Crimdon Dene & The Durham Coastal path

Proceed down through the car park with the sea and beach (A) on your left and pass the building at the bottom on your right. Bear right at the bird watching hut and go down to pass over a footbridge over the Crimdon Beck. Go straight ahead up a footpath through the fields and cross a footbridge over the Hartlepool to Sunderland railway. Turn right after the footbridge and follow the route of the former Hart to Haswell railway. (B) After passing under two large green bridges the track continues through a long tree-lined cutting. Eventually pass some information boards and continue along a large embankment and then through the next cutting. (A) Crimdon Dene beach is one of the best in County Durham. It used to be even more popular and information on past activities is given on information boards in the car park. The beach is home to a rare colony of Little Terns who come from Africa to nest here between May and August. You may meet people at the birdwatching hut keeping an eye on nests at those times. Please keep out of the fenced areas to avoid disturbing nests.(B) The Hart to Haswell railway line was built in the 1830's to allow coal to reach the coast from the inland colleries. It reduced in importance for passenger traffic when the coastal railway was completed in 1905. It closed in 1980 and is now a foot and cycle path.

Look for a signed footpath on the left, it is just before a gate and stile on the right. Take this and follow it downhill through the wood into the bottom of Nesbitt Dene. Turn right and follow a track along the bottom of the valley. Ignore the "Private Road" signs and the logs across the track, which are there to deter motorised vehicles. It is a public footpath so you have a right of way on foot. The track fords the stream, which might have completely dried up after a warm spell, or may be impassable after wet weather. Ignore a track going left and keep straight on. After re-fording the stream, keep on the track as it climbs back up the hill through woods. Continue through a field with a hedge on your left and turn left at the end of the field. Go up a track with a white house on your left, and as soon as the cobbles start just beyond the house, turn right down a path back onto the former railway track. Turn right and follow it back to the point that you left it to go down into the wood. If the stream is impassable after wet weather, retrace your steps back up to the old railway, go left a few paces to find the gate and stile on the right, which is waypoint [3].

Cross the stile by the gate on the left to enter a field and go straight ahead with a pond on your left. When the trees on the left end, continue straight ahead through the field, passing 50 metres from the farm on your right and aiming just left of the telegraph pole on the skyline that is nearest to the farm. Immediately after the telegraph pole go half right right to a gap in the hedge. Go through and turn left down the farm access track to its end. Turn left along the road and where it bears left, continue straight ahead through a gate on a fenced footpath through the grounds of the Tweddle Adventure farm. Go straight across its car park and up a footpath between wire fences on the opposite side. At the top of the hill, cross a stile on the right and continue on a footpath along the right hand side of a field. Cross a stile in the next corner and bear left. Follow the overhead wires, to find a stile just right of a house that leads onto the main road.

Turn right and follow the road for 500 metres, passing Crimdon Terrrace, a row of houses with bus stops, on your right. Beyond them turn left along a concrete track that goes under the railway. Bear right immediately after the railway bridge and follow a path along the side of a dene to reach the coastal cliffs. Turn right and follow the cliffs past a caravan park on your right, keeping close to the wooden cliff top fence on your left, all the way back to the start. The coastal path has been affected by landslips. Follow diversions which may involve steep descent and ascent.