+
Turn LEFT onto the Avenue and just 100 yards along you will turn RIGHT to go along the front of a row of red-bricked terraced houses known as Harboro Terrace.
+
At the end of this terrace continue along the earth track, keeping the same direction, with the obelisk in front of you (slightly left). Keep to this track (following the colour-coded marker posts) down into Holywell Dene until you reach the riverside that is actually the Seaton Burn. The obelisk signifies the spot in 1723 when Admiral George Delaval was found dead still attached to the horse that dragged him there from the T junction on the Avenue you passed earlier.
+
Turn LEFT here and follow the path with the river on your right for nearly one mile, then cross over to the other side, and walk with the river now on your left until you arrive back at Seaton Sluice and the Melton Constable. Along the Seaton Burn stands the remains of Starlight Castle, a monument to the folly of the 'Gay' (meaning jovial) Delavals. Built by Sir Francis to win a wager that he could build a castle in a day.
At Lysdon Farm, the track curves gently to the LEFT and continues as a potholed earth track for ½ mile, winding through the outbuildings of Seaton Red House Farm to a tarmac lane.
Walk 6: The Avenue Loop
As well as experiencing the wonders of the natural world people using the Wildspace Network will become fitter and healthier as they explore the footpaths and cycleways of the Borough.
200 yards on, you meet a main road. Turn LEFT onto this road (you are actually keeping the same directional line) and it will eventually bring you to a T junction onto The Avenue.
Each of the walks shown in this leaflet start and end at an accessible location, usually within easy reach of the public transport network. As well as using the map there are written directions for you to follow which also describe some of the interesting features you will encounter on the walks.
+
Walk along the Dunes' for about 1½ miles (30 minutes) until you arrive at Gloucester Lodge Farm. Turn left, crossing the main road to the gateway following the footpath towards Lysdon Farm. Gloucester Lodge Farm was named after the visit of the Duke of Gloucester in 1795 at the height of the war with France. It was said that he lodged at this spot so he could review seven thousand of his troops on Blyth beach for the benefit of the Duke of York, Commander in Chief, who rode along the line to demonstrate a show of strength. It also gave confidence and reassurance to the local population that they would be protected from the very real threat of invasion from Napoleon Bonaparte. The white buildings in the distance are preserved World War Two ammunition bunkers and gun turrets.
+
Please do take the time to read our 'Healthy Walking' guide within this leaflet before starting out, and above all, enjoy yourself.
+
Leaving the car park at the Melton Constable cross over the main road at the bollards to find the start of the Blyth dunes footpath. From the bridge you can look into the harbour created by the Delaval family. Under the bridge were huge gates that could hold back the Seaton Burn, so when opened, the waters would sluice out the built-up silt from the harbour bed, hence ‘Seaton Sluice’.
What next?
Small Tortoiseshell Its dark coloured, spiny caterpillars feed on stinging nettles and when young, live together in a mass of spun silk.
Distance: 6 miles (9.6km) Duration: 2 hours Start/Finish: Seaton Delaval Council Offices Guide: Blue squares
Blyth Valley's Wildspace Network is an ambitious initiative to bring people closer to the natural world around them. The project builds on the strong community foundations of Blyth, Cramlington and the Seaton Valley villages to continually create the opportunities to make positive changes to the environment of Blyth Valley. As such you have a vital role to play in the process, whether suggesting opportunities for further enhancements, reporting problems or getting involved in a more hands-on way through activities in your local community. We're always happy to hear from you.
Acknowledgements +
From Seaton Delaval Council Offices head coastwards, crossing over the roundabout to reach The Avenue. The Avenue gateposts are evidence that this was once the driveway to Seaton Delaval Hall constructed by the Delaval family in the 1718-29. The drive was originally straight and level but the area is riddled with underground mine workings and the subsidence has created the undulations.
+
After about one mile down The Avenue take the LEFT junction at the signpost for 'New Hartley'. Where the road bends left, CARRY ON STRAIGHT AHEAD at the signpost. Where the road bends, you are close to the sealed-off pithead of New Hartley (Hester Gardens) where there is a memorial to one of the worst tragedies in the history of coal-mining, when, in 1862, over 200 men were buried underground and suffocated through lack of ventilation.
+
This tarmac drive leads to Seaton Red House Farm, then becomes a pot holed earth track for another ½ mile where it reaches Lysdon Farm. Immediately past the farm take a LEFT turn which takes you behind the farm towards a stone arch which carries the old railway line overhead. About 100 yards after going through the arch you approach a 'T' junction …turn RIGHT here.
Introduction
+
In today's hectic world there is often neither the time nor the opportunity to reconnect with nature. Yet just five minutes sitting in a tranquil garden or strolling through a woodland glade can significantly reduce stress, which can bring long-term health benefits.
Distance: 6 miles (9.6km) Duration: 2 hours Start/Finish: Melton Constable (Seaton Sluice) Guide: Red squares
Blyth Valley's Wildspace Network aims to increase the opportunities for people to access and enjoy the wild and green spaces around them.
The Kings Head Public House, Seaton Sluice. This harbour once thrived on shipping salt and bottles from the nearby glass works.
Starlight Castle The remains of a folly built by by Sir Francis Blake Delaval, the wildest of an eccentric and infamous family. He accepted a wager that claimed he could not build a castle in a day and Sir Francis won his bet by laying the last stone in the final hours of starlight.
Walk 5: The ‘Dunes and Delavals’
+
After nearly a mile along this gravel lane, turn LEFT at a marker post down a much narrower track through the trees, which brings you out onto Double Row. Turn RIGHT, passing the fruit and vegetable shop, towards the roundabout at the end of the road. At Double Row, as the name suggests, was the site of parallel colliery houses and at this junction it was also the entrance to Seaton Delaval Colliery. The heavy industrial pit-head has been replaced by lighter trading estate units but the landscaped 'spoil heaps' are still in evidence.
+
Turn LEFT towards Seaton Delaval, walking only a few yards to the railway bridge and cross over at the bollards.
+
Immediately over the road there is a footpath into the trees, with the railway line on your right. Follow this path for ¼ mile to the graveyard of Seghill Church. At the 'T' junction turn LEFT towards Seaton Delaval, along a tarmac lane which passes the Old Vicarage. Holy Trinity Church is dated 1848 and the vicarage of 1849 is an early John Dobson commission.
+
Eventually you come out onto Avenue Road facing Procter and Gamble. Turn LEFT and return to the Council offices along Avenue Road.
The Blyth Valley Wildspace Network would not be possible without the support of the following organisations:
For further information about the Blyth Valley Wildspace Network please contact: Environmental Projects Team Community Regeneration & Culture, Blyth Valley Borough Council, Seaton Delaval, Northumberland, NE25 0DX. Telephone: 01670 542370. Facsimile: 01670 542233. Email: wildspacenetwork@blythvalley.gov.uk
Wildspace Network Long walks