Sedgefield - Shotton - Foxton - Mordon - Sedgefield

Alan Anderson

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A relatively flat walk through a very open, arable landscape in the 'Tees Lowlands' area of the county, best described as gently undulating. Many of the villages and hamlets visited are medieval in origin. An ideal time to attempt the walk would be in late summer, when the ground is hard and the crops have been harvested, as much of the route is through arable fields as well as along ancient lanes that can at times be muddy.

The previously quiet village of Sedgefield had, since May 1997 become the focus of attention from the world media, being the constituency village of (now ex-Prime Minister) Tony Blair, who was MP for Sedgefield from 1983 until the end of his tenure as Prime Minister in June 2007. In November 2003, during a state visit, Sedgefield played host to then serving American President George W Bush. The PM famously (and generously!) treated the President to a pub lunch in the Dunn Cow Inn located in the village.

Sedgefield also holds a traditional, 1,000-year-old Annual Shrove Tuesday 'ball game' with few rules. The original game was competed for between teams of farmers and tradesmen. The modern game between sides of unlimited numbers starts by passing a hand-stitched leather ball through the bull ring on the village green and the object is to score goals through goalposts at either end of the village. During the game, which lasts about five hours, the ball and players usually manage to visit as many pubs in the village as possible!

On the final lap the walk passes through the car park of Durham County's only racecourse, where racing has taken place since the mid-18th Century.

England - North England - Durham - Countryside