Support your local footpaths

 Support your local footpaths. September 4th

Several of the team are away for various reasons, mostly holidays, so a few of us are having a very local walk. Starting from Holywell, a village near Seaton Delaval, walking cross country to Blyth and back along the coast to Seaton Sluice.

The walk is covered by OS Explorer 316 Newcastle upon Tyne.

It is difficult to find a car park in Holywell. fortunately a friend invited me to leave my car on his drive. No photo though, invasion of privacy!

Assuming you start the walk on the main street, opposite the Fat Ox say, head east turn off the main road at the Milburn Pub, walk to the very last street, East Grange, and turn left.

At the end of the road, between two houses, is a footpath that took us round the edge of a field and past the Holywell Pond Nature Reserve. All quiet today, a few ducks and geese and the vandalised hide is still being renovated.

                             The pond, centre of image

Not far beyond the pond we came to a cross paths and turned left on the Tyne and Wear Heritage Trail. The first mile is on an old railway track and leads to The Avenue, once the drive to Seaton Delaval Hall. Crossing the road and going a few yards to the right we continued on the road towards Seaton Red House Farm.

 

Once positioned at the entrance to Seaton Delaval Hall, I was told. Now next to the road that goes towards Seaton Red House Farm.

WE continued on our way, roughly north west on tracks and fields to Lysdon Farm.  The path is next to the recently reopened Northumberland Line, we became trainspotters for a while.

Freight train taking fuel to Ellington Power Station.

We walked the edges of a couple of fields to South Newsham Road, turned right and headed for the cafe at South Beach.

Really good restaurant and cafe at South Beach. Although tempted we didn't have the fish and chips, just coffee. tea and a milk shake.

From Blyth South Beach we walked along the metalled Eve Black footpath/cycle path that runs between the beach and the road.

             The memorial to the men who were tragically killed in a road accident some years ago. 

When we reached Seaton Sluice we crossed the road and headed for Holywell Dene.

                          Seaton Sluice

 Starting on the north side of the Seaton Burn we followed the stream, crossed to the south side, followed the stream and crossed to the north side again.

An upended post directed us across fields , back to the cross paths on the Tyne and Wear Heritage Trail, past the hide and back to Holywell.

Contains OS data, copyright. Crown copyright and database right 2026

The walk is about 9.5 miles, easy going. Fields, woodland and coast a great walk.