Belsay walks

The walk starts from the entrance to Meldon Hall Gardens close to Hartburn, Northumberland. The location is steeped in history having been passed from the last Saxon Earl of Northumberland to the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaler. Passing on the route Angerton hall built in1842 by John Dobson, Low Angerton where the ruins of a 16th century bastle can be seen and Meldon Church which dates from around 1200

Broadly flat 5 mile walk starting in a layby 200 metres from Bellasis bridge (see practical information). Note: Do not be tempted to park on the grass, as there are many hidden ditches and gulleysYou will also have to cross the River Pont on stepping stones, but these are very secure.The river is just a narrow trickle at the moment (August 2025).Not passable in a wet winter.

The 1st stage of this trail is a beautiful walk in Northumberland. It starts at the small church of St Oswald near Hadrian's Wall and crosses open countryside, passes through the village of Acomb before winding its way through Hexham to Hexham Abbey. There is so much to learn about the history of Northumbria along this walk.

The Way of Light is one of the Northern Saints Trails, starting in Northumberland, it passes through a number of religious sites ending at Durham Cathedral. This walk is very special as it also takes in beautiful scenery throughout the walk and passes through the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The route passes through many pretty villages which will no doubt make you want to linger a little while. Highlights along the way include Hexham Abbey, Blanchland, Ushaw College and of course Durham Cathedral.

Nice easy walk containing disused railway tracks. It is ok for kids and doggies. Partly follows old rail tracks.

This walk mixes the urban landscapes of Newcastle with the beautiful Jesmond Dene. Visit a ruined chapel, holy well and city centre museum to finish the walk.

A circular walk with a lot of interest. From the prehistoric rock art, bronze age burial cairns and iron age hill fort at Lordenshaw, to the lovely scenic walk over the Simonside hills, to the iron age hill fort overlooking Great Tosson through to the tranquil return through the Simonside forest.

This urban section of the Angel's Way is broken up with a walk around Gosforth Golf Course and optionally the Gosforth Nature Reserve, finishing at the Brandling Villa.

Explore our historic local town and its surrounding countryside.

The 2nd section of the walk leaves busy Hexham and follows the Devil's Water across open countryside to Dukesfield Arches.

This section of the Angel's Way explores Newcastle City Centre and Quayside. It starts in the suburb of Jesmond, takes in Exhibition Park, shopping areas, the magnificent Grainger Town and three key churches of St Thomas, St Mary and St Nicholas, Newcastle Castle and Keep before dropping down an ancient street, Side, to the Quayside finishing at the Millennium Bridge.

Newcastle was once a walled city with a castle (the clue is in the name). This city walk traces the route of the old city walls, some of which remains, through the modern city centre and along Newcastle Quayside passing many notable sites along the way.

This journey through Gateshead begins at the Baltic Centre for Contempoary Art on the Quayside and ends at the spectacular Angel of the North passing under the iconic Tyne Bridge, passing through the town centre, Victorian park and residential areas.

The 9th and final section of the Great North Road crosses the River Tyne, the original boundary between County Durham and Northumberland, over the iconic Tyne Bridge into Newcastle Upon Tyne and traces the route through the city, passing the Town Moor to Gosforth along the Great North Road - look out signs bearing this name as you walk.

This short circular walk will take you along the banks of Ouseburn through the former industrial area of Newcastle, now a centre for creativity with its galleries, farm and abundance of restaurants and bars. This walk is excellent for children as there is so much to do and see along the way.

Pleasant wooded walking in our local valley.

An easy stroll to a Woodland Trust property.

Nice little circular walk on the edge of Slaley.

The 3rd section of the walk continues through Northumberland finishing on the border with County Durham. Start the walk by viewing the Dukesfield Arches, then continue to follow the Devil's Water to Slaley Forest. After visiting a quarry, continue to the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty before finishing the walk in the pretty village of Blanchland.

This walk begins at Causey Arch and ends at Beamish following woodland paths for the majority of the route with one small section across fields linking two historically important locations. Be sure to explore Causey Arch and Tanfield Railway before beginning the walk.

This is the 6th section of the Durham Round Trail walk. Continuing to follow the C2C cycle path, the first half of the walk is through urban landscapes, passing through Consett and then into open countryside, following the Saints' Trail the Way of Light to Rowley Station Picnic Area. Rowley Station itself is now in Beamish Museum.

This rural stretch of the Angel's Way begins at the Angel of the North and after passing under the A1 follows a paths across farmland and through woodland passing a number of villages on the way to Beamish. On there way, there are views of the area where once coalmines could be seen including those of Kibblesworth and Bewicke Main.

An easy ramble around Derwent Reservoir from Pow Hill Country Park to the Millstone Picnic area and back. Very easy walking, well signposted and with well maintained paths. Popular with day trippers, take a picnic.

This walk along the dunes and golden sandy beach passes a number of nature reserves. There is an abundance of wildlife but also grazing animals along this stretch, it is nature at its best.

This section of the walk follows the old railway route and forms the second part of the Bowes Railway Path, starting at Birtley near the Bowes Incline (named after the system of pulleys used to pull coal trucks uphill) and continuing through open farmland to the Tanfield Railway and Causey Arch, the oldest surviving single span railway bridge. This walk celebrates the history of the Pontop and Jarrow Railway.

This final stretch of the walk starts at Beamish and follows cycle paths through countryside and villages into Chester-le-Street town centre alongside Chester Burn, finishing at St Mary and St Cuthbert;s Church one of the many churches on the pilgrim walking route.

This 4th section of the Durham Round Trail walk continues to follow the C2C cyle route though open countryside and then through towns and villages ending at Annfield Plain. Interestingly, the coop buildings from Annfield Plain were moved to Beamish Museum which is well worth a visit.

This part of the walk starts at Beamish and follows the C2C cycle route back towards Birtley and Washington through open fields and the outskirts of villages. The walk is downhill for most of the route along hard cycle paths and there is accessible to most.

This 5th and short section of the Durham Round Trail walk continues to follow the C2C cycle route through villages and countryside. It can easily be combined with other sections on the route.

The 8th section of the Along the Great North Road walk continues through urban landscapes of many different architectural types, traditional Tyneside flats, modern developments, Victorian and interwar semi-detached houses, and many inns, both new and old, giving plenty of evidence of the Great North Roads route. The walk also passes the iconic Angel of the North and the beautiful Victorian Saltwell Park, allow plenty of time for diversions.

The path continues along the C2C cycle route then passes through the new village of Rickleton and the old village of Picktree before passing the Lambton estate with its ornate castle then winding its way through the grounds of Lumley Castle on the banks of the Wear.

From the stunning Souter Lighthouse to the small fishing harbour at Amble, this section of the route passes many monuments and includes a ferry ride across the Tyne. Industry, tourist sites, lovely beaches and history are all covered in this section of the walk. The walk involves paved foothpaths as well as dirt footpaths and sand dunes. Many of the sections are accessible and details are given in the individual section details.

Amble marks the start (or end) of the England Coast Path, however this will be extended further into Northumberland in time. Amble is known as the 'friendliest port' and is a good place to explore before starting the walk along the dunes with stunning beaches and nature reserves to explore along the way.

A good 20 mile route around Kidland Forest, starting from Alwinton. This can be done in either direction, but I prefer the way described, as it has one steep 10% climb and then undulates. Please note that there is forestry work taking place in 2025, so please avoid this route when logging is taking place, but enjoy it on weekends.

A lovely circular walk with a lot of interest via hill forts, ancient settlements, open moorland and riverside views. This version means fording the river at the end but a dry alternative is also given.

This walk explores the hills that lie just inside the southern boundary of the Northumberland National Park at the head of Coquetdale. The hills in the southern part of the Northumberland National Park offer some fine walking. This route starts from the small village of Alwinton and follows paths, tracks and quiet country lanes for the most part. However some sections are pathless and a good sense of direction is necessary. The walk is best avoided if low cloud is covering the hills. Also do be prepared for some boggy areas especially after rain.

An easy circular walk from Alwinton; taking in the ruins of the castle at Harbottle and then up to the Drake Stone in the Harbottle Hills. Descend to Harbottle Lake and return via the forest path. Great views on a clear day.

This 3rd section of the Durham Round Trail walk, begins with an urban walk through the outskirts of Chester-le-Street before picking up the C2C cycle route making the walking easy going, however the entire route is uphill alll the way from Chester-le-Street to Beamish. Look out for sculptures along the way which relate to the industrial past as well as legend.

This is the 9th section of the Way of Learning. Beginning in Chester-le-Street, the walk begins in the urban town centre, then retraces the route back to Riverside Park with a walk along the banks of the Wear. Passing by Lumley Castle again, the walk continues on the opposite bank of the river before climbing up through farmland to the village of Great Lumley. Leaving the village the route continues along country lanes before descending through woodland to Finchael Priory.