Start Silksworth ski slope
- Join old railway track path at east end of carpark GR378543
- Follow track for several km to join road at Ryhope.
- Follow route 1 signs through Ryhope to the join Railway path again at GR410523
- Stay on the track until you reach houses of Merton on left. Where houses start take bridleway right then first left past Car Home farm.450 Metres after the farm take a bridleway left towards Hetton. At Hetton turn left onto A182 then left for 200 m to old railway track under a bridge on the right. Follow this for 1.5 km then turn right up a track past East Linton.
- Turn left up minor road parallel to A690. At top of the rise turn down to a crossing point on the busy A690. Straight on along the track to Chilton Moor, then left alongside houses onto Blackboy Lane. Turn right after the pub and follow track to A1052. Turn left along main road for 300 m then right onto a track. Follow this line to meet A183. Turn left over the railway bridge then right through a gate onto a track which skirts Biddick Hall (do not follow disused railway) trending right to meet and follow the River Wear.
- Just before car park turn right up the hill on the roads and under a railway bridge. Turn first left along minor roads. After 1.6 km join the old railway track parallel to the road follow this as far as South Hilton station. At the station turn right on roads climbing at first and follow the roads over several junctions until you eventually reach the Silksworth lake area. Contour round the lake on tarmac tpaths to return to the start.
OS Map 88
Medium Route
Quite a long route to merit this grade, but there are few climbs and the terrain is variable. Nearly all off-
Silksworth Ski Slope -
The site for off-
Cyclopaths
Get GPX file of route
Home page