Escomb to Bishop Auckland, The Way of Life
This short walk from Escomb to Bishop Auckland follows the River Wear. It affords a great view of the Newton Cap Viaduct and allows plenty of time to explore Bishop Auckland.
Description
Start : Escomb Saxon Church (DL14 7SY) Grid ref. NZ 189 301
(S) From the church, walk around Saxon Green (circular) to the North-East corner and turn into Dunelm Chare.
(1) At the end of the road, after the last house, take the path to the right, cross the stile and follow the path first East then South-East. The path then turns North-East to a sandy bank by the River Wear.
(2) Turn right (South-East) and follow the path along the banks of the Wear keeping left for around 1.4 Km. The river meanders here.
(3) The path will reach a small car park by the river, cross the stile into the car park then follow Bridge Road (North-East). Continue to the junction, you will see the Newton Cap viaduct in front of you, turn right onto Newton Cap Bank. At the junctin, continue straight across into High Bondgate. Cross the roundabout going straight ahead.
(4) At the mini-roundabout bear right and walk down Fore Bondgate to the Market Place. (North-East), Continue in this direction through the Market Place to the Visitor Centre and Auckland Castle (E).
Waypoints
- S : km 0 - alt. 84 m - Escomb Saxon Church
- 1 : km 0.26 - alt. 75 m - End of Escomb Village
- 2 : km 0.47 - alt. 76 m - River Wear
- 3 : km 1.85 - alt. 73 m - Car Park
- 4 : km 2.95 - alt. 105 m - Mini Roundabout
- E : km 3.72 - alt. 93 m - Auckland Tower (Visitor Centre)
Useful Information
Start : Escomb Saxon Church (DL14 7SY) Grid ref. NZ 189 301
Transport: The park entrance is a short walk from Bishop Auckland Bus Station and Railway Station. There is ample parking in the town centre.
Facilities: There is nothing along the route, however there are public toilets at the bus station and numerous cafes, restaurants, takeaways and bars in the town centre.
Accessibility: There are stiles on this walk and some of the terrain can be muddy after rain.
Accommodation: The Saxon Inn is located in Escomb and there is a Premier Inn on the outskirts of Bishop Auckland. There are a number of holiday rentals in the local environs too.
Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.
During the walk or to do/see around
- Bishop Auckland Castle was once the home of the Prince Bishops of Durham. There are many attractions which are managed by the Auckland Project starting with a visit to Auckland Tower before entering the grounds of Auckland Castle. Also worth visiting is the castle itself as well as the newly restored walled gardens. If you wish to explore the park further see the park map.
- Art Galleries - there are a number managed by the Auckland Project, see link above. These cover religion, Spanish Art and Mining Art.
- The Deer House is managed by English Heritage and is located in the grounds of the castle.
- Kynren is a spectacular outdoor show at 11arches behind the castle. This show with its huge cast tells the story of the north east and is scheduled every weekend during the summer.
