Hart, Butts and Beach

Location

County Durham

OutdoorLads shares the exact meeting point with people who have signed up, closer to the date. See the OutdoorLads listing for details.

About this event

Total distance: about 18 km (approx. 11.2 miles), with 190 m (625 feet) of ascent. Approximately 5.5 hours, including lunch. This walk includes farmland, quiet country lanes, woodlands, and some beach walking. We walk along quiet country lanes for the beginning of this walk, including the amusingly named Butts Lane. There are views towards the North Sea.  We pass through Bellows Burn before continuing our path through farmland, past a large farmhouse, on our way to Monk Hesleden. Here, we join the Hart-to-Haswell Walkway. This section of the walk has plenty of shade.  Towards the end of the path, we cross the railway track and head towards Crimdon Beach and the Dunes Café. There will be time to stop for those who wish to purchase refreshments. As the seating is for customers' use only, those who bring their own packed lunch can head down to the beach to eat. Those using the cafe can rejoin the rest of the group there after their meal. As the tide will be low, there is then a decent stretch of the walk along the beach itself to Steetley Pier. This industrial relic, built to supply water to a local magnesite plant, now provides a home to many seabirds and is interesting to photograph.We loop back on ourselves and complete the final section of Hart-to-Haswell Walkway, before beginning a gradual ascent back towards our starting point. We cross farmland with several gates, and in places, various animals (horses, sheep, longhorn cattle). For those who may like a drink after, the best local option is the Raby Arms in Hart, under 1/2 mile away. And for all who also like to run, there’s the option to take part in Hartlepool parkrun with other OutdoorLads before this walk - just sign up on that event page. Dogs: Well-behaved, under control dogs are welcome at this event.Dogs should be kept on a lead whenever signposted, whenever we are in the vicinity of livestock, and at the event leader's request. Many stretches of this walk include sheep roaming. I would also note that there are a few up-and-over wall stiles towards the end of the walk, so you get a bit of an upper-body workout lifting your dogs over them. You'll need to make sure you're carrying sufficient extra water for your four-legged friend. We do not encounter much natural water on this walk. If you're unsure, contact the leader for guidance. If the event is fully booked: Please join the waiting list, as people frequently drop out during the week before an event, and you are likely to get a place on the walk. If this is your first OutdoorLads walk event, we’ll make sure you feel welcome. Please check out the My First Event page, and don’t hesitate to drop me a message if you have questions or want to know more about this walk.Image/photo credits:  All the leader's own images, with permission for OutdoorLads to use.