Route Summary - Coanwood, South Tyne Trail, Burnstones, Towsbank Wood, Coanwood |
After leaving the car park we joined the South Tyne Trail following a sign for Lambley Viaduct. The South Tyne Trail follows the line of the former Haltwhistle-Alston railway. The path took us past the former Coanwood Station to the viaduct from where we could see great views of the River South Tyne.
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The viaduct was designed by one of the great names of railway engineering in the North East, Sir George Barclay-Bruce. It stands to a height of 110ft above the River South Tyne, and has nine 58ft span arches and seven 20ft spans. On 17 November 1852 this last link in the Haltwistle-Alston branch line was opened by the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway Company. Sir George was only 31 years of age when the viaduct was opened.
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After crossing the very impressive Viaduct we descended some stone steps to the right, giving us a good view of the viaduct from below, to join a footpath which took us across fields to join a minor road. Here we turned left soon meeting the A689 where we turned right then right again on to another road.
A short way down this road there was a footpath to our left which we followed, walking parallel to an old railway cutting which could be seen in the distance to our right, to join another minor road. Here we walked due south, crossing the A689, to join the Pennine Way, which we followed down to Burnstones. Shortly before Burnstones we stopped for lunch sheltering from what wind there was behind a dry stone wall, a real suntrap. At Burnstones we crossed the A689 to leave the Pennine Way , crossing Thinhope Burn, to join a minor road heading east. Soon we picked up a footpath to our left taking us to another minor road.
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We followed this road, passing Knarsdale Hall on our right, crossing the River South Tyne at Eals Bridge, bearing right at a T junction, then at a bend in the road taking the footpath to our left, which took us through Towsbank Wood. We continued on the path through Towsbank, then just after Ashholme, walked along a minor road, beside Beacon Hill Plantation, for a short distance, before taking a footpath to our left which led us into Coanwood
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