Parkland walk… 5 miles (8km)

Gibside, Tyne & Wear www.nationaltrust.org.uk/walks

The ‘grand design’ of an 18th-century coal baron, Gibside holds a forest A fantastic historical vista awaits garden with colourful wildlife, spectacular scenery and tranquillity at its you at the top of the slope (point heart. 3). On your left is the banqueting house, ahead is the Derwent

Start: Gibside car park Grid ref: NZ172583 Map: OS Landranger 88 Valley and on your right, rising above the treetops, the Column How to get here and local facilities of Liberty. This was designed to On foot: ½ mile from Derwent Walk, footpath/cycle track from Swalwell to impress visitors on their arrival, Consett as Gibside’s entrance was once By bike: National Cycle Network route 14, see www.sustrans.org.uk at this corner of the estate. By bus: Go North East ‘The Red Kite’ 45, 46/A from Newcastle (passing Newcastle station and Metrocentre), alight , ½ mile As you walk along the track at By train: Blaydon 5 miles; Metrocentre 5 miles point 4, you’ll see the scale of By car: 6 miles south-west of , 20 miles north-west of Durham. our woodland restoration. We’re Entrance on B6314 between and Rowlands Gill. From A1 take replacing dense 20th-century exit north of Metrocentre and follow brown signs. Postcode for SatNav: conifer plantations with native NE16 6BG trees such as oak and ash. Look out for redwoods, one of the Free car park, WCs, tea-room, farm shop (Gibside Larder) and shop Bowes family’s plant-collecting passions, as well as yews. Look out for… t Wildlife Gibside’s Palladian chapel Keep an eye out for jays among the oak trees at point 1, and point 2 is the celebrates its 250th anniversary best spot on the estate to see overwintering thrushes, such as fieldfares and in 2010. It was begun in 1760 to redwings. Autumn is a good time of year to spot roe deer on the steep-sided the design of English architect, valley (point 5) and you may see otters feeding or playing on the banks by James Paine. the pools and wetlands (point 6). High above the Derwent Valley at point 7 is a great place for viewing Gibside’s red kites circling at eye level. t Ruins of the 18th-century Gibside Hall All images © NTPL/Robert Morris

The ruins of this Hall rise dramatically above the valley at point 7. Climb to the top of the steps beside the Hall’s service wing, which once boasted a

huge Georgian kitchen to cater for the Bowes family’s extravagant parties. ‘A walk here offers the perfect simple pleasure’

Philip Bolam, National Trust Landscape Manager

Directions

1. Set off from the car park, making your way up to the portico of Gibside’s Palladian chapel. The Column of Liberty lies a mile ahead. Walk towards it along the oak-lined Avenue. To your right lie fields that have been restored to hay meadows, interspersed with parkland trees. 2. Once you reach the end, turn right uphill and onto a yew-lined track. Keep to the track as it bends left after passing Gibside’s grand stable block on your right (pop in for exhibitions and refreshments). 3. Follow this track as it skirts around the high bank of the Octagon Pond and starts a gentle climb. Carry on into Snipes Dene, leaving the formal inner pleasure grounds and moving to more wooded outer pleasure grounds. 4. Continue on this wide stone track. As you follow a hairpin bend left,

an overgrown grassy track marks the original entrance to Gibside. © Reproduced by permission of To your right notice the earth embankments of early wagonways Ordnance Survey. All rights used to transport coal from nearby hills down to the Tyne. reserved. OS licence no. AL100023974 5. After walking along Gibside’s boundary track for ¼ mile, take the narrow track to your left, downhill into Snipes Dene. At the bottom turn right. Distance, terrain and accessibility

6. As you spot the River Derwent, the path turns left and opens out Allow between 2 to 3 hours for this 5 mile (8km) walk. Fairly easy walking along onto a wider stone track. Turn right down a narrower path and well maintained tracks and some grass, with a couple of steps and several gentle through a conifer plantation. As you emerge from the woodland, inclines – benches along the route. you’ll see Lady Haugh field to your left (‘haugh’ is a local term for a floodplain). Walk not suitable for wheelchairs, though much of Gibside is accessible by using 7. Follow the riverside path and after about 300 metres you’ll come to one of Gibside’s ‘Trampers’ (off-road mobility scooter). Free, but booking essential. the biggest oak tree at Gibside. Turn left here and walk up a couple of steps, crossing Lady Haugh field to the left-hand side of the now Dogs welcome on a lead. ruined Hall. Climb up steps beside the Hall’s service wing.

8. Emerge onto the Avenue and halfway back to the chapel, take a Contact us

path to your right towards the pink stone of the greenhouse (now Telephone 01207 541820 glassless but still spectacular). Carry on through the newly restored Email [email protected] Victorian Shrubbery back to the Avenue and the exit. Website www.nationaltrust.org.uk/gibside

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