[1] Start the walk at Chester-le-Street Amateur Rowing Club. Turn right onto the riverside footpath. The boat house will be on your right and the River Wear will be on your left.
The club was founded in 1888. A downturn followed its heyday in the 1950s but Bob Heywood revived the club in the 1980s. It now boasts junior, senior and veteran teams and a world champion. Victoria Bryant rowed in the under 23s ladies 8 in the World Championships.
[2] Walk along the riverside footpath and pass Durham County Cricket Club on your right. You will then pass the Riverside Sports Complex on your right which includes football pitches, tennis courts and an athletics track.
As the youngest County in the County Championship, Durham’s brace of title wins in the space of 20 years is an impressive feat. Since they were added to the senior ranks in 1992, the County has won the Friends Provident Trophy at Lord’s and back-to-back titles in 2008 & 2009. Home-grown talents such as Paul Collingwood, Graham Onions and Steve Harmison even represented the England side at the Riverside venue, which held its first International Test with the visit of Zimbabwe in 2003, and has since hosted Bangladesh, the West Indies, Sri Lanka and Australia .
[3] Continue on the same path as it bends round with the river and a wildlife area to your right. At the end of the wildlife area you will have houses to your right and the river will bend away from the path to the left.
[4] 50m after the river bends away from the path turn right onto a footpath between two houses to enter a housing estate. Turn left onto Bradman Drive and continue along this road until it bears right and Durham County Cricket Club will be in front of you.
[5] Turn left and stay on the footpath on the left hand side of the road with Durham County Cricket Club to your right.
[6] Turn left at a blue sign for Riverside Park opposite Bannatyne’s Health Club and walk between two car parks.
[7] Turn right at the next blue sign for Riverside Park and walk under the underpass into the park. Walk straight ahead towards the play area and bear left towards the Park Centre where toilets and refreshments are usually available.
[8] Stay on the uppermost riverside path and pass the bowling green and Riverside Gardens on your left. Chester-le-Street Golf Club is over the river to your right. As the footpath forks take the right hand fork and walk straight ahead with Riverside Wildlife Area on your left.
[9] Turn right when you reach Cong Burn and follow the stream till it joins the River Wear.
[10] Turn right at the blue metal footbridge and walk along the riverside path with the river on your left. Take care passing the swans. Pushchairs and wheelchairs can take the higher path at this point to avoid the sand. Stay on this path passing the fishing platforms on your left and the outdoor gym on your right.
[11] Walk beneath the underpass and back to Chester-le-Street Amateur Rowing Club.