A Quiet Day
This was one of the quieter days of the holiday. We started off quite slowly and then went over to Gateshead to meet Kas’s sister at Derwenthaugh Country Park. As a result of this quietness, this is going to be a short post.
Derwenthaugh Park is located in Whickham, and is part of the Derwent Walk Country Park. It features woodlands, meadows, wetlands, and riverside areas, all connected by a network of waymarked walks. The Derwent Walk follows the former Derwent Valley Railway route. This was once used for transporting iron ore and passengers between Consett and the River Tyne. Derwenthaugh Park itself was reclaimed from the former Derwenthaugh Coke Works, and was transformed into a space for people and wildlife over two decades ago.
Its like quite a lot of old industrial areas in the UK. The “Land of Oak and Iron” gives some of the history of the site, but there’s really very little trace of the old works now. It makes for a pleasant walk on a summer’s day.
Finishing Off
In the afternoon the weather was still decent, so we went back to the beach at Seaburn for another walk around and more ice cream. I could sense that our hearts weren’t really with it though. Ultimately, we were heading home on the next day, so whilst the beach was good, we were maybe not as keen as normal. There was time still for another ice cream. It might be our last day, but some things can’t be removed from the holiday schedule.
Dinner Time
We decided we’d be better off spending an evening back at the hotel having a nice meal and making sure all our bags were packed. So that’s what we did.
The hotel restaurant was half decent, to be honest, and we gave their menu a thorough testing.