Hurworth Rockliffe Circular Walk

Hurworth Rockliffe River Tees Heritage Walks Route H6 Darlington

Circular Walk

Photo credit: Peter Giroux Peter credit: Photo

www.letsgoteesvalley.co.uk Stroll along footpaths through farmland and along the banks of the River Tees on this pleasant, 4.5 miles (7.6km) rural walk which includes the fringes of Hurworth village.

Walking instructions

1. From the fountain on Blind Lane, Hurworth, cross the main road to enter Roundhill Road. Take the first public footpath/track you reach on the left hand side, which runs in a straight line between houses on the left and fields on the right.

Cross the railway bridge that you meet and then a stile on the other side. Carry on straight ahead and downhill through the field. At the bottom of the hill, cross the stile then turn left along the footpath, following the line of the disused railway. 2. At the end of the footpath you will reach a street, follow it straight ahead to the chapel. Follow the road around to the left then right at the top of the hill. Cross the main road and follow the pavement to the left.

Immediately after the railway bridge, cross the stile to the right and follow the footpath next to the railway line. 3. Continue along the railway line to reveal Middlesbrough Football Club training ground on your left. 4. At the railway arch turn left and walk along the riverside path. 5. Pass the golf course on your left. 6. Follow the Tees as it meanders. 7. Continue through the woods. Come out onto the road at Low Coniscliffe, take the signposted footpath on the right, into a field as the river bends. Take the stile and follow the path across the grazed field.

Cross a second stile and follow the river and then the edge of the field along the treeline. 8. Pass through the stile and up the path to the green and back to where you started at the fountain.

Heritage sites along the route

 All Saints Church – There has been a church on the site since the 12th C. It was built of red sand- stone, but was pulled down in 19th C as it was considered unsafe. The present church was built in 1832 incorporating the tower base and two pillars from the original building.

 Linen weaving – The village was a major centre in the 19th C and up to 120 weavers were employed. The waters of the River Tees and Skerne were noted for the excellence of their bleaching properties. The workers were housed in temporary wooden huts, which were dug into the banks of the River Tees at the east end of the village. There are also weavers’ cottages at end of Strait Lane, behind the Otter and Fish. Weaving ceased in 1870.  William Emerson – Was born in the village in 1701 and was educated by his father the local schoolmaster. He became a mathematician of some repute and wrote a number of influential books on mathematics, geometry, navigation and optics. He turned down an invitation to become a member of the Royal Society because he ob- jected to having to pay for the honour of having FRS after his name. His tomb is in the churchyard.

 Rockliffe Hall – Original plans for the house date to 1774 but it wasn’t until the turn of the century that the hall and estate started taking shape. Records form the 1820’s list it as Pilmore House and it was owned by Robert Surtees, the county historian. In 1851 it was owned by Robert Backhouse who began major developments, including landscaping of the gardens by Alfred Waterhouse and at this time the estate became known as the Rockliffe Hall Estate.

 Robert Backhouse was so wealthy that he built his favourite nephew a mansion over the road as a wedding present. The mansion is now Hurworth Grange Community Centre. It was subsequently owned by Lord Southampton and in 1950 it was bought by the Brothers of St John of God and turned into a hospital. It was bought by Middlesbrough Football Club in 1996 and turned into a training ground and in 2006 a 5 star hotel with the longest golf course in Europe.

 Plague Burials and ferry crossing –The Green is the location of a major plague burial site from the Great Plague of 1665. The majority of the village population, around 1500 people, was wiped out by the disease and are buried here. There is a narrow path called Knellgate, leading from the river to the Green and bodies were brought here for burial from Dalton and Eryholme, preceded by the tolling of a bell, which called the grave- digger to bury the corpses, shrouded in lime, in the plague pit.

This walk is close to bus route 12 from Darlington to Middleton St George. Plan your car free journey via the journey planner on our website www.letsgoteesvalley.co.uk.

Wear appropriate clothing and footwear for the weather. Be careful near the river and keep children away from the edge. Please follow the Countryside Code, take your rubbish with you and leave gates as you found them.

Key: Scale 1:7,500 Rights of Way Section Adopted Highway Public Footpath Hurworth Rockliffe Circular

Route of walk Public Bridleway 1

3 2 2 39.0m 1

Jub ile e H ou se Co ttag e

5 1 1

2 1

P at h 7 R 1 m i ar v 4 3 F e se

r 9 4 ou 4

6 4 n H 2

4 Hurworth Ja ba l to a il T H S 3 4

k 3 H ou s e n T h orn Villa er U House m o o n 8 ers O t e B Hun

Lay-by C 3 1 L Scho ol 1 2 4 E

6 E A N 1 L a D B

I 1 D en e

El Sub Sta E a 7

S T C 4 S 1 C N 3 Ho us e Y A T M E O G IM

4 1 T E 4 A C H G le be y R C LY Allotmen t Gardens k 5 r

ac G H Oxneyfield Bridge T r Co ttag e 3 e

1 r M P.7 5 L 6

1 2 u

1 A

1 1 0 S O N 4

1 7 1 E a 9 P 5 2 2

1 2 3

5 2 3 4 6 1 5 33. 5m 1 2 1 4 1 6 El S ub S ta 4 A ppletree L B

T E N D 33.8m Cl ose E S 1 2 W 6

Hu rw orth 3 3 3 2 M eth od ist 3

Ch ur ch 2 5 H E 4 5

0 3

2 3 8

Ch ur ch G 3 1 34.7m 1 AB LE S S c ho ol Shelter t 3 3 a ) 3 TC B s T th (um 3 3 El Sub Sta e 2 9 E P a 3 6 r 4 1 8 9 g An vil u 4 5 E 11a a 11b 3 S a 5 Ba y h t t y 2 H ou se 2 Horse l V 0 l o

I P ath (u m) 4 4 3

E 3 o C 3 F B (P H ) 1 W 6 111 1 H 5 2 Rec reation Ground 4 4 5 1 2 T he S tab les 8 4 7 44.8m 2 O ld Ho us e 6 5 4 1 0 1 P 5 5 5 5 a t G ar den s Th e Green 35.1m h 4 35.4m 1 1 1

7 1

( u 5 1 7 m 1 5 ) 1

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4 34.1m 32.3m b 7 5 3 5

DS WAY 1

7 O DL AN CHU RCH V IEW

W O 8 Lych Gate 2 7 2

1 C

5 HU S traw b erry C ottag e 6 4 8 4 R

9 3

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1 Playground

5 3

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9 a 1 7 M P P H 28.3m K AD i O

S R Issues All S aints'

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a 4 1 P H u a 5 N 7

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4 6 30.5m E 1 W 7 1 E 1 A O 4 N C 1 2 O Co o 2 A E ER, ns 1 L t & D 6 U A NE AS H AM R L D B OAD C 7 A d 1 y o N s

I C R 5 e 2 N Co 3 5 Te L r D E 1 AD ive ER and Co n R O B Low H ail B ridge Cons S t Bdy s 4 OR 1 R G ard en 26.8m t 3 A N

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Cro ft M ill 1 1 D El Sub Sta 1 A

1 O 28.0m 2

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1 1 C 47.6m 2 k 1 ac T 5 E Tr 1 I V A

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R D 9 X D

A 1 to 2 0 R

Cattle Grid C C 1 1

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y O ld Terrace M on k E nd 1 D n 3 5 A n B un ga lo w R O u The Comet C ha pe l 5 RT H R 1 2 9 O 6 R W (P H ) 1 32.1m H U

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b St Pete r's h Alice C S L 4 Ston e 4 T P C s a S u nd ern T O ld B 45.3m G Ho u se Recto ry Church 3 1 Hurworth

44.4m 2

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Po nd

Track

P ond 45.8m M P

40. 9m

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Pond N Shin O gle R T H Weig h Ho us e A E L A N L E L E M OL R Y H T ER O D N F B e R f O A D Dalton Batts

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