Rowena Sabbatical walk - 1 Whitby to Seaham

Week 1 of walking is complete and the dogs are whacked and so home is peaceful as it would take more energy than they have for a day or two to bark at every passer-by.

Over the week I have been reflecting on Proverbs and their exhortation to be disciplined or be a disciple rather than to go of into one’s own folly. Proverbs 16:3 has become an important text as I walk the length of the synod, ‘Commit to the Lord whatever you do and he will establish your plans.’ This is not simply in regard to Sabbatical plans but for future ministry. The plans to walk are to aid reflection for as the saying puts it ‘journeys are the midwives of our thoughts’.

The journey started on Saturday 10th July with the journey to Whitby with dogs on the metro and a car journey from Sunderland after a birthday tea that I was kindly welcomed to. On Sunday I worshipped at Trinity URC led by Revd Helen Drummond who with husband Ian hosted me. This gave opportunity later in the day to go around on the open air bus that Ian acts as tour guide on and to walk a section of the Cleveland Way South. This was a limbering up exercise for the week ahead.


Whitby to Staithes

At 9am on Monday the dogs and I set out along the Cleveland Way coast path to Staithes. It drizzled on and off all day. The tide was out so we went along the beach to Sandsend where after 35 minutes walking I stopped for a cappuccino; who knows when further sustenance would be available. Then up on to the cliffs and along a disused railway to Kettleness, before dropping down once more to the sands. Rabbits were a great attraction for the dogs all week. We traipsed across the sands again to lunch in Runswick Bay near the lifeboat. Then there was a steep climb out of the village to continue along the Cleveland Way to Port Mulgrave, round Old Nab to Staithes. I arrived with plenty of time to wander around the life boat station, the harbour, the co-operative craft fair before arriving with two wet dogs at Brooklyn B&B. Here towels were needed and it was all hands on deck to rub the dogs dry. Later in the evening a meal at ‘The Cod and Lobster’ overlooking the harbour sealed a good day. The pub had been restored in the 50’s following its fourth time of being substantially carried off by the sea. This has happened to whole villages such as Kettleness, on the coast walked today which is one of the stretches that is being eroded at the greatest speed around the UK.

Staithes to Redcar

Stuffed with a generous full English breakfast we were seen off the B&B premises by a flustered herring gull protecting its two young chicks. These were hatched on the roof of the house on the neighbouring street and so found its nest and chicks on a level with the front door steps of the B&B so one was only a metre away at eye level.

The Cleveland Way wound across the cliff tops. This area has been a centre for Alum Quarries. We crossed Rookcliffe the highest point on the North East coast and on this walk. Skinnygrove down in a river access that thrived in the days of the iron and steel works now had the air of a ghost village. This stretch had a rich industrial heritage but was older than what was to come in the next couple of days; symbolised by the Guibal Fan House maintained as an ancient monument now but that was used to ventilate the nearby mine from 1872-1906. Although quiet the villages did not show signs of devastation and destruction of the like of what was to come in later walk days.

This area of geological significance with loads of fossils, one of which I brought home as a treasure, is also marked by a series of sculptures by Richard Farrington, including one called ‘The Charm Bracelet’ that was well worth seeing.

A late lunch in Saltburn was followed by a hike over the sands (that was hard going) to the start of the Southern end of Redcar Promenade and along the front towards Coatham where Colin Offor kindly picked us up and along with wife Patti hosted us over night. It was good to share conversation and to tell dog stories in advance of a new four legged member of their family being adopted the next day.

Redcar to Cowpen Bewley
The next two days walking were the ones that proved most problematic to work out a route for. I am grateful to Henry Gowland for an initial draft route, to Alan my husband for scanning maps, to Ken Harris for inquiries made about the best way round Seal Sands and to Colin Offor for his knowledge of cycle routes north of the Tees. Indeed the route I took proved fascinating and not as difficult as envisaged.

From Coatham I went the long way round the golf course – something I did several times on route rather than face the ire of golfers. I followed the boundary of the steel works and then crossed Coatham Marsh. This led to the most challenging part of the walk for the dogs. A high footbridge across the railway line with gridded metal steps up both sides – not designed for paws either in size or sharpness. With coaxing, lying flat on their bellies I enticed them up; but no way were they going to go down. So they had to be carried in turn.

I now joined the end of the Teesdale way and much of today followed this path. At the Corus roundabout on the A1085 a gaggle of geese had somehow got themselves stranded on the roundabout. Their leader frog-marched them around and then decided they would have to go for it and in single file they strode across the road. A police car gave way and a back log of traffic built up to let them pass unharmed.

Then for five miles it was the’ Black Path’ something I was looking forward to walking as an experience. With pipe lines on one side and railway servicing industry, with freight trains passing up and down on the other; this path is sometimes open and sometimes closed in with fence on either side sometimes being only 2-3 metres wide. Yet in this spitting pipes and hooting, clashing industrial environment, reed beds and wild flowers, brambles and birdsong abound.

I came out at the Navigation Pub for lunch where the locals looked after the dogs with water. Then it was over to the Riverside Stadium where I paid homage on behalf of my brother-in-law and over the dock. The new Temenos sculpture by Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond was impressive and a highlight. It was good to see this that only opened in June this year. It is difficult to describe. The best I can do is a big bird net with a twist and aesthetically pleasing.

Then the dogs and I walked up the road to the Transporter bridge for our first experience of crossing it. I was excited but Colin had warned me at breakfast that it was not that special. If truth is told, I was disappointed as there was not a sense of being suspended and the bridge looks more imposing from further afield.
Then it was up the road through Port Clarance and High Clarance revealing the contrast between burnt out and boarded up houses amongst homes and yet green open spaces and trees. These communities tell the story through their presence of the industrial decline on Teesside.

A rest on waste land in Haverton Hill prepared me for a nasty piece of road walking up Cowpen Bewley Road with no verge or pavement and heavy vehicles passing. I should not moan as I thought I might have to do many miles like this rather than only one or two. Then I had a coffee at the pub and wrote up my reflections on the day until Colin was free to pick me up and willingly hosted me for a second night.

Colin and Pattie had collected their new Border Collie adoptee that afternoon so settling her in with my two dogs Toby and Molly as guests in the house led to a wonderful evening of eating and fussing dogs.

Cowpen Bewley to Hartlepool

On Colin’s advice I followed cycle route 14 through Cowpen Country Park and then footpaths into Greatham where there is a Hospital Estate and chapel originally set up for the poor as well as an ancient Parish Church. They were beautiful but not accessible at the time I passed through.

I then used footpaths across fields and alongside the railway, between the oil storage and other works. This brought me down past a chicken battery farm and onto Graythorp Industrial estate. Only a short distance along the main road, that interestingly gave views of the ghost ships in the shipyard, before I turned down the access road to the power station. A short walk across the nature reserve brought me to the North Gare breakwater path that I followed and went out on in spite of the danger signs. As I had not risked going out on South Gare the other side of the Tees, (as it is not encouraged and it would have been a significant detour) I felt it important to see the Tees from this angle. Cruise and container ships were busily entering the docks.

Then we did another extensive beach walk along Seaton Sands to Seaton Carew where I had a very welcome lunch on sheltered decking, as it was a windy day, at the Staincliffe Hotel – a beautiful parsnip and apple soup. Food seems to taste so much more, when walking indeed when on Sabbatical than when working when it so much more functional. Another beach walk to Hartlepool. Here I wandered around the Old Town, Historic Dock and Marina before Val Towler, my host for the next two nights, picked me up. It was good to have time to talk.

Hartlepool to Eastington Colliery

On this day, I spent an interesting hour or more on the Headlands of Hartlepool, the old medieval city having walked out along the main road in the company of an unemployed guy walking his terrier. The fish quays, St Hilda’s church and Andy Capp statue were absorbing but took time out from walking the route.

Durham County Council in the last decade has developed a coastal walk from Crimdon to Seaham Hall Beach. It is beautiful and I would strongly recommend it. While it is well signposted from car parks assuming people will walk to the coast and wander back or at most will do a small circular ramble; it is not well signposted for walkers along the whole route. When crossing a gill it is not clear whether it is best to go down onto the beach and up again or up to the railway and road. I suspect I ended up doing extra miles in and out and so for the first time I did not make my aimed for destination.

This area was a centre of mining. Its villages of Blackhill Colliery, Hordon and Eastington Colliery that at points I walked through showed that history. Val picked me up at Easington Colliery.

Easington Colliery to Seaham

It has been a good week but I and the dogs are tiring. Next week there is space in the walking schedule. So I made the decision to only walk for a half day to Seaham and get the train home.

Much of the route followed the railway or cliffs. At Hawthorn Hive, I went further inland than necessary but the ancient woodland was stunning. Then past Beacon Hill (I did not climb it), and Nose’s Point. If you are into wild flowers then the Magnesian Limestone cliffs in this area are a feast to behold with orchids, ox eye daisies, ferns and gorses. The dogs loved this terrain and its smells. The colours and variety were wonderful.

Then down into Seaham with its harbour and superstore Asda opposite. Then I went up through the main shopping street with its charity shops and cheaper end of the market retailers. There I stopped for lunch at a cafe and watched the world go by before walking to the railway station and catching the 1.15pm back to Newcastle and walking home across the Town Moor.



The first weeks walk has been easier route wise than anticipated and has been very satisfing, enjoyable and fascinating in the variety of landscapes walked through. It is helping me to get a better picture of parts of the synod and is indeed a journey that is a midwife to thoughts. I pray these thoughts will be fruitful and helpful in the months and years to come.




Rowena