The River Tyne: Ovingham to Bywell

Part 5 of my Walking the River Tyne Westwards Project is a 4 mile walk between Ovingham and Bywell. Access to the river on this stretch was minimal so I chose a walk crossing back over to the south side of the Tyne passing through The Tyne Riverside Country Park in Low Prudhoe, Eltringham Woods, Eltringham Farm, Merry Shields Farm, Stocksfield and then crossing back over to the north side of the Tyne into Bywell.

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Starting out in Ovingham cross the Tyne on the foot bridge.

Turn right just before Prudhoe Train Station and enter the Tyne Riverside Country Park bearing right passing the Park Centre on your right and then turn left and walk along the path beside the river Tyne.

After a few minutes you come to a gate where you must carefully cross the railway lines.

Crossing the lines takes you into Eltringham Woods. Walk up the winding main path through the woods until you come to a gate at the end of the woods.

Coming out of the woods through the gate turn right onto Station Road for a few yards then take the first right after the Hammerite Factory and join a signposted, and often muddy, public footpath known as Silver Lonnen which immediately forks off to your left.

After a half a mile or so Silver Lonnen ends with a downhill slope and meets a small road with Eltringham Farm in front of you.

Turn left up the road for a couple of hundred yards, keeping the farm on your right, and then turn left off the road at the signpost for Cherryburn. Cherryburn is the birthplace of Nothumbrian engraver Thomas Bewick. The property is run by The National Trust and is open to the public most days, just not the day I visited, sadly.

Leaving Cherryburn turn right and retrace your steps a small way back down the hill and turn left into the Eltringham Farm gates. Once inside the farm turn right and then left and cross the field. Turn right down towards the railway and the footpath goes over a stile to the left along the edge of a long corn field keeping the hedge on your left, heading towards a big holly bush on the horizon at the top of the hill there is another stile and the path leads you to Crook Woods.

Follow the main path into Crook Woods seemingly a very popular spot for rabbits. On your way through the woods the path narrows quickly, is uneven in parts and quite muddy and you must cross two stiles.

Leaving the woods through a gate head towards Merry Shield Farm straight in front of you.

Arriving at the farm go through the gate passing the farm buildings on your left.

Then follow the small road out of the farm which bears to the right. After a few hundred yards this small road brings you out onto the A695 in Stocksfield.

Turn right walking along the roadside path you pass the Stocksfield Cricket Club, a school and a war memorial on your right.

Continue along this path until you see Stocksfield Railway Station on your right.

Enter the railway station and cross the footbridge over the lines walking east on the platform exit left and turn right onto a roadside path along the B6309 which crosses the Tyne at Bywell Bridge.

Soon after crossing the bridge follow a signposted footpath on your left which leads into Bywell and the end of this part of the walk.

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The route of my walk.

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• Part 1 - Newcastle Quayside to Lemington
• Part 2 - Lemington Point to Newburn
• Part 3 - Newburn to Wylam
• Part 4 - Wylam to Ovingham
• Part 5 - Ovingham to Bywell
• Part 6 - Bywell to Riding Mill
• Part 7 - Riding Mill to Corbridge
• Part 8 - Corbridge to Hexham

Or back to the Walking the River Tyne Westwards Project page.