This walk is part of the trek Great North Forest Path.
This rural section of the walk takes in three of the North East's best known locations, Penshaw Monument, the River Wear and Washington Wetlands.
Calculated time: 1h30[?] 
Distance : 4.68km
Vertical gain : 50m
Vertical drop : 109m
Highest point : 125m
Lowest point : 7m 
Difficulty : Moderate
Back to starting point : No
Walking
Location : Tyne and Wear
Starting point : N 54.879135° / W 1.481587° 
Ending point : N 54.899741° / W 1.486129° (D) From the car park, walk walk up the access road and take the new footpath up to Penshaw Monument, this has a number of steps. Alternatively take one of the dirt paths around the bottom of the hill (gate opposite the roundabout).
(1) From Penshaw Monument, take either the left path down the steps and through a kissing gate, then taking the path to the right, or the right path down the hill and over a stile (north side of Penshaw Monument). Enter Penshaw Woods and take the path heading northwest. This will then intersect with another path coming through Penshaw Wood.
(2) Turn right (northeast) and walk through the woods. You will emerge into a field, cross the field and go through the kissing gate onto the road. Turn left and follow the road down to the farm, continue following the road around towards the golf course
(3) As you approach the golf course youw will see a gate in front of you, go around the side of the gate and follow this path, this maintains the northeasterly direction then turns left (northwest). Copperas Gill will be on your right. When you reach the river bank, turn left. You will now be on the Weardale Way.
Alternative route: When you emerge from the gate, turn left and then take the next left along the road, be careful as there is no footpath. After the double bend, take the right hand turn down the road, there is a footpath here. Follow this road all the way to the river bank (Oddfellows Arms) and then turn left, you will now be on the Weardale Way. This village section is a good alternative when it is wet.
(4) Cross the River Wear using the bridge at Cox Green. Walk through the car park and take the righthand track, this is signposted the C2C cycle route. Take the left path (the right one is the driveway to the house) around the back of the house, this then swings right (east) through the woods back to the north bank of the Wear.
(5) Continue walking along the river bank ignoring the paths to your left until you pass under some overhead power lines. Just before you pass under the second set of overhead power lines, the path turns left (north). Continue to follow this path which bends right then left before taking a right turn around a pond to your right and a factory to your left, then left again until you arrive at the car park for the Wetlands Trust (A).
Waypoints :
D : km 0 - alt. 85m - Penshaw Tearooms Car Park
1 : km 0.57 - alt. 125m - Penshaw Monument
2 : km 0.84 - alt. 104m - Penshaw Woods, Track Junction
3 : km 1.9 - alt. 36m - Gate
4 : km 3.06 - alt. 7m - Cox Green Footbridge
5 : km 3.91 - alt. 11m - Overhead Lines
A : km 4.68 - alt. 23m - Washington Wetlands Trust Car Park
Transport: Park in either Herrington Country Park car park, Penshaw Tearoom car park or in the layby at the foot of Penshaw Monument. You will need to catch 2 buses back to Penshaw Monument, from the car park at the Wetlands Trust, walk up Barmston Lane and then at the junction turn right, you need Waterview Park Stand 3, take bus 37 towards Doxford Park, getting off at Chester Road, Station Road, then take bus 78 Country Ranger towards Sunderland back to Penshaw Monument from this stop. Alternatively, get off the 37 at Parkway/Glastonbury and take 2A Berries towards Silksworth.
Facilities: There are toilets and a cafe at Herrington Country Park and at Penshaw Tearooms. There are also toilets and a cafe at Washington Wetlands.
Accessibility: This walk includes steps, rough grass paths, kissing gates and stiles as well as some steep inclines and is deemed not to be accessible.
Visorando and this author cannot be held responsible in the case of accidents or problems occuring on this walk.
5.91km
+34m
-24m
1h45
Easy
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9.95km
+104m
-111m
3h10
Easy
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7.41km
+91m
-90m
2h25
Easy
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2.22km
+19m
-19m
0h40
Easy
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8.44km
+11m
-40m
2h25
Easy
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8.71km
+37m
-59m
2h35
Easy
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7.41km
+25m
-8m
2h10
Easy
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15.71km
+115m
-117m
4h50
Moderate
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The GPS track and description are the property of the author.
