The Greens in the dene.

 the Greens in the dene. December 1st.

Another Sunday stroll with the Greens. Starting from the village of Earsdon, or very near it, a walk through fields and Holywell Dene. 

Covered by OS Explorer 316 Newcastle upon Tyne.

We met for tea or coffee or bacon at the Earsdon Garden Centre and left cars on the roadside nearby.

Not even a car park really, but free.

Leaving the "car park" we walked back towards Holywell on the road, quite busy too. We crossed the bridge, crossed the road and took the footpath down to the dene. From here we simply followed the footpath alongside Seaton Burn, walking through woodlands which were muddy underfoot and were also, in places, used as a track for young lads having fun riding mountain bikes. 

                                Dene View

Leaving the dene after about 2.5 miles we followed the road into Seaton Sluice, crossed at Hartley, walked round the Delaval Arms, stopped to admire the refurbished St Mary's lighthouse and took the footpath along the cliffs to the the grassy area by the harbour. Just under four miles, we stopped for lunch, utilising the benches close to the King's Arms. (No sharing the Greens aren't into that, yet).

 St Mary's lighthouse, almost vertical!

                             The little mermaid at Seaton Sluice

                      Seaton Sluice harbour. The sluice itself, designed to scour the harbour was dismantled years ago but the famous cut remains.

Lunch consumed we crossed the road and took the footpath to the right of "Harbour View" famous for fish and chips but closed today and walked back to the dene. Not far in we crossed the stream using the footbridge and climbed up to what looks like a dismantled railway. Not marked on the OS map, possibly an old wagon way from a pit but we followed it heading south west, even after it became a farm track, and eventually we reached the hide at Holywell Pond, time for a breather and bird spotting.

                    Holywell pond, busy with a variety of water birds.

Soon we were back in Holywell.

Strother Farm in Holywell. Part of the building dates back to 1654.

Crossing the road we headed down to the dene again but followed a series of farm tracks round the edges of fields. The track we took was well signposted . Beyond Holywell Grange farm we turned left, passing Fenwick's Close farm and were back at the cars. Some went to the pub, some went home.

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The walk is about 8 miles, easy going but muddy today. Woodland, coast and fields, can't be bad.

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