Starting at the free car park at Demesne (meaning land for the master, not for the tenants), 19 of us walked onto Thorngate and turned left passing the Mill, formerly a second-hand book shop but now residential flats, then on to cross the River Tees over the footbridge. We turned left to follow the riverside…

17 of us set off on a very warm sunny day, our warmest walk so far this year. The weather was clear so the views to Brandon and Willington and the Stanley Crook escarpment were good. The route went round the outskirts of Whitworth Hall / Park and over to Byers Green and back via…

22 of us set off in glorious sunny weather with cumulus clouds. It was quite a warm day in the sun but not too warm for walking. It was great to get out in such lovely weather to see and feel the emerging greenness. We went across easy, firm fields and tracks round the back…

This walk should have been done at the end of January but had to be postponed dueto heavy rain. So it was really nice to do the walk on the first really decent day inFebruary, with some sunshine warming us up. 19 of us set off from the Broompark picnic area which links to the…

This walk was designed to showcase an urban exploration walk of a town many of us visit for shopping and other purposes, a town we may think we know, yet a detailed lookround reveals hidden areas, contrasting styles of building, green corridors, and open spaces. I also wanted to show that in the most ordinary…

On a beautiful August morning 13 of us set off from the Demesne carpark, Wolsingham for a 5.4 mile circular walk. We were glad it wasn't quite as hot as the previous day because the first half was a steady uphill climb all the way! We walked up country lanes, stony paths and fields through…

17 of us set off from Willington on a day of cloud and coolish weather. It threatened rain but the rain only started when we got back to the cars.However, it did push us into a faster walk and shorter lunch than usual. The walk started and finished through a very attractive wooded ravine. There…

16 of us set off from Bowlees Visitor Centre in Teesdale, with light rain showers and mixed cloud and sunshine, quite windy. This was a totally glorious walk led by Margaret Thompson, easy going generally with some rocky sections on the path. The route mostly follows the Pennine Way after crossing the Tees over Wynch…

On a warm, sunny with cumulus, day 18 of us set off from Sunderland Bridge, a scenic spot overlooking the slow moving River Wear. We walked through the village, which is an ex-feudal rural village, and past Croxdale Hall. This is still owned and lived in by the Salvin family and has been so since…

19 of us travelled by bus from Howlands Park and Ride to Elvet Bridge, starting the walk from here. For me it evoked many memories of my time in Durham University especially during exam time when I used to run off the exam stress on sunny summer term evenings. It was a very warm day,…

16 of us set off from West Auckland Manor car park (usable only by arrangement with the hotel manager) on a really beautiful walk along the Gaunless valley to Ramshaw and back, with a picnic on the benches in the playpark at Ramshaw. The weather was quite sunny and pleasant, warm in the sunshine, but…

23 of us set off on a lovely mixed cloud and sunshine winter day. This was an easy walk along easy track by the railway, then a field crossing and a circuit of Low Barns with lunch at the Visitor Centre. The staff there are very pleasant and they served a load of us turning…