Smelt Wagon
photo by David Grey - Sustrans

NCN 14 between Consett and Durham follows the Lanchester Walk
along the course of the
Lanchester Valley Railway

This railway was built to carry iron ore to Consett Steelworks and coal from Langley Park.
A passenger service opened in 1862 and the line was closed to all trafic in 1965.

After the track bed was purchased by Durham County Council it was reclaimed for use as
a long distance cycle and walking route. From Consett the railway path
falls 160 mtrs towards Baxter Wood
(with a short climb at Knitsley where the cycle route deviates from the route of the railway)

From Lydgetts Junction - descend the ramp down the side of the embankment - at road staright over to join railway path and ahead to Knitsley.

At Knitsley Lane descend to cross road and back up onto railway path again and ahead to cross straight over another road.

The next mile of railway has been lost due to open cast coal mining
and farming, the cycle route has had to make a short detour around this
with a steep 25m climb followed by a gradual 45m descent.

Ahead 1/2 mile and bear left steeply uphill - at top - before road - turn right onto cycle track to Hurbuck Cottages.

Continue straight ahead on lane and pass Hurbeck Farm (R) - turn right downhill and rejoin the railway path over Knitsley embankment.

Knitsley embankment was originally a wooden viaduct but this was buried in colliery waste in 1915.
The wooden structure stills remains buried inside the embankment.

Knitsley Viaduct being buried in colliery waste

Knitsley Embankment today

Continue ahead towards Lanchester and at road cross straight over - 1/4 mile and cross straight over B6296 and continue ahead on railway path.

The Roman "Dere Street" to Corbridge run northwest near here and there is an important Roman site - "Longovicium" just to the south west on the B6296 road.

Pass Langley Park (R) and "Digger Land" (L) to cross road at Bearpark and ahead to Baxter Wood.

Turn left and pass through farm downhill to cross River Browney and steeply up to road.

Turn right to T-jcn with A167(T) road. Do not cross this very busy road here.

Turn right onto shared use path along west side of A167(T) road to a Toucan Crossing.

Continue to Haswell

Back to Consett

Doug on the Tyne 2004