Gibside Gardens & Derwent Walk

There’s wonderful running around the Gibside estate, which can be combined with the adjacent Derwent Walk trail, a scenic path through farms and fields headed north toward the River Tyne or south to Consett.

Gibside. This beautiful National Trust estate features several miles of winding paths through the 600 acres of Georgian landscape garden and 720 acres of woodland trails. It’s a wonderful combination of open spaces, grand avenues, and woodland around the Derwent Valley. There are four distinct, well waymarked ‘walks‘, including the 4.4 mile Valley Views Trail and the 5.5 mile Gibside Wonders of Nature Trail. The 2.4 mile Liberty Trail explores the formal gardens.  Note: Set opening times and admission required.

Derwent Walk. This 11-mile gravel path follows the old Derwent Valley Railway for 11 miles between Swalwell in the north and Consett in the south. It’s a wonderful mix of woodlands, meadows, wetlands, riverside. The main ‘Red Kite’ Trail is a multi-use path, while there are several additional trails that make for some additional loop options, particularly around the Swalwell Visitor Information Center. There are several access points and facilities along the way.  INFORMATION & MAP

From Gibside, join the Derwent Walk off Burnopfield Rd. to head south for up to 8 miles toward Consett, or off Station Rd. to head north toward the River Tyne, where you can connect to our River Tyne route.  Note that the south direction is a steady uphill, while the north direction is flatter.