Heritage Trails The Stephenson Trail - City of Sunderland · 2017. 9. 15. · left path off Paul’s Green. Cross the path and continue straight ahead. Note the sign for the River

Heritage Trails

The StephensonTrailWalk distance and time: 11 miles or 17.7km5 hours (approx.)Start point: Hetton le Hill Community Golf ClubFinish point: River Wear, Sunderland City CentreFacilities and accessibility:Toilets: Hetton Community Pool and Wellness Centre,Silksworth Community Pool, Tennis and Wellness CentreParking: Parking is limited, advise using public transportAccessibility: Not suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs

The Stephenson Trail follows theroute taken by coal wagons on theirway from the Elemore and HettonCollieries to the River Wear. It takesits name from the Stephensonbrothers who designed the railwayin the early 19th century.

The sinking of Hetton Colliery beganon 19 December 1820. After manymonths of excavation, inSeptember 1822, the main coalseam was reached. The successpaved the way for all later miningoperations in the eastern side of theregion, and new collieries wereopened at Elemore, Eppleton andNorth Hetton in 1825.

Hetton Colliery’s owners employedthe great civil engineers George and Robert Stephenson to design a railway to exploit the coal reserves and transport them to the River Wear to be deposited into awaiting keelboats.

The result was quite revolutionary;at over 8 miles in length, it was thelongest railway in existence and thefirst in the world to be specifically

designed to use locomotives. Itopened on 18 September 1822and was to remain in use for thenext 137 years.

In the early days the average speed of the wagons was only four miles per hour, but by 1829speeds had increased to twentynine miles per hour and the railwaywas moving 2,880 tons of coal in an eight hour shift.

The success of the colliery and itsinnovative railway led to furtherextensions of the line to allowEppleton and North Hetton Pits to take advantage of the route tothe sea.

The Hetton Railway finally closed in1959, closely followed in the early1960’s by the Hetton and Lambtonstaithes, the same staithes that hadbegun Sunderland’s coal shipmentssome 140 years before.

Heritage Trails The Stephenson Trail

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Heritage TrailsThe StephensonTrailSummary


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Hetton le Hill to Copt Hill

As you face the golf course take thepath to the right and follow thisround to the left.

At the bend, look to the right and itis just possible to see through thetrees the only surviving building ofElemore Colliery, the pit head baths.

Pass through the black metalbarrier, continue straight ahead,down the slope, keeping the golfcourse on the left and a woodeddene and grassland on the right.

Continue straight ahead untilreaching the bottom of the slope.Bear left and enter into a housingestate through black gates next togarages on the right.

Turn right along a residential street(Pimlico Road). At the junction turnleft onto Gilesgate Road and headdown the bank. At the junction turnright and continue straight aheadtowards the main road and Lilywhite Terrace.

Take care crossing this busy road.Continue straight ahead on the pathin between the pub and cricket clubuntil reaching the next major road,Colliery Lane. Turn right withoutcrossing the road, passing HettonLyons Industrial Estate on the left.

Pass “Lyons Cottages”, shortly afteron the right, note “The Lyons” ashort terrace of white cottageswhere Robert Stephenson once

lived. Note the blue plaque on thegable end.

Continue forward passing LyonsGardens. After Lyons Gardenscross the road and turn left into the industrial estate and take the immediate right down into the car park.

Pass through the green and yellowbarriers, as the path splits keep leftand follow the path round to the left,at the seat turn right. Head downthe slope towards Blossom Pondand Lyons Lake beyond. Passthrough barriers and take the pathto the left of the lake.

At the blue railings turn left.Continue forward through two more sets of blue railings, keepingallotments on your right. Continueon this tarmac path, passingthrough black gates.

Take the second right towards theIndependent Methodist Church. At the Church, turn left andcontinue forward towards Hettontown centre. Take the secondturning on the right, pass the Prince of Wales pub and PrimitiveMethodist Chapel.

Cross the road and continuestraight ahead passing McMurchie’sbutchers on the right. Continuestraight ahead on the tarmac path keeping modern houses onthe right. Note that the fenceopposite St. Bede’s Close is made of railway sleepers.


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STARTEasington

Lane

Lyons

Hetton LyonsCountry Park

A182

A182

B1284

A182 FOUR LANE ENDS

STATION

RO

AD A182

FRO

NT STR

EET

LILYWHITE TERRACE

HIGH STREET

PEMBERTON BANK

Easington Lane

Primary School

ElmoreGolf Course

FootballGround

Car Park

Hetton MoorHouse

Hetton LyonsPrimary School

RecreationGround

CricketGround

RecreationGround

ElmoreVale

Saw Mill

IndustrialEstate

PIMLICO

ROA

D

GILESGATE ROAD

BAILEY W

AY

NORTH ROAD B1284

B1285 COLLIERY LANE

B1285

PARK

GATE

Stables

White Hill

Depot

StablesRecreation

Ground

RecreationGround

FootballGround

Hetton Lyons Park

RICHARD STREETEDWARD STREET

UR

WIN

STREET

CAROLINE STREET

StephensonLake

BlossomPond

Lyons Lake

Car Park

A

B

C

DE

Copt Hill to Doxford

Cross the road and continuestraight ahead on tarmac path. At the houses take a left and follow the path in between the wall and metal fence.

Continue along here and up thesteps to All Saints Drive, continueahead for 150 yards and take theleft path off Paul’s Green. Cross thepath and continue straight ahead.Note the sign for the River Wear.

Where paths meet continue straightahead up a long incline up to GillasLane. Copt Hill and the SevenSisters can be seen on the right.

At the top of the bank turn right andcontinue up along the B1404Seaham Road, passing the golfclub and then the entrance to theEppleton Quarry on the right.

Pass a long strip of forestryplantation that runs alongside theroad on the right. After passing thislook to the right and notice acollection of farm buildings, formerlyan engine house on theLondonderry Railway to Seaham.

At the next set of buildings, turn left,cross the road and take the trackmarked “private road”.


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Rough D

ene B

urn

Hetton

Burn

A183 HO

UG

HTO

N RO

AD

HettonDowns

StablesRecreation

Ground

FootballGround

Lyons Lake

DOWNS PIT LANE

EDWARD STREET

CAROLINE STREET

REGENT STREET

ALL SAINT

S DRIVE

ELM F I EL

D

COPTLEIGH

B1404 SEAHAM ROAD

B1260

B1404 GILLAS LANE

B1404 GILLAS LANE

HETTON-LE-HOLERecreation

Ground

CarPark

Eppleton Quarry

High Downs

Windmill Hill

Wind Turbine

CurlewHope

Low Downs

CricketGround

BroomHill

Coptleigh

Eppleton PrimarySchool

Ford

Rough Dene

Copt Hill

Wind Turbine

The Moors

Club House

Houhgton-le-SpringGolf Course

Warden LawCottages

UR

WIN

STREET

RICHARD STREET

HettonPark

Cemetery

E

F

D

Copt Hill to Doxford(continued)

Follow the private road up the slopeand around as it turns sharply to theleft. Take the first right up the slope,then first right again to re-join therailway line.

Follow this path as it bends roundto the left and continue straightahead. Notice the Stadium of Lightin the distance.

Take the path to the right up to thesummit of Warden Law, continueforward and descend down toHangman’s Lane.

At the road turn left and follow thepath down the bank. Cross tocontinue on the path down thebank. Follow this as it curves to theright and crosses the A19.

Cross the road taking the path tothe left following the blue “W2W”sign. Follow this alongside the A19and as it bends to the right down atree lined avenue.

At the junction of paths turn leftskirting around the edges ofDoxford International. Cross theroad and continue straight ahead.

Note the artwork “inter alia” on theright. After the artwork turn rightand continue straight aheadcrossing two roads before reaching“City Way”.


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B1404 GILLAS LANE Warden LawCottages

Moorside

WardenLaw

Nursery

Dismantled Railw

ay

Workings

Karting TrackTheOld Byre

North FarmCottage

Warden LawNorth Farm

House

Warden LawNorth Farm

Cottage

The Moors

HighfieldHouse

StonygateStables

ThristleyHouse

SilksworthPlantation

PortlandAcademy

High Moors

Dism

antled Railway

B1404

HA

NG

MA

NS

LAN

ESA

LTER

’S L

AN

E

A19

A19CA

MBE

RWELL WAY

G

Doxford to Silksworth(continued)

Take care crossing this fast, busyroad, descend the slope and turnright along the footpath andcontinue as far as the footbridge.Descend down to Silksworth Road.A short detour to the right will leadto Doxford Park.

Otherwise continue straight aheadand cross the road and follow theblue “W2W” signs along the oldrailway line path. To the right areGilley Law Flats.

Cross the road at the crossing andenter into the Silksworth SportsComplex. Take the path to the leftof the lake. Follow the path round tothe lake to its farthest point. Fivepaths converge here.

Take the second path on the left to continue straight ahead to thesecond of the park’s lakes. Walk to the end of the lake keeping to the left side and cross the smallbridge, turn left then left again,crossing the stream and take theimmediate right.

Follow the path all the way up toPremier Road.


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Moorside

PortlandAcademy

CAM

BERWELL WAY

DoxfordDoxford

ParkSilksworth

Hall

NewSilksworth

Mill Hill

FoxholeWood

FarringdonCommunity

Academy

Benedict BiscopCE Academy

DISM

ANTLED

RAI

LWAY

Pit Row

CarPark

CricketGround

GilleylawPlantation

NewporHill

Recreation Ground

Recreation Groun

Ski Slope(Artificial)

TennisCentre

Recreation Ground

TelEx

PoliceStation

Farringdon

CAM

BERW

ELL

WAY

CITY WAY

B1286

SILKSWORTH ROAD

SILKSWORTH ROAD

ABA

DAR

E R

OA

D

A MSTERDAM ROAD

ALN

WIC

K R

OA

D

ARDEN SQUA R E

NO

RTH M

OO

R LANE

Thorney ClosePrimary School

I

H

Silksworth to River Wear

At traffic island cross Premier Roadwith care. Bear right and take thepath on the left down the slope.

Look back to the right and note thesculpture which shows the outlineof an early train set in the grassyembankment.

Continue on the path as it bears tothe left passing behind houses.Pass through an underpass andobserve the artwork of local artistFrank Styles.

At the top of the slope turn leftaround the car park and crossDurham Road using the two stagepedestrian crossing. Bear right,crossing Richard Avenue and backonto the Stephenson Trail.

Note the blue post indicating theRiver Wear some 1.5 miles distant.Continue on this line, crossing tworoads all the way to Chester Road.


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Recreation Ground

Recreation Ground

Ski Slope(Artificial)

TennisCentre

Recreation Ground

TelEx

PoliceStation

NO

RTH M

OO

R LANE

I

High Barnes

SpringwellHumbledon

PlainsFarm

ElstobHouse

LowNewport

Farm

Superstore

Superstore

Humbledon Hill Farm

Humbledon Hill

RecreationGround

RecreationGround

CollegeBarnes Park

Barnes Park

Nursery

Lodge

BishopwearmouthCemetery

SunderlandCrematorium

SunderlandRoyal Hospital

PREMIER ROAD B1405

B1405

HIGH

SIDE

DRIVE

HIP

SBU

RN D

RIV

E

SILK

SWO

RTH

LAN

E

QUEEN ALEXANDRA ROAD

A690

A69

0A690

A690

DUR

HAM

ROAD

A69

0 D

UR

HA

M R

OA

D

RICHARD AVENUE

RANSON STREET

WEA

RHEAD

DR

IVE

EDEN HOUSE ROAD

TH

ELMA STREET

WESTER N HILL

CHESTER ROAD

ARKS ROAD

Silksworth to River Wear(continued)

Cross Chester Road and continueahead on the path. At the road turnright and continue forward keepingthe embankment on the right.Cross over the metro line (formerlyPenshaw to Pallion railway) andcontinue straight ahead towards the busy road and roundabout.

Cross this road using the trafficisland to the right of the roundaboutand head in the direction of the citycentre. Take the road to the leftmarked with blue “C2C” signs thatdescends down to the river.

You are now passing throughGalley’s Gill. Descend the Gill andpass under the bridge. On the leftare two disused railway tunnels.

Continue until reaching the end ofthe path overlooking the riverbeneath the Wearmouth Bridges.

This completes the 11 mile trail; youhave now retraced the journeymade by the very first steam-hauledtrain over 170 years ago.


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FINISH

Deptford

Bishopwearnouth

MowbrayExtension

Park

A69

0 D

UR

HA

M R

OA

D

WEA

RHEAD

DR

IVE

EDEN HOUSE ROAD

TH

ELMA STREET

WESTER N HILL

CHESTER ROAD

ST MARKS ROAD

J

K

Southwick

Monkwearmouth

Ayre’s QuayMillfield

Mowbray Park

BuildingHill

CivicCentre

The Bridges

University

University

Car Park

Galley’sGill

Gill Bridge(Foot)

WearmouthStaiths

Wreath Q

uay

WearmouthBridge

Quay

Works

Bus Depot

ScrapYard

Queen AlexandraBridge

Works

Warehouses

Quay

Thirlwell

Bank

DepotStadium of Light(Sunderland AFC)

Swimming Pool

Bus Depot

RABY STREET

CHESTER

TE

RRACE NORTH

CHESTER TERRACE

HA

RLO

W S

T TH

ELE

AZ

ES

RAIL

WAY

RO

W

JOHNSON STREET

A1231

FARR

INGD

ON

RO

W

A) Hetton le Hill Community Golf Club

The golf course is built upon thereclaimed site of Elemore Colliery. The colliery had been founded in1825. It was built on land leased from the Baker family of the nearbyElemore Hall.

B) Pithead Baths

The only surviving buildings ofElemore Colliery are the grade II listedpit head baths designed by F.G.Frizzell and built in 1933. The centraltower contained the water tank andthe impressive external design of thebuilding was complimented by aninterior of considerable quality – allachieved at a reputed cost of £1,500.

C) The Lyons Cottages

George and Robert Stephenson weretasked with designing the railway thatwould help to facilitate the movementof coal from Hetton to the river Wear.“The Lyons”, are a short terrace ofwhite cottages typical of the early19th century. It was here whereRobert Stephenson once lived.

D) Hetton Lyons Colliery and Country Park

After Hetton Colliery was closed in1950, the land was set aside for thedevelopment of a country park. The reclamation process began in1986 and the park is now animportant place for wetland birdsincluding, coot, moorhen, tufted duck and reed bunting.

E) Hetton Primitive Methodist Church

In 1823 Primitive Methodism enteredHetton. However, work on thisbuilding began in 1856 and it officiallyopened on 22 May 1858. A bottlecontaining the names of the trusteesis believed to be in the foundations.The completion of the building owes much to the contribution andco-operation of the Hetton CoalCompany who supplied buildingmaterials, stone, sand and lime.


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Heritage TrailsThe StephensonTrailPoints of interest

F) Copt Hill

This famous local landmark issteeped in history and is a scheduledancient monument. The barrow thatlies at its heart is a prehistoric burialmound, known locally as the sevensisters, due to the seven (now six)beech trees on the summit.Excavation of the barrow in 1877 byCanon William Greenwell revealedthat the primary burial was a Neolithiccremation believed to be an exampleof an axial mortuary structure.

G) Warden Law

This is the highest point inSunderland. From here one isafforded fantastic views in alldirections, the Cheviot Hills that markthe border with Scotland in the north,the Durham Fells to the west and theNorth York Moors to the south.

H) Doxford Park

Doxford Park is a hidden gem.Originally the grounds of Silksworth(now Doxford) House, it has a historystretching back to 1775, when thehouse was built by William Johnson.Over the years the house has beenoccupied by a number of inhabitants,including a General Beckwith whoserved in the British Army at theBattle of Waterloo. It is however most well known for being the home of the famous Doxfordshipbuilding family, whose yard atPallion developed into one of thegreatest anywhere in the world.

The park itself is home to a number offine mature beech trees and in thespring and summer it is noted for itsbeautiful display of flowers such asSiberian Squill, Glory of the Snow and Autumn Crocus.The area to the east of the park,along Warden Law Lane has its rootsfirmly in the Anglo Saxon age. Indeedit is believed that Silksworth is firstreferenced in a land grant of KingAthelstan, the grandson of Alfred theGreat and the first King of all England.

I) Silksworth Sports Complex

Soon after Silksworth colliery closedin 1971 work began to transform thesite into a huge sporting andwoodland area. The site is currently home to arunning track and artificial ski slope.The surrounding woodland and lakes are home to a variety of birdlife including mute swan, mallardand sparrowhawk.

J) Penshaw Railway

The metro line is built on the oldPenshaw railway line which wasestablished in 1852 to carry freight toHendon. In 1853 it began operating apassenger service into Sunderlandtown centre. The metro line wasextended to Sunderland in 2002.


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K) Galley’s Gill and the River Wear

This area was once one of thebusiest and most intense industriallandscapes in the country. Coalwagons and locos would have beenarrayed across this small plateauabove the river. Note the disusedrailway tunnels to the left. Woodenstaithes would stretch out andoverhang into the ships below,waiting to fill their holds with the“black diamonds”. It is a very different scene today. Theabsence of industry has resulted inthe return of wildlife. Keep an eye outfor common seal, otter and wetlandbirds such as the cormorant.


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Notes:


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Heritage Trails

The StephensonTrail

oce20942

Funded by East Sunderland Area Committee SIB

For more information on walking in Sunderland visit:www.activesunderland.org.uk

Documents

Heritage Trails The Stephenson Trail - City of Sunderland · 2017. 9. 15. · left path off Paul’s Green. Cross the path and continue straight ahead. Note the sign for the River