Newcastle and Gateshead - 10 Leisure Walks

by: Anthony Toole
Newcastle and Gateshead lie at the heart of what was once the industrial powerhouse of Britain. Although these once-powerful industries have largely now gone, their relics cannot easily be erased. With assistance from the Newcastle and Gateshead Councils, and the Northumberland and Durham Wildlife Trusts, they have been transformed into parks and Nature reserves. Barren pit heaps have become flower-covered grasslands. Subsidence hollows are now water filled, their reed-bed fringes providing shelter for wildfowl. The cuttings and embankments of abandoned railway tracks are now colonised by trees and dense shrubbery.

The walks in this book, which all lie within a 10-mile radius of the centres of Newcastle and Gateshead, vary in length from 2 to 6 miles, and are all accessible by public transport. For the most part, they follow level footpaths, though some contain short, uphill sections. They are all suitable for families, or for groups who wish to follow a leisurely rather than an energetic route. With the exception of the Quaysides walk, they take footpaths through reclaimed, former industrial land, many of them along the courses of old railway tracks. Clear route directions are provided together with simple sketch maps. The book is well illustrated throughout with colour photographs. The handy size also means it will slip easily into your pocket, protected by the tough cover.

The walk locations are:
Big Waters, near Brunswick Village - 3.25 miles
Havannah Nature Reserve - 2 miles
Weetslade Hill - 3 miles
Swallow Pond and Rising Sun Hill - 3.25 miles
Newcastle and Gateshead Quaysides - 2.25 miles
Newburn and Wylam - 6 miles
Blaydon Burn - 3 miles
Clockburn Lake - 3.5 miles
Watergate Forest Park - 3.25 miles
Causey Arch - 4 miles

ISBN 9780857100788 Pages 64 (2013) 110mm x 155mm hardback