Coastwalk

South Shields → Jarrow

Distance: 4.03 miles
Ascent: 64 metres
Duration: 1 hour 11 minutes

A coastal prelude
« Seaham | Not walked »

The observant will have noticed we've not added to the coastwalk this year. Time to rectify that.

Our goal for the coming week is to walk Hadrian's Wall Path, the only one of England and Wales' National Trails that I've not yet completed. The path connects with the coast at the western end, but not at the east. Before we start on the week's walking then, we're heading up-river from the Shields Ferry to the Tyne Tunnels (just a mile and a half from Hadrian's Wall Path's eastern terminus) and back.

The southern bank of the river is out of reach for this stretch, barred by docks and car terminals. There's a moment of relief at Jarrow where a footpath follows the bank of a stream past Jarrow Bridge and the remains of Jarrow Monastery, but even that is short-lived and dominated by electricity pylons. A glimpse of the river follows before it's hidden again behind high steel fences surrounding yet another wharf that's being slowly reclaimed by nature.