Walk Report

Gordon was wondering if the walk should be cancelled due to the imminent arrival of Storm Dennis. However, the weather didn't seem too bad as 12 of us met at the layby at Penshaw Monument, joined by four members from the Northumbria Group as their planned walk had been cancelled. We set off uphill for a photoshoot at the Monument before descending down the other side to the River Wear. The going was easy along the river side east towards Sunderland. We continued under the Sunderland flyover and then up and onto the A19 at one end of the flyover. We walked across the main road bridge with cars whizzing past us on the narrow walkway before heading down the other side and turned left. Now on the north side of the River Wear and the going was now up and down and muddy but still reasonably dry weather. By the time we got to Washington Wildfowl Centre, we were slightly damp but the heavy rain still hadn't arrived. We then continued to Victoria Viaduct where we turned right to James Steel Park where Carol and Eva fed the ducks with bird food supplied by Gordon. A large swan took a shine to Eva and had its beak completely in the bag Eva had the duck food in. At this point we should have had lunch, but in order to gain distance ahead of the imminent heavy rain, Gordon continued to Wormhill at Fatfield where the Legend of the Lampton Worm originates. Time was now 1.30pm and there was a mutiny for food, with one or two of us going into the Biddick Inn for a cup of tea, while Ian enjoyed a pint. We crossed over the old iron road bridge to return on the south side of the river and follow it through to near the hamlet of Cox Green, where we turned right and headed uphill on a steep and slippy pathway to within a stones throw again of Penshaw Monument. At this point Bob suggested we cut the walk short rather than do the two miles to Herrington Park. All in all we did approx. 13 miles with approx. 2000ft assent and Carol thought the walk was a little tougher from what she was expecting. Eva, Carol, Bob, Dave, Gordon, Julie and Paul all went into the Farmshop Café for tea, coffee and giant pieces of cake (and it still hadn't rained!) Julie.

---