Croft-on-Tees - Eryholme - Dalton-on-Tees - Croft-on-Tees

Alan Anderson

You need to log in as a member of Walkingworld to access the details for this walk and have an active subscription. Please join, or log in above if you are already a member.

Croft-on-Tees - North Cowton - Eryholme - Dalton-on-Tees - Croft-on-Tees

The walk starts from the one-time spa village of Croft-on-Tees, where there is likely to have been a settlement from earliest times, as the bridge here has always been an important crossing point for travellers going north to Scotland or south to London. The 700-year-old medieval bridge that was recently granted Grade 1-listed status spans the River Tees, the defining county boundary between Durham and North Yorkshire. Tradition rules that all incoming Bishops of Durham have to walk across the bridge into their new diocese before they are allowed to take up office. Charles Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll the Alice in Wonderland author, spent his youth in Croft, where his father was Rector of St Peter's, the church that stands serenely next to the bridge.

From Croft there follows pleasant lane, field and wood terrain as the route heads south and intersects Croft Motor Racing Circuit, where at times the public right of way runs adjacent to the Armco boundary that surrounds the track. The circuit is just over two miles long and is located on the site of an old RAF WW2 airfield. The prestigious circuit holds meetings of the British Touring Car Championship, British Superbike and Pickup Truck Racing series. Croft Aerodrome as it was formerly known, was mainly used as a bomber base and was home to a number of different aircraft, including Wellington, Lancaster, Whitley, Stirling and Halifax.

The walk between the circuit and the charming village of North Cowton travels mainly through arable fields, after which it heads east through more fields, passing on the way under the main east coast railway line. A mile of road-walking follows before the route again takes a new direction by heading almost due north along an easy-walking farm track cum surfaced lane, to emerge at the invitingly named village of Eryholme. The route here deliberately makes a detour through the sleepy little village in order to visit the lovely old church of St Mary's in its beautiful pastoral surroundings.

From the church the route once again changes direction, finally to head west. A little quiet road-walking follows, after which the walk passes through pleasant woodland and fields as it skirts the village of Dalton-on-Tees. A section of pavement walking completes the walk as it tracks the sweeping River Tees back to Croft.

England - North England - Yorkshire - Countryside