Cycling Consett to Washington on the old railway

Cycling Consett to Washington | Scenic Railway Path Ride

Join Lisa and I for a relaxing yet scenic cycle ride from Consett to Washington, following the old railway line that forms part of the Coast to Coast (C2C) route through the beautiful County Durham countryside.

This traffic-free path is packed with history, nature, and great views — from the high moorlands around Consett to the wooded valleys leading into Tyne & Wear. Along the way, we pass old railway bridges, sculptures, and quiet villages, making it a perfect route for both leisure riders and C2C adventurers.

In this video:
Smooth gravel and tarmac paths through peaceful countryside
Stunning views across the Derwent Valley
Quick stops at local cafés and landmarks
Follow the route of the historic Stanley–Consett railway

📍 Route: Consett → Annfield Plain → Beamish → Washington and back
📏 Distance: ~39 miles
⏱️ Ride time: Around 4 hours at an easy pace

If you love traffic-free cycling routes, railway path adventures, or exploring the North East by bike, you’ll enjoy this ride!

👍 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more local cycling routes and C2C journey segments!

Route:
https://www.komoot.com/tour/2534444128?share_token=ad9HTBbuWiTzNmkqgXuxjYpVXwJ8fuNbCIrwnKppgyeD6tNGW6&ref=wtd
https://www.instagram.com/bike_ventures_uk/

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Hi, good morning. Welcome back. So, we’re still in the northeast. Today, we’re at the former site of the Rowley train station. So this route here is part of the coast to coast route. And today we’re going to take it that way towards Lidgget Junction where we were yesterday uh over a vioideuct star. That’s why we started here. We could have started at concept but we’re going over a vioideuct. And then we’re going over to Washington today on the forgot what it’s called now. The Wascaly Way cuz I keep saying Wascally Wabbit when I hear it. So, we’ve got 39 miles today to do. So, yeah, I was chatting to a guy yesterday and he said this is very vioaduct heavy, this section. So, fingers crossed it is cuz I do love an old vioaduct. So, right, let’s crack on and we’ll get going. So, we’ve just had to cross the road from Rowley station. We had to climb up across the A68 and drop back down. So, I’m guessing the the line originally went underneath the road there. There’s no remnants. All being infilled. This line was uh built in the 1850s, I believe. And again, it was all all down to industry coal and iron ore. Oh, I’ve not turned the Bluetooth off. I do it before we stop. I always forget to do that. I mean, it shouldn’t if it’s only 32 mile, it shouldn’t drain battery, should it? 39. 39. Well, we should be all right. It’s not like we’re doing the jog kind of miles, is it? No. Well, yeah, cuz every day we did 39 miles on the jog. You what? We did 39 miles on the jog every day. Oh, you just pulled a face joke. I was just saying you just pulled the face at me. Nap joke. I didn’t hear you. I’m not wrong though, am I? I didn’t hear you. I said we did 39 miles on the joke every day. That’s the bit I was on about. I didn’t hear what you were muttering afterwards. You pulled a face at my funny joke. Your funny jokes cuz they’re not funny. They are. There’s a lot of dog poo around here. I think we saw this on the road as we were driving down. I think I think we did about six miles from the campsite today. Oh, it’s a beauty. All right, I’m going to stop and take pictures. Oh, the flies just came. Look at that beautiful iron work. Look at that. Wow. That’s stunning, isn’t it? Look at that. I know this steel works modern and stuff, but I quite love the way it comes over and encapsulates you. It’s lovely, isn’t it? I’ll see if we can stop halfway cuz I’m going to guess we’re over a river. Uh, we might not be actually. Might just be over the valley, but we’ll stop halfway and have a look and we’ll uh see what we can see. Wow. I hope. Jesus. That is high up. Oh, my stomach’s going. I don’t like it. I don’t like it. Get in middle. I mean, I’m not going to fall off, am I? But I don’t like it. No. It’s a beasty. Wow. We’re stopping again. What a view. Look at that. That is nice. I’m not going to cross the edge, but it is eye open. We’re a good couple hundred feet up there, I think. Is this the one you saw on the drive down? I don’t know cuz I can’t see what I can’t see where it looks been. We’ll have to see if we can find a picture on internet of me. There must be one. Is there a river? No, there’s no river. Just a valley. Yeah, guys. Thank you. Oh, we’re stopping again. Well, there’s a picture of it. Oh, I don’t know if that is the Oh, it might have been the one. It is. It’s Houndsgill Vioaduct, isn’t it? Yeah. It’s awesome. Oh, this is where that house tea room is. Look. Yeah, there’s a little tea room just off the trail there at the caravan park. No point us going. We’ve only done about a mile and a half, but later on in the day maybe or if you’ve come across on the coast and coast route. Come on. It’s all right. No, it’s fine. Oh, another finger post sign. Bagging them. Bagging them on this trip. Oh, look at that one. That’s beautifully decorated as well. Look, cuz here’s that Lid Junction. Look. Well, the B that takes you to Lidgget Junction. Yeah. So, which way are we going? Oh, we’re going straight on, aren’t we? Yeah. Oh yeah. Keep right. Come on. Morning. Morning. Oh, look at them. They’re cool. There’s another one. Not in the uh most picturesque of settings, but mad that the railway used to come straight through here and obviously it’s all been built on now. Yeah, there’s another one of Andrew Rose NCN7 we are today. So, we’re heading over towards Stanley. So, let’s crack on. I’m not sure if whoever built this section of path was drunk when they did it. It’s literally just bend after bend after bend. And it’s like why did it straight? I don’t know if to slow people down coming up to a busy roundabout or what. Tell you what, if you want to come and practice your cornering, it’s just the place to do it. It’s just bizarre. That’s a strangest thing ever when a straight line would have done it. How bizarre. on it. Oh, yeah. Stop and get it then. It’s still receiving. What happens? See, this is what happens when you release her a microphone. She’s not responsible enough to look after it carefully. I have looked after it. Well, you’ve only just remembered that it’s been sat in your bag for about 20 minutes. That’s cuz you put it on my coat. I didn’t know you threw it on my coat. You tell me you threw it on my coat. Sounds like the kind of excuses you get from kids. It’s not my fault. Oh, bloody hell. Now I’ve got to get my coat back in here. So, while Lisa’s fuffing with that, what I will say there, we’ve done about 2 and a half miles through concert and obviously the it’s all been developed on. So the old line’s just been severed by roundabouts, junctions and roads and it’s it’s a bit of a faf. It’s not particularly enjoyable that were it. No. And uh some of the junctions are really busy. We just had to cross a roundabout over two junctions. So four lanes of traffic and it’s Yeah. Not nice. Especially when they’re like a roads as well. So traffic’s quite quick. So you can park this side of concert to pick up the line. So if you want to avoid doing that section, you can. We did it because I wanted to go over that old um vioaduct house vioct it was. So yeah. Right, let’s crack on. [Music] So there’s the top half of a finger post sign. Look at the views over that. Ain’t it beautiful? It’s on an old bridge. So um we’re going that way. [Music] Oh, we’re going into a tunnel. Not that long. More a tunnally ridgy thing. Well, I think that would be class as a tunnel myself. Wide. Look how wide it is. I wondered what that were. I thought it was some people standing around. I thought it was some people. Oh, look at them. They’re made out of like scrap. They’re cool, aren’t they? [Music] Yeah. They’re cows, aren’t they? Looks like it or cows or horses, aren’t they? They look more like cows. Oh, this one looks like a cow. Well, unless they’re different. Yeah, that’s really cool. Yeah, that one looks tie into what this line used to be for extracting. Oh, it’s got a chain link tail. Yeah, it’s a big old chain in it. It’s not for bicycle. No, no, it’s not. That’s cool though, is it? Yeah. I like that. Oh, there’s another tunnel slash very deep bridge coming up. Yeah, cool that. Come on in. Hi. You got Beamish Museum off to the left up here. I wonder if that’s what those sculptures were tying to. Oh, well the Beish Museum’s like a Yeah. oldfashioned one, isn’t it? Yeah. Right. That’s definitely a tunnel that lo Yeah. And I’ll agree that’s more of a tunnel than the other one. [Music] Come on. Oh, weren’t expecting that? Following all railway. I know. I didn’t know if we’d accidentally turned off into the Newcastle line. No, that was ages back. You had to double back on yourself and go under there. Oh, right. That was rest of the street. So, we’re in Washington now. We just come off the end of the trail about a mile ago. as you I don’t know if you can see it just in that tree there the blue sign coast coast east and west. Um so yeah obviously coast that direction. Just going to stop and have a bite to eat and then there is a little coffee hook just up there. So we might just nip up and get a brew in a bit. But yeah, lovely little spot. So yeah, we’ll have some lunch and then we’ll crack on. What’s your thoughts so far, love? For the first half. First half. I enjoyed yesterday’s better. Yeah, I agree. It was It’s nice, but it’s more It’s nice in places. It’s more urban and it’s it’s been sanitized a lot more and it a lot of it’s totally gone as you’re coming out of concept. You’re just coming through roundabouts and roads and you know like retail parks that literally just decimated the trail or what was left of the railway path. But then after that it’s it appears but it’s more tarmac and there’s only a little bit of gravel. couple of bridges and tunnels, but generally it’s quite uh you’d never know it there really, would you? There’s more industrial like you. But yeah, it’s less countryside, but it’s still all right. 20 mi off road. Yeah. All right. Have some lunch and then we’ll uh crack on. Right, let’s take a picture in that. You’ve got to try this place. So, we’re just off. We’re in Washington. We’ve just crossed. There’s the river. We look. We’ve just crossed over on a foot bridge. The new plow um coffee tea trailer. It’s on Google Maps. Yes. Love’s got fantastic reviews, but lovely. That’s cost 11 quid for that as well, which I don’t think is too bad to be honest. 11 quid. Yeah. And the lad is lovely. So, yeah. If you’re coming this way, you need to come here. So, we just stopped. We’re just heading back up to the old um track bed just on a little bridal way through. The track bed’s not far up where we can cycle on. and I came across this look the actual old track bed which is right next to us. So we’re just cycling over there. Look. But yeah, this is the path of the original track bed that came into Washington. That’s a nice little thing to see, isn’t it? Yeah. Right, let’s crack on cuz we’re going to be rejoining this just up here where it’s been tarmaced and sanitized. So, we’re just heading out of Washington now. Back on the line we rode in on. So, we’ve got a bit of a It’s predominantly uphill on the way back, but it’s been predominantly down on the way. So, we got about 1500 ft of climbing total today. So, it’s not crazy. So, yeah. Let’s crack on. [Music] So just at this point here, we’re at Chesterly Street. So you can come off, pick up NC 725 and head up towards Newcastle and or down to Durham. We’re going to stay on and go on the coast to coast route back to concert and just past [Music] that beautiful thing. So, this is sculpture that was put in just to commemorate all the things that the area was sort of used for in the industrial era. You got steel, brick, stone. Yeah, it’s lovely to see. Some of that stone looks like it came off on railway bridges. Cyclist look. Yeah. Nice. See? [Music] Yeah. Refugees. [Music] Yeah, it’s this one. Is it? Look here. [Music] So, we’re just having a quick breather cuz we must been climbing for about 3 or 4 miles and it’s only about 2 or 3% just up and up and up constantly. So, show you this awesome portal. Look how beautiful that is. Lovely to see. And then these old steel cows which I showed you earlier. So we’ve just gone past Beamish. [Music] So this stretch here just after Beamish if you’re coming from Washington is the only gravel section on the entire trail. So, it’s tarmac up to that tunnel where the steel cows are and then travel for a couple of miles heading up this way and it’s all back into tarmac. So the route I said the nearer to Washington you get the more old railwayesque it is further towards concept the more it disappeared being sanitized. I was just chatting to a local chap cuz we come across these these old stones in this weird configuration and um apparently it’s just an old bridge that was on the railway um and when they knocked the bridge down they just built this sort of sculptury thing out of them. Yeah, it was just telling me it was big bridge here. There was a signal box just down there. There was double track all the way through. So, we’re sort of meandering through, but the track just came straight down the middle. So, yeah, let’s crack on. Four miles to concept and then a couple of mile past back over that fire duct. That twisty bit. Yeah. Right. So, I don’t know why this is as you took a straight line, you’d end up where we’re going at the roundabout. But for some reason, whoever’s built this path must have had an excess of materials they needed to use up just made it into this twisty little chicaney cornery practice thing. Just bizarre. Look, just I mean, why? Just get rid of that. Whoa. Get rid of that little hill. Just weird. Absolutely bizarre. You could have just gone straight. You’re looking at the map. Straight line from where we started to where we finished and done the job. But this is a horrible junction to cross. Got four busy lanes of traffic here. Sat here for quite a while this morning. Yeah. Well, it’s not not a busy morning, is it? at the minute. Do you hear that feeling of deja vu? Fourth time we’ve been here in two days. It’s cool though. Look. And look, there’s a finger post sign. Let me bag that one four times. Right, so we’re not got far now to the Houndsgill vioaduct and the T- room’s just before the vioaduct. So if you come in this way, we’re at 38ish mile cafe. Let’s crack on and get this last bit done. 1858 this was built. Work started 1857. In 1858 it was completed. Stunning. Massive. is 150 ft above the valley floor below. And the valley floods in winter, but in summer it’s just a dry woodland. But yeah, it’s awesome, isn’t it? I’ll leave the camera on while we go across it. Although it’s very similar to this morning, but yeah, I might just be looking straight ahead myself. It’s a bit high, isn’t it? And the surface is a bit bumpy. So, you’ve got to look where your your wheels are going. I mean, you’re not going to fall off, are you? But try telling that to your body. Anyway, let’s get going. You river. No, I’ve just said there’s no river. You’re not listening. No, I listen. I never think I can see one this morning. Well, just a wooded valley load. weird like took all the other out but left this one in. Well, this would be a big job to take out, wouldn’t it? And given its age. Yeah. Yeah. It’s quite a stiff breeze coming across, isn’t it? Might do a quick panoramic. I might as well give you a a 360 Anna. There you go. It’s cool, isn’t it? It’s lovely views. Yeah. And the iron work. I think I showed it this morning, but Yeah. Look at that. It’s beautiful. Absolutely stunning. It’s mad to think it was built in 1858 and the iron work’s still there and the stone work. I know the the concrete’s not original, but yeah, we don’t build all like we used to, do we? This would be horrible hulking concrete lump these days, right? Last bit and then we’re back at Rowley station. It’s been awesome thundering over that in the steam train. Well, at least it stopped raining. The sun’s come back out. Yeah. Right. So, we’re back at former Rowley station site now. Little nugget for you. If you want to see the entire building and platform, it was demolished, removed from here, and put down at the Beamish Museum. So, we didn’t see it today, did we? But perhaps one for another day. So, what did you think to that one, love? Um, it was nice. Yeah, I enjoyed it. I just don’t think it was as nice as yesterday’s. No, I’d agree. It weren’t as good as yesterday. It was nice, though, actually. I think I as much as it was uphill back I think we appreciate it more on the way back. Yeah. On the way out I think we were like too many too many road crossings and it was busier whereas it was quieter on the way back. Yeah. Yeah. Although it was a headwind and uphill there was a drag in there from Washington all the way up past Stanley must be about 6 milesi at about 2 or 3%. So, and there was a headwind today, but it was a nice route. And actually, I think I was a bit harsh earlier. In hindsight, to be able to have this much traffic free cycling is a massive bonus wherever it is. And the scenery was nice. It was a little bit more urban, weren’t it? And around Conset and heading up towards Stanley, a lot of the old line has just gone. There’s nothing left of it. you end up on little cycle paths that they’ve created alongside where it used to be or to navigate around it. But at least it’s not road. Yeah, it was quite good actually in the end. And we bagged I think six National Cycle Network finger post signs today, didn’t we? Uh about that quite a lot. All different, all unique. There was a couple of them painted in that design with the skulls and the the fishbones on them and stuff and a couple of the Andy Row ones with the chain links. But yeah, generally really nice. And you can you can avoid the concert section and park a bit further over. What was it called? Anfield. Anfield Green. Green. Uh plane. Anfield plane. Anfield plane. I think it was a little village over there. So you could park somewhere around there and you’re pretty much all railway into Washington. Um and from Washington you can take the bike path and go into Sunderland if you want. But just remember concert’s not at sea level. Sunderland is. So, we’ve done about 1,500 ft of climbing, most of that on the way back. So, just bear that in mind. But yeah, generally really good, weren’t it? So, another one ticked off. Thank you for watching. Thank you for subscribing. Well, we’ve got 206 subscribers now, which is mega. Thank you very much. So, these videos will probably go out after the jog series is finished. But, thank you for watching, guys. I’m Rob. That’s Lisa. We’ll see you on the next one. Thank you very much.