[1] From the church hall turn right, then left into Flatts Road, with the TIC to the left.
[2] At the end of Flatts Road, turn right into Vere Road and continue to the end, with the auction mart then the cricket field to the left. There is talk of moving the mart to outside the town, and developing this site. At the corner take the public footpath rising up left between the cricket field still to the left and houses and gardens to the right. Soon there are houses and garden to both sides until reaching the road at Woodside.
[3] Turn right along Woodside, and soon cross the road to the left pavement, to take the tarmac path down across the open grassed area to the bottom of the dip, and turn left again into the top end of Flatts Wood.
(A) Flatts Wood is lovely at all times of the year: in spring there are wild flowers such as wild garlic, bluebells, wood anemones and budding leaves and birdsong; in summer deep green shade; in autumn rich leaf colours; in winter greater depth of views with the absence of leaves, and a wonderful brightness after snow. There is always the tumbling and splashing of the Percy Beck winding its way down to the Tees below, and birds flitting among the branches, and maybe a dipper in the beck.
[4] Follow the path down through the wood, crossing two wooden footbridges over the Percy Beck. At a junction of paths take the left path signed to the Town. Ignore the path signed right to Riverside.
Take care when walking through Flatts Wood. It can be quite muddy after rain.
[5] The left path rises a little, curving left, then falls and rises again, mostly in a right-handed curve within the wood, soon with gardens to the left. The woodland path leads out to the edge of the wood at the end of Raby Avenue, which is followed, crossing the ends of Cecil Road and Vane Road to the left. At the end of Raby Avenue cross to take a very short track right, then left onto a tarmac path.
[6] Go ahead past the mini golf course and children’s play area on the right, with the church hall ahead of you, to return to the start. Alternatively, if conditions are dry, enter the gardens of the TIC opposite the start of the play area and cross the lawn to the pavement on the corner of Flatts Road to return to the start.