Along the lines 1: The Auckland Way

 

The Spennymoor to Byers Green section of the railway line was opened in 1841. It was part of the Clarence Railway Company’s “Byers Green Railway.” Initially, the train transported coal and serviced Port Clarence in Teesside. The route between Byers Green and Bishop Auckland opened in 1885, after which the line was opened up to passengers. The line closed in 1939. The line from Bishop Auckland to Spennymoor is now a path of 4.3 miles, frequented regularly by walkers and cyclists, designated as The Auckland Way.

It begins – if travelled in a southernly direction – just in front of Rosa Street School in Spennymoor. This starting point hosts one of the Norman Cornish information points. These information points were set up to commemorate the various places around Spennymoor which Cornish either painted, or to which he had some kind of connection, and form the Norman Cornish trail. This is the old part of Spennymoor, as you can see from the architecture of some of the buildings, such as the school and the nearby Methodist chapel, all built when the town was in its infancy in the Victorian Era.  

The railway line once passed through the heart of Spennymoor. There is a pub, aptly named The Railway, situated where the railway bridge crossed the main road. Opposite which is The Station Guest House, whose side wall bears a blue plaque commemorating the Railway bridge. In his history of Spennymoor, James Dodd writes of the miners’ families taking the train to Stockton in Teesside. Many of them were fond of the “black bullet” sweets sold there. The line was important to the mining families. It was integral to their livelihoods, in transporting the materials and coal which kept their industry flourishing. But it also played an important recreational function, enabling people to take trips outside their hometown at a time before car ownership.

The first mini-stretch of the Auckland Way runs from Rosa Street to the car park on Whitworth road. In a way, the Rosa Street starting point is a little awkward since there is no car park there and therefore, if you are travelling from afar it might be worth parking up at Whitworth Road and doing this stretch there and back, before continuing toward Byers Green. This detour won’t cost you much in time. Shortly after leaving Rosa Street you pass Spennymoor cricket field on the left, which is hidden by a fence. The club’s pavilion was burnt down a couple of years ago. The club have since undertook extensive fundraising efforts and hopefully will be in a position to recover in the near future. Just as you arrive at Whitworth road, there is another track which veers out to the right toward Burton Woods housing estate. For the Auckland Way, cross Whitworth Road, and join the track at the back of the car park.

From here, the line is uninterrupted until you get to the road near Byers Green station. This is the section that I am most familiar with, having walked, ran and cycled it more times than I can remember. From the car park to the dog kennels there are pleasant views out to the right across the fields. As you walk by the kennels keep an eye out on the right for blackberries which grow in abundance here. As you get closer to the main road, there is a path veering off to the right. This is not part of the Way, but it is worth a brief detour along it, if only to see the old inscribed monument marking the railway terminus. It is also around here that the Finchale to Escome Camino de Santiago intersects with the Auckland Way. It approaches through the meadow on the right and follows us on our travels to Binchester, where it leaves us for Binchester Woods.  

The track descends quite abruptly toward the road, worthy of caution on the part of the cyclist, before ascending back up on the other side. The remains of the platform are clearly visible here. After another steep ascent the route crosses another road and continues toward Binchester. As its name suggests, Binchester was formerly occupied by the Romans. There is a Roman fort, but unfortunately, it is not particularly close to this part of Binchester. Binchester village, or Binchester blocks as its denoted on OS maps, is what you pass on the Auckland Way, but Binchester Roman fort is actually much closer to Bishop Auckland. It would be quite a detour to walk to it from here unfortunately. If you wanted to, you would take the Camino de Santiago way through Binchester woods, then over a few farmer’s field, leading to the back road which follows the river Wear to Bishop Auckland via the Batts. From this road there is an entrance to the fort. Entering the fort requires a fee.

The section from Binchester to Bishop is the best section of the walk. There are pleasant views out across the fields and several well-situated seats, such as the one overlooking the golf-course. This stretch also goes under several interesting bridges. One bridge is notable for being exceptionally wide, twice the width one would normally expect. There is a reason for this. The railway line passed through what used to be the Bishop of Durham’s land. Bishop Lightfoot, who is buried in the nearby chapel at Auckland Castle, was far from enthusiastic about the prospect of a railway line. He agreed to its being built on the condition that a special double bridge be erected over it for his personal use. The mature trees on top of the bridge were planted to block the view of the line and on-coming trains.

Next stop is what used to be Coundon Station. There is a car park here from which you can see the old station building, which is now a private home. The final section from here to the end of the Auckland Way is brief. It involves a fairly steep decline. It passes underneath Durham Road which leads into Bishop Auckland. It goes between a couple of housing estates and then finishes up at the Auckland Way car park, near the roundabout on the A688 along side Auckland Park Village.