ending up back in Seaton Sluice.

Sunday 29th March – South Shields Circular

Car Parking & Start Point: Mill Dam Car Park (free), Daltons Lane, South Shields NE33 1EX

W3W:              plots.posts.onion

Distance:       6½ miles

Leaders:        Dave & Eleanor Haddon  

Grade:            Easy walking on pavements, tarmacked surfaces, muddy paths, grass and a beach

How to get there

By Car - A1 south to A19. Drive on A19 to Jarrow. PLEASE NOTE TOLL FEES AT TYNE TUNNEL. At Jarrow Interchange, take the 2nd exit onto Straker Street / A185. Continue straight onto Jarrow Road / A194 following signs for South Shields. At a roundabout by ASDA, take the 2nd exit onto Harton Quay and then onto Brewery Lane (35 mins from Morpeth 21 miles distance)

By Metro: Mill Dam Car Park is 10 mins walk from South Shields metro station.

By Ferry: Mill Dam Cark Par is 6 mins walk from Shields Ferry Landing (South Shields)

Walk Description a circular walk which starts with a 2½ mile route through urban and residential areas. We take a coffee stop at Trow point, then beach or promenade walking with a lunch break at Marine Park.  Then riverside walking back to the start point. Lots of interesting things to see.

Easter Sunday 5th April 2026 – Alnwick Greenway Circular

Start Time:                           10.30am  (M&S Foodhall open at 10am)

Parking & Start Point:            Willowburn Retail Park outside Starbucks NE66 2JH

Leaders:                                     Alison Waters and George Sainthouse

Grade:                                    Easy

Distance:                                   6½miles

How to Get there:   Take first turnoff from A1 marked as Alnwick/Alnmouth A1068. At the roundabout turn left. At next roundabout turn left  then left again before a zebra crossing. Follow the road past B&M Garden Shop into retail park car park. Park near NEXT and Starbucks then meet outside Starbucks.

The Walk: We will walk from the Retail Park to the start of the Alnwick Greenway. This is phase one of a larger project to create a shared walking/cycling route ultimately from Alnwick to Cornhill, near Coldstream, by opening up old railway track. Part of the route will be the drier cycleway, and the rest of the way is likely to be a bit rougher with mud so poles advisable.

There are 3 stiles and one short steep uphill section.

Sunday 19th April 2026 – Thrunton Woods Circular

Leaders:                                Sara and John Ryder

Distance:                              4½miles (with the climbs, as the weather forecast says, may well feel like 5-6 miles!) but there will be shorter options available (approx. 1½ miles or 3½ miles)

Grade:                                         Moderate with steep climbs, some rocky paths, tree roots and trip hazards. Poles advised.

Parking and Start point:      Thrunton Woods Car Park (use the Thrunton Wood Tearoom postcode NE66 4SQ)

W3W:                                         battle.socialite.handicaps

How to get there: Take the A697 north from Morpeth.  About 12 miles north of Morpeth, the road bends round to the right and there is a left turn (straight on really), signposted to Thrunton Wood.  There is a sign for Thrunton Wood Tea Room (postcode for this is NE66 4SQ).  Follow the road past the Tearoom for about one mile, and the Thrunton Wood car park is on the left.  Parking is limited and we suggest car sharing as much as possible.  Please note that the road from the A697 to the car park is narrow and rough with a lot of potholes, so please take care.

The walk: This is a circular walk from the car park up to the ridge, following generally good paths with some fairly steep gradients.  Some parts of the paths are rocky, there are tree roots, and it could be easy to trip over. We then walk along the ridge with good view points (weather permitting) and return through the trees to the car park. A short circular walk of 1½ miles is an option for some and there is also a return point that may suit people wanting a medium circular walk of about 3½ miles.

Sunday 3rd May – Shiremoor Circular

Parking:                                     Boundary Outlet Park Lane  Shiremoor NE27 085. If possible Park in the left hand car park as you enter then we will all be together at the start. 

Leaders:                                     Bob Preston and Paul Clarkson

Grade:                                        Easy

Distance:                                   6 miles

The Walk: We will start at Boundary Outlet and walk down the road past the Metro station then around towards Holywell Farms . From here we walk around old railway tracks to Holywell Boarding Kennels then after crossing the main line we follow the waggonway towards Percy Main but we leave at Silverlink Park and round the park and back to Boundary Outlet.

Monday 11th May until Thursday 14th May – Holiday to Barnard Castle

Sunday 17th May – Bluebell Circular

Parking and Start Point:       Gas House Lane Car Park, NE61 1SP.

W3W:                                     themes.purse.rotation

Leader:                                  Alison Waters

Grade:                                   Easy

Distance:                              7 miles

How to get there: Crossing bridge over River Wansbeck on A197 to reach mini roundabout then turn right. At larger roundabout beside the Leisure Centre take the second exit which is Gas House Lane. The entrance of the car park is on your right as the road bends around just past the leisure centre. It is free all day and doesn’t require a disc.

The Walk: We will walk through different woodland areas along the way and hopefully be treated with a display of bluebells. There will be some up and downhill walking, woodland paths with some uneven ground and farm tracks.

Saturday 13th  June – Darlington and Shildon Railway Museums - coach arranged, details to follow

Sunday 21st June – Bardon Mill-Walk and Picnic

Start Point:                           Meet outside Bowes Hotel

Time:                                       11am

Distance:                               5½ miles

Walk Leaders:                           Jacqueline Armstrong and Pat Coombs

Grade:                                    Moderate

How to get there: Drive along A69 heading west. Turn off left for Bardon Mill. You will enter the village after ¼ of a mile passing a pottery shop.

Parking:                       There are a few parking spaces beside the railway station (W3W: pardon.aged.evolution). There is also space for a few cars just along from the Bowes Hotel (W3W: ranked.emblem.intruding).

The Walk: The walk will start in the village and go over the railway line. We will then head up towards Beltingham and its church and very old yew tree. We will then head back to Bardon Mill. There are 2 stiles and a bit of an incline which is more like a zigzag. We will picnic on the village green which has tables. The hotel across from the picnic area will sell us takeaway beverages and allow us to use toilet facilities. It opens at midday.