Start : Park at Eggleston Hall Cafe and Gift Shop (DL12 0AG). Grid ref. NY 997 234
(S/E) From the parking walk back along the entrance road to the B6281. Cross over, turn right (South-West) and follow the pavement downhill, passing a small waterfall and then beneath a stone bridge. At the bottom of the hill, just before the river is a wooden gate on the left with a signpost for the Teesdale Way / Cotherstone 2 1/2 miles.
(1) Turn left (South), pass through the gate and follow the road to where it ends at wooden gates and paddocks.
(2) The path veers off on the left (signposted) and ascends through the woods via some wooden steps. It descends slightly to cross a stream and then ascends to pass through a wooden gate into a field. Walk along the field boundary and then aim for the dog-leg in the dry stone wall and cross via a stone step stile. Walk diagonally across the next field aiming for the top corner where there is a metal gate and wooden stile. Cross over the wooden stile and walk past a derelict building to the farm at East-Barnley.
(3) Opposite the farmhouse is a wooden pylon with a yellow marker arrow, follow this to walk across the field to an obvious gap in the dry stone wall and wooden gate. Pass through; the path splits. Take the right hand split down to cross a small stream and then immediately through into the next field. Now aim diagonally downwards towards the right of an obvious tree ahead of you. The ground can be a little boggy and you have to cross a small stream but once you have passed over this you will see a wooden kissing gate that you are aiming for.
Go through the gate and follow the wire fence on your right to its corner and metal gate. Pick up a track across the field and follow this, it leads to another gate but left and above it is a tall wooden post marking a stone step stile. Veer left off the track and up to the post and stile.
(4) Climb over the stile into the next field. You will see yellow marker arrows on a fence up and to you left, walk up to the fence line, passing a glacial erratic boulder. Now follow the fence line to were the field narrows and there is a dry stone wall on the right with trees beyond.
Cross over into the next field, the path follows the boundary of the wood to a wooden gate and stile. Cross the stile into the next field, the path splits again, ignore the right hand split and keep straight on to walk above and to the right of a stream until you descend to pass a second glacial erratic boulder and then cross the stream. Just after this there is a wooden post with a yellow arrow and a stone step stile leading into the woods.
(5) Cross the stile into the woods and follow the path, then cross a second stile into a scrubby field. The path crosses this and descends to pass through gorse bushes to enter Marwood Caravan Park. Walk down into the park, cross the road and go through the gate opposite you.
The track descends and curves to the left to pass through more gorse bushes. You will see the River Tees ahead of you with open meadow in front of it, look for a turning on the right, just after the gorse to follow a path down to a finger post and the bridge over the river. Walk past the post, go through the gate and cross the bridge to the opposite side of the river.
(6) Now turn immediately right (North) and follow the path beside the river. It soon ascends to go through a wooden kissing gate and into a field. The path follows the field boundary to pass through a second wooden kissing gate back onto the woodland side of the fence, after a short distance it crosses a small stream and passes through a third wooden kissing gate. (Note these three gates can be hard to open and might need some lifting or brute force)
In the next field the path veers to the left and away from the boundary, it ascends past a copse of trees on the left towards a small square building with symmetrical wings either side which is built into the stone wall at the top of the field. Aim for a gate to the right of this building and walk along a track towards Woden croft which is a well proportioned Georgian farm house.
(7) At Woden Croft, pass through a metal gate and turn immediately right to pass the holiday cottages. At the end there is a barn in front of you and then gates beyond. Do not aim for the gates. Instead turn right and walk past the open front of the barn (it looks like you are walking into someone's private property) where you will then see a yellow marker arrow and you can turn left to walk beside the barn, along a track and through into the next field.
The track follows the field boundary and then splits. Take the right hand split down, then through a wooden gate to pick up a path that descends into the woods. Walk through the woods where the paths follows the edge of the River Tees with some broken crags up on your left. (Nice views of the river) The path ascends (This section can be running with water after rain) to pass over a stile; below and opposite you is a small island in the river.
Follow the path to cross a small stream that is marked with two bollards, one named Hunderthwaite and the other Romaldkirk; this stream marks the boundary between the two parishes. Cross over and follow the path through the woods and then through a gate and into an open field. The paths ascends easily to the abandoned buildings of Low Garth.
(8) At Low Garth, take the obvious track which ascends and curves to an opening. After the opening follow the field boundary on your right to the corner where it turns right. At this point pass through a gap into the field on the other side and walk over the the corner ahead of you. Pass over into the next field and walk diagonally leftwards to a corner where there is a gate. Pass through the gate and follow the narrow lane into Romaldkirk. (Look out for the house with the wooden carvings of the swordfish and otters on your right as the lane ends)
(9) Romaldkirk is a delightful village and it is worth taking some time to explore the church. There are two pubs, both of which are recommend. After exploring and/or having refreshments go back to the church and follow the road with the open village green (obvious water pump) on you right and Georgian houses on your left. Walk past the well proportioned houses, almost to the end of the lane where a sign post points left.
Turn left and pass through a gate onto a narrow lane with a holly hedge on the left. Follow the lane, cross a small plank bridge and then cross a stile onto an open field. You will see a cemetery to the left and the path crosses the field, heading towards a dry stone wall. There are two opening in this wall, ignore both of then and continue to another stile over into another filed.
Turn right and walk across this field to follow an obvious breeze block wall. (unusual for an area with so many dry stone walls) Keep the wall on your right until you come to another stile into the next field. Cross over and still keeping the block wall on your right, follow the path around to where you can see Egglestone Hall on the hillside opposite you and a small stone building with the path leading towards it. Walk to the stone building and wooden gate. Pass through to the B6281.
(10) Now turn right (there is no pavement so take care and walk in single file) and walk past a lovely building to the traffic lights and the narrow bridge over the river. Once over, you are back at (1). Now walk up the pavement, under the bridge and past the small waterfall until opposite the entrance to Egglestone Hall. Cross over and walk along the drive (take care) to the Cafe and a well earned cup of tea and piece of cake. (S/E)
