Gadgie Walks

"One monastery in two places"........Bede Way Nov 1st
A midweek walk for Dave Harry and I from St. Paul's church in Jarrow to St. Peter's church in Monkwearmouth. The Venerable Bede, monk, historian (The History of the church in England) inhabited both monasteries at one time or another. He started at ST. Peter's and later moved on to St. Paul's.
There is a marked footpath between the two, Bede's Way although at the start many of the markers seem to have vanished or been vandalised. To get to the start we caught a metro train to Bede station and walked through an industrial area to the ancient building. The church itself was built in 684, the monastery was started a couple of years earlier.
The walk is covered by two maps;
OS Explorer 316 Newcastle upon Tyne and OS Explorer 308 Durham and Sunderland but it is better to either get the Bede's Way leaflet or download it from the Sunderland web site.

Look out for Bede's Way signs

Saves a lot of writing. There is a Bede's World museum close by. Well worth a visit.
Initially the footpath follows the River Don, crossing back and forth several times and going close to small nature reserves, Jarrow Cemetery and King George's Field. Not the most interesting walk. But once the path has crossed the busy A19 it joins more open country, still following the Don until it reaches New Town. Here the path is on a busy road until it crosses the Metro Line between Boldon and Whiteleas.

Hard to see but there is a Viking longboat on this piece of art.

Beware of the train
Once through the estates at Whiteleas the path approaches the low Cleadon Hills. Half way up is the Cleadon Pumping Station built in 1860, an attractive brick construction.

Cleadon Pumping Station and information board

Cleadon windmill. An excellent Herbie Spot with views to Teeside in the south, and Sunderland a little nearer and Tyneside to the north.
After lunch we continued following the footpath to Whitburn, a very pretty village close to the sea. Once at the coast we walked along the beach, watching waders of several varieties and looking at the interesting rocks near Roker.

Big wheel and cannonballs.
Once we reached the mouth of the Wear we followed the English Coastal Path round the marina and past the Glass Factory before walking up to the church.

Sunderland.
The church of St. Peter is possibly the oldest in England, parts dating to 675AD and also the home of the young Bede, before he walked to Jarrow. The tower is Saxon and the outlines of the monastery are well marked.