Horden to Easington - Durham Round Trail

(S) Cotsford Lane/Lime Kiln Gill Car Park

From the car park, walk back up Cotsford Lane for a short way until you see a paved footpath on your right. Take this footpath which will take you to the cliff tops where the path will turn sharply left. You will pass the Little Tern Scuplture, continue to follow this path for 1km until you reach Blackhills Gill.

(1) There is access to the beach at this path junction, turn left and cross the bridge over Blackhills Gill heading west until you reach a path junction.

(2) Take the right-hand path heading northeast back towards the cliff tops. This path will then turn north. Continue for another 180m and then follow the path left.

(3) The path will then turn north, ignore the paths to the right (to the beach) and left (to the settling ponds) but continue to follow the path along the cliff tops. The path will turn northwest, keep right at further path junctions maintaining a northerly direction along the cliff tops.

(4) At Fox Holes Dene, the path turns sharply left along the top of Fox Holes Dene towards the railway line.

(5) Before reaching the railway line, look for a path to your right which runs parallel to the railway line for 50m then turns right towards the coast again. Follow the path along the top of Fox Holes Dene to reach the cliff tops again. The path then turns to the left.

(6) After a short distance, there is a beach access point to the right down many steps. Easington pit extended far out to sea here.

(7) At the next path junction, take the right-hand path to continue on the next section of the walk or take the left-hand path passing underneath the railway lines, the car park is to the right, continue straight ahead for the Pay Note Cafe (E).

Transport: There is parking at Easington Local Nature Reserve and at Cotsford Lane/Lime Kiln Gill. From Office Street take the Arriva 24 service to Peterlee and then Arriva 22 to Hawthorn Crescent from where you can walk down to Cotsford Lane. It may be quicker to order a taxi for the return journey. Try Blueline or Chevron taxis.

Facilities: There are no facilities along the route. The Pay Note Cafe is situated at the end of the walk but it is not open every day so you may need to check first.

Accessibility: The start of the walk is along unmade footpaths which can be muddy. Easington Local Nature Reserve is fully accessible on new paths.

• Little Tern Sculpture - modern art on the cliff tops serves to remind us of the amazing wildlife we have here (1).
• Blackhills Gill/Foxholes Dene - These steep wooded valleys carry streams down to the sea (1) and (4).
• Easington Colliery Pit Cage/Local Nature Reserve - at the end of the walk explore Easington Local Nature Reserve and check out the Pit Cage Sculpture.
• Pay Note Cafe - Based in The Old Pay Office, the last remaining building from Easington Colliery.