Walking and Cycling in County Durham – England – UK – Cicerone

Bearpark, Broompark and Brandon

 

Distance 13km (8 miles)

Terrain Easy, low-level field paths and old railway trackbeds

Start/finish Deerness Centre, Ushaw Moor – GR236423

Maps OS Landranger 88; Explorer 308

Refreshments Pubs at Bearpark and Brandon, or off-route at Broompark and Ushaw Moor

Transport Regular daily buses serve Ushaw Moor, Bearpark, Broompark and Brandon from Durham city.

 

Ushaw Moor lies just to the west of Durham city. Dispel any notions of a moorland walk, as the area is well cultivated and well settled. The starting point is a leisure centre and the route visits the villages of Bearpark, Broompark and Brandon. There are short stretches of railway paths, including the junction of the Lanchester Valley Railway Path, Deerness Valley Railway Path and Brandon to Bishop Auckland Walk. The route explores the valleys of the River Browney and River Deerness, with the ruins of Beaurepaire seen in the early stages. Views are occasionally wide-ranging, with Durham Cathedral often popping up as a reference point.

via Walking and Cycling in County Durham – England – UK – Cicerone.

Deerness Valley Railway Path – LDWA Long Distance Paths

Deerness Valley Railway Path

13 km / 8 miles

Durham

One of a series of walks, the Durham Railway Paths, using dismantled railways in the Durham area. This line was opened in 1858 and carried coal out of the valley for nearly a hundred years. Now it is a pleasant walk, which follows the River Deerness through a wooded and pastoral landscape. The track runs high above the River Deerness valley, crossing and recrossing the river, and passes by Ushaw Moor asnd Esh Winning to finally cross the river again near Waterhouses to head south to Crook.

Leaflets currently out of print however copies will be sent out from Durham Rangers. Please contact Maria Murphy 0191 383 4144 or by Email rangers@durham.gov.uk.

From Broompark follow the Deerness Valley Walk sign.

via Deerness Valley Railway Path – LDWA Long Distance Paths.

Work to start on walkway

WORK will start next month to improve a former railway line, now a popular route for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders.

The nine-mile line through open countryside from Broompark, on the edge of Durham City, to Bishop Auckland is to have £28,000 of improvement work carried out.

A ramped path is to be built to turn the steep slope from the Deerness river to Broompark Picnic Area into a gentle incline which is more manageable for users.

Work has already started to clear low scrub and gorse bushes from the area