PRIMROSE HILL

PRIMROSE HILL CIRCULAR WALK site visit, wed. 15th June 2011. Ken & Peter present.
We left Shiney Row shortly after 09:00 and headed for the Gill, crossing the route of the Leamside Waggonway and passing the new estate of Biddick Woods. We entered the Gill and turned left at the crossroad; the day had promise of sunshine and warmth; the birds were singing and at the Bournmoor end of the gill, a Gray Squirrel ran across the road.
We passed behind the Garden Centre to get to Bournmoor, but due to a dangerous road crossing in the village, we thought it might be better to join the road at Wapping Bridge and proceed to Bournmoor along the main road.
Through the housing at Bournmoor and down to the road by the Floaters Mill Pub (closed). We crossed the road and went into Lumley Park Dene. Through the dene along the riverside path and (almost under the A1(M) bridge) we inspected the site of a mill which appears to have been part of a fair sized complex.
Right turn and up the steps to the edge of the dene and then left onto the access road. Near the house, there is a sign saying “Drive slowly, Children and Grandpa at play”. This sign has been present for many years and I suspect that the original children are now the grandparents! Passing the house, we entered the lower part of the dene and stopped for refreshment in the woods.
The birds continued to sing and whilst we sat, a Treecreeper put in an appearance.
Continuing through the woods and passing a clump of Yew trees we made our way toward Garden House. This appears to have been the kitchen garden for Lumley Castle.
After passing Garden House, Ken inspected a dangerous bit of riverside path before we crossed the next bridge to arrive at Lumley Castle. At this point, I realised that we should have crossed the bridge just before Garden House. (Please don’t shoot the navigator!).
We headed along the old road behind the castle and crossed the main road near the junction for Great Lumley (another dangerous crossing). Walking up Back Lane toward Great Lumley, a Gray Squirrel ran across in front of us. Just north of the village, we turned off the road (another bad crossing point here) and into a dene which took us to Scorer’s Lane. Bait stop in the sunshine, on a pleasant grassy bank just before the road.
Crossing the fields and battling our way through oilseed rape, we proceeded to Lumley Thicks and crossed the A1(M). Just across the bridge, there is a footpath (through the site of Lumley Brickworks – rough - bricks underfoot!) which passes south of the new housing estate, goes through woodland and emerges onto a metalled farm access road. Left here and down to the Leamside road where we turned left and crossed the road at Finchale Terrace. A footpath took us from here, through The Bill Forth Memorial Park.
The Bill Forth Memorial Park is named after the Northumbria Police sergeant, a 36-year-old married father-of two, who was murdered while on duty in Gateshead in 1993. He was beaten and stabbed to death after answering a routine call to a disturbance in Sunniside where he was confronted by a gang of youths.
There has been a problem with off road bikers here in the past and the park has been renovated recently after vandalism.
Through the Park to the Morton House access road where we turned left again to cross the Fencehouses road at the War Memorial. After waffling around and discovering some grotty areas, we decided that on the day of the walk, we would miss this bit and at the main road, turn left and go directly to the Sixpit railway path.
The railway path used to boast an absolutely massive railway embankment where it crossed the burn, but the embankment is long gone along with the railway.
We diverted to the Floaters Mill Pub (now open) and afterwards picked up the railway path further on and proceeded under Elba Bridge to Elba Park from where, there is no direct access to the south east of Shiney Row, the way we had hoped to end the walk. Crossing Chester Road we passed through a new housing estate to end the day. Not very pretty and, so we decided that on the day of the walk we should go from Elba Bridge to Wapping Bridge and finish by retracing our steps through the gill to Shiney Row.
A good day with lots of wildlife: Kestrels, a Treecreeper, Gray Squirrels, bird song, Common Spotted Orchid, Red Campion, Herb Robert, Herb Bennet, Garlic, Comfrey, Umbellifers, Forget me Nots, Speedwell, a profusion of Poppies, and lots more.
PRIMROSE HILL CIRCULAR WALK Sunday 20th June 2011.Ken and Peter present plus 2 keen walkers; the route was modified after the site visit walk showed some concerns.
In Lumley Park Dene, we crossed the stream just before Garden House instead of after, then instead of crossing the main road at the junction to reach Lumley; we went further up the track from the castle and crossed the road to reach Lumley by the pit site, finally, on leaving the Morton House road at Fencehouses War Memorial, we followed the main road to the Sixpit railway path.
Overnight rain made the route a little bit muddy in places. In Lumley Park Dene, Gray Wagtails flew down the stream in front of us. We stopped to view the mill site below the A1(M) bridge and after passing below the bridge and climbing the steps; we looked back toward Shiney Row and saw a Buzzard circling over the gill. Refreshment stop in the wood at the same spot as before. The rain by now was a definite threat. We crossed the stream by the bridge just before Garden house and at the edge of the dene got onto the old road leading from Lumley Castle. In view of the bad road crossing to get directly to Lumley, we walked further up the track and crossed the main road to reach the village via the pit site. Into the dene behind the village and up to Scorers Lane. By now, the rain had set in with a vengeance and we had a bait stop in the same spot as Wednesday, but instead of sunshine we were cowering under a tree eating soggy sandwiches and drinking watered-down coffee.
Decked in waterproofs; proceeding along Scorers Lane, avoiding roadside puddles (large), we bypassed the Oilseed Rape field in order to avoid a complete soaking and then continued to Lumley Thicks. Over the A1(M) and through the brickworks site to reach Woodstone Village, then through the Bill Forth Memorial Park to the Morton House road. At the Fencehouses War Memorial, we turned left, along the main road to the Sixpit railway path. (We decided not to visit the Floaters Mill pub as we thought the landlord might not like us dripping all over his floor.) The railway route took us over the burn, in the direction of Elba Park. Along the way we met a couple of friendly horses and a rather shy foal. At Elba Park, the rain had eased off and I managed to find a (damp) seat and pulled off my waterproof trousers.
A unanimous decision was taken to cross Chester Road and return to Shiney Row through the Gill, retracing the route out. On the footpath we found a Newt (I almost stood on it). After a photo session, we picked it up and carried it well away from the road, leaving it at the edge of the Gill.
The remainder of the walk was uneventful if a bit damp and we arrived at our destination with a pleasant, if moist walk behind us.
Hawkbits/Catsears, Orchids, Herb Robert, Red Campion, Bladder Campion, Poppies, Oxeye Daises, Crosswort, Vipers Bugloss, Swallows, Swifts, Gray Wagtails, A Buzzard, Wrens and Robins. Chiff Chaffs and Willow Warblers serenaded us and there was lots more wildlife along the way.

Peter the Rambler.