The Tyne Round
Tyne and Wear
Distance 25km Climb 230m
Friday 27 December 2019
It is not a pretty walk, sometimes it is noisy sometimes smelly but that is to be expected due to the history, industry and industrial history of the River. Which I must sadly confess I know nothing about, but there are historical signs all over. I am always excited when I spot something I have not seen before.
Today it was raining when I joined The Tyne Round after walking down what we call the old mineral line from Monkton Stadium, National Cycle Network (NCN) 11. I started The Tyne Round where NCN 11 joins Western Road the B1297 and I turned right, this is also NCN 14.
After a few hundred meters I turned left at the mini roundabout continuing on the B1297, now Ellison Street which as it bends round to the right becomes Chaytor Street. Following a large green fence for another few hundred meters. I continued to follow the fence as it turned left at another roundabout and headed down towards the Tyne Pedestrian and Cycle Tunnel. NCN 14 heading towards NCN 72.
The large green fence continues down towards the Tyne Pedestrian and Cycle Tunnel. Which has recently been reopened after many years of being closed for refurbishment. What I believe is the original Tyne Tunnel, where the escalators at one time where the longest wooden escalators in the World. Today I used the lift. I have previously recorded another walk through the Tyne Tunnel, you can follow this link to the walk to North Shields.
On the Howden side it was still raining.
I followed the cycle path behind the bus shelter. It only lasts a hundred meters before turning right back onto the A187. Where I crossed the road and followed the NCN 72 sign. I was heading towards Wallsend, Segedunum. This took me to the right, down Bewicke Road. Crossing straight over the bottom of Howden Lane I was walking through Willington.
Just before the Jet petrol station a sign NCN 72 led me right then left to walk behind the petrol station. After a hundred meters I was on Western Road, where I crossed over the road and turned right. Passed the rope factory NCN 72, turns left down a footpath and travels below the impressive looking Iron Metro Bridge. There is a Geocache near here which unfortunately I have not been able to find. Crossing a footbridge over Willington Gut the footpath has a steady climb up hill.
At the top of the bank is one of only a thousand Royal Bank of Scotland sponsored NCN signs. I was back on the A187 only now it was called Hadrian Road.
It is quite a long road and passes the Wallsend Fire Station on the left, a sign shows I am entering Wallsend Segadunum. A few meters on and I passed the Hadrian Road Metro Station on the right. Crossing over the road, the road drops slightly to a roundabout. Looking straight ahead I could see the entrance to Hadrian's Cycleway. This was where I was headed, there was a Geocache near here which I had found on an earlier walk.
This was an old waggonway and the old buffers are still in place along with other features along the route from the industrial path. NCN 72 runs almost parallel to the A187 but it keeps you away from the traffic. After a couple of hundred meters there is another Geocache in the wall to the right, again I found this on an earlier walk.
Passing behind a carwash NCN 72 crosses a narrow road and turns sharp left then right. Looking through a fence on my left I was looking over what would have been Swan Hunters Shipyards towards a large ship. This wasn't there a couple of days ago.
NCN 72 crosses over the entrance to Swans. Which is down to the left and the partly excavated Roman buildings at Segedunum are on the right. This was the end of our Hadrian Wall Path expedition, the last day being an epic, which we had undertaken a few years ago now.
Walking by Segadunum I decided to have a look at the Roman Baths a very short walk from NCN 72. It was interesting to read that these are reconstructed baths. The original baths were discovered when building a coal staith carrying a waggonway to the River in 1814. The exact location was forgotten for 200 years when a community group ran a project and rediscovered the remains.
Returning to NCN 72, after a few hundred meters the route drops down to cross a road and I was now in Newcastle.
As I was walking up the bank from the road I spotted a couple of bullfinches, sitting in the bushes. They were too quick for me as usual but I always feel glad when I see things like this. The rain had stopped as well.
Another few hundred meters and NCN 72 drops down again to cross another road. It was strange as today there was a lovely smell of fresh bread baking which I have never noticed on previous walks (I have since found there are a few bakers in the area but must not open on a weekend when I have usually walked this route. On the other side of the road there was the usual gentle climb back up.
There are factory units and small industrial estates all along NCN 72 and there were some here. Another Royal Bank of Scotland sponsored NCN sign points the way to Newcastle.
Crossing another bridge on NCN 72 there are mountains of scrap on the right. A few days ago when I passed here I thought these were going to collapse onto the path due to the noise but they are still standing as they were and it was all quite today.
Another couple of drops down to cross roads and gentle climbs up again and NCN 72 climbs to pass near some modern houses on the right. A high green, grill type, fence runs on the left of the walk. There are bushes and trees and a steep slop down to the left, it looks very steep in places. At the end of the houses the green fence stops and become a row of black railings. NCN 72 bends slightly to the left. After a few hundred meters there is a split in the path, and this is where I left NCN 72 which turns to my right, I continued on the left path the Hadrian Wall Path although it is not sign posted.
Walking round a barrier with iron pineapples on the posts the path starts to head down hill. Sometimes it is slippery walking down here due to the wet leaves. Half way down the path turns back on its self, as a sort of zig zag as it continues down hill. Giving views back along the River, towards Bill Quay on the other side where I would be walking in a couple of hours.
Near the bottom I followed the National Footpath sign, the Acorn down to the right then right again. I had a quick look down to the left by the River as a few days ago I had spotted a grey heron near the wall, not today though. So I continued right along the path that follows the Rivers edge.
This area is called St Anthony's and was heavily industrialised. There is a notice explaining about the tar works but unfortunately it has been vandalised and is not easy to read. I kept to the path that twists and turns by the River, in one place there are a few steps. This remnants of an old boat intrigues me as to what it was and why it is here.
Often along here I pass people fishing and today was the same. It is also the area a couple of swans can be seen. Today they were just up passed the fishermen, the other day they were in the Marina paddling about next to one of the jetties.
It is not long before the sights of Newcastle appear around the bends. Leaving the blue railing the path continues by the River. It is a good path however in places due to the amount of rain there are a few deep puddles. Someone has carved a mushroom out of a fallen tree.
In a few hundred meters I had reached the houses on the edge of St Peter's Marina. Across the River I could see the path I would be walking on my way back.
Passed the houses I reached St Peter's Marina.
Crossing the bridge over the Marina's entrance. It is always interesting to look down on the many different types of boats held here.
Passed the Marina I continued to follow the Acorn sign as it turned right then left up Bottlehouse Street. At the end there is another right turn then a left down St Lawrence Road, back towards the River.
There is a large open expanse of land on the Quayside with a large grey fence around it. The Hadrian Wall Path follows the fence along the Quayside. After a few hundred meters I had reached Ouse Burn and caught my first glimpse of the Tyne Bridge and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge (The Blinking Eye). A sign has the Acorn but also shows I am back on NCN 72.
Following the Quayside over Ouse Burn I followed the Acorn down to the River.
A few people were out. Not as many as the other day, the Sunday before Christmas at the Quayside Sunday Market. Passed the Millennium Bridge the path re-joins the Quayside and after a couple of hundred meters there is an area that was recently done up with a tepee and pods called HMS Newcastle. In the summer it is made out as the Quayside Seaside.
At the end of this area the pedestrian Quayside joins the Quayside B1600 near the Law Courts I moved off the Hadrian Wall Path and turned right onto Broad Chare by the Law Courts.
Passed Trinity House I took the steep bank up Dog Bank.
Following round to the right onto Pilgrim Street, still climbing and continues to climb onto All Hallows Lane passing All Saints Church.
At the top I crossed the carpark on the left and took the steps onto City Road A167, where I turned left onto the Tyne Bridge.
I had noticed earlier in the week when I walked here the interesting architecture on the buildings down to the left. The balconies around the tops of the buildings, the chimneys and the arches on the chimneys. All very interesting.
Crossing the bridge which was opened by King George V, I passed another Geocache. I was now heading into Gateshead and spotted a number of interesting buildings on the far side.
Turning left off the Bridge I followed Church Street as it drops slightly down to the left. Right up Cannon Street then left down to The Sage. A good toilet stop.
Passing through The Sage I took the steps down.
Down on Hillgate I turned right, Hillgate turns into South Shore Road passing The Baltic. I was now following NCN 14 back towards Jarrow and the Tyne Pedestrian and Cycle Tunnel.
It passes by a hotel on my left and a high glass office block on my right, still on South Shore Road. After a few industrial units and a few hundred meters it turns sharp right and heads uphill for a short while. Then first left, continuing along NCN 14 and South Shore Road. More industrial units and a scrap yard. In the River stands The Kittiwake Tower. The road become a path, just a little way along I took the steps down to the River side and turned right.
I like it along here, passing through the carpark I continue by the River back onto NCN 14. Down by the water ducks were sleeping. I could see St Peter's Marina on the far side.
This always intrigues me, what is it? When the tide is out you can see old tyres here at the waters edge.
After a few meters NCN 14 turns left to continue by the River. Across the River I could see where I had walked earlier in the day, just a few short hours ago.
Just before the yellow bus I climbed NCN 14 up a short bank passed a hotel and a small boatyard onto Green Lane. Following the road to the left for a few meters. At the junction I continued on NCN 14, sometime the sign is hard to see due to the trees.
NCN 14 climbs and once out of the trees I could see across the River where I had walked earlier, the fishermen where still there. The path twists and turns for a few hundred meters before turning right under trees and climbing up beside a factory up onto Nest Road, where I turned left. At the corner Nest Road turns right onto Stoneygate Lane, still on NCN 14.
Climbing Stoneygate Lane NCN 14 turns left onto Abbotsford Road. After a few hundred meters I took the footpath with an overgrown entrance down to the left just before a small industrial unit. This path twists and turns behind the small industrial unit and the factory site on Stoneygate Lane. In places the path is full of water, there must be a water leak somewhere.
At the bottom there are a few stables and a large weeping willow, in the summer the weeping willow is impressive as it drapes its branches over the area. Crossing the lane, I was back on NCN 14 as it drops down to run beside a large high fence. After a few meters I was walking back by the River.
I continued by the River, I like it here.
After a short climb the path passes under some trees away from the River beside an old wall and industrial unit to my left. The wood moves up hill to my right below the Bill Quay Community Farm.
At the top there is a junction I continued on NCN 14 below the Cricketers. The path rises and falls a little along here.
Another turn to the right and a climb, at the top I turned left following NCN 14. After a few more hundred meters of down then a slight up I turned left staying on NCN 14 down towards the River and Hebburn Riverside Park. At the bottom of the bank I turned right to walk just above the River.
The park has a light feature, not too far from a Geocache, and a jetty with work done by local children showing many local features. Along the River, on the other side, I could see the Segadunum viewing platform. Which I had passed earlier.
At the end the road turns right then left around another small boat yard. NCN 14 turns left after a couple of hundred meters, at the end of the boatyard. There was another Geocache along here I am not sure if it is still there. The path passes TS Kelly Sea Cadets, I believe named after HMS Kelly which was built in Hebburn and commanded by Lord Louis Mountbatten.
Passed TS Kelly, NCN 14 drops down to the left and onto another small riverside park. I could see clearly the large ship at Swans on the other side of the River was standing on large pillars.
Fishermen here were packing up and leaving as I reached the bottom of Ellison Street, a long steep street to climb. I was on the South Tyneside Heritage Trail, I have walked here lots of times but one time was when I did part of the Trail.
The old Hawthorn Leslie Shipyard is on the left looking up Ellison Street which was where HMS Kelly was built.
At the top I turned left onto Lyon Street, still on NCN 14 and the South Tyneside Heritage Trail. It was a straight road now almost too the finish. Over a roundabout onto Wagonway Road. A little way down the road there is an interesting feature, half a tiled wall on the road side and I often wonder when I pass what this was?
A little further on and I passed the entrance of a shipyard and timber yard. Where there are some old train tracks and I believe another Geocache is still near here.
It was starting to get a little darker as I cross the last roundabout.
More to follow
Boz North
Details correct at time of walking.
If you have enjoyed reading my walk or found it useful you may also like to read other walks I have done in Tyne and Wear or other areas. Please check out the links on the right hand side.
Follow link to a walk from Jarrow to North Shields through the Pedestrian Tunnel.
Follow link to the Hadrian Wall Path that shows Newcastle to Wallsend.
Follow link to the South Tyneside Heritage Trail.
