1/20/2022 0 Comments The Challenge Has BegunRoker to Souter Lighthouse Roker We have had some amazing weather lately, those cold but bright clear winter days with blue skies. What else would you do on a sunny day but go to the seaside. So I began my 2022 challenge at Roker, a place I often visit and know well from childhood days at the beach and a place for reflection from my time as a student at Sunderland University. This stretch of coast is still my go-to when I need time to recharge, think and reflect about anything and everything. I hadn't however expected the seafront to be so busy, every man, woman, child and dog seemed to be there. Parking on the lower promenade, I started the walk at the marker for the end of the C2C cycle route which starts in Whitehaven in Cumbria. This part of Sunderland has changed vastly since I was a child, my dad would regularly bring us here whilst he loaded the van with timber from the timber yard where now the new housing and marina are located. After time on the beach we would have to sit on the wood in the back of the van for the ride home. There are very few remnants of the industrial past on this stretch of the Wear today. The smell of fish and chips wafted around the area and althrough there were amazing views of the pier, it was closed today. The tide was also in so many parts of the beach were not accessible because of the waves. The lower promenade at Roker is fairly short and ends at the mouth of the ravine which leads up to Roker Park. The park is well-worth a visit, being opened in 1880, it was one of the main attractions in Roker. It still has a boating lake and bandstand and easy access to the beach. The official England Coast Path (ECP) which on this stretch is marked by the small brown ECP signs, directed me up a flight of steps and across the bridge at the over the ravine. The views back along the promenade to the lighthouse at the end of Roker pier are unobstructed, but following the path around the top of the curved grassed area also provided good views of the White Lighthouse. So far all of the ECP had been paved. I remained on the upper promenade, as those on the lower promenade were getting a little wet. Huge waves were breaking over the sea wall giving much joy to some of the children. Beyond the lighthouse is the Bede Memorial Cross. Here the route overlaps with the Bede's Way Walk from St Paul's church in Jarrow to St Peter's church in Monkwearmouth. Seaburn Beyond this is the old tram shelter which is about to undergo renovations and possibly be transformed into a cafe. This marks the begining of Seaburn. Next to the tram shelter, there are no trams by the way, is the ornate drinking fountain. Opposite the tran shelter, across the roundabout which once had a spectacular fountain in the centre, but alas no longer, these days it has a light display, is the Sunderland Grand Hotel. This was once just known as the Seaburn Hotel. It used to be a little run down inside. My first experience of the Seaburn Hotel, some time around 1984 was at an Elvis Appreciation Event, I went with a friend who was a big fan, and I felt really out of place not having an appropriate costume. Many years later I was working for a local company on a large recruitment project. One night after interviewing all day, we were travelling back to the office when we turned the wrong way up a one way street. This happend a lot back in the 1980s and 1990s, streets would suddenly just become one way in the opposite direction overnight. It took a couple of policemen to sort out the HGVs and buses whose drivers were all as confused as us. Back to the walk, the route continues along Seaburn promenade which is lined with restaurants, cafes and bars including the new Stack. This area has also undergone huge changes since I was young. There used to be a funfair and behind this a zoo which we visited many times as children. This was then replaced with the Seaburn Centre and a Morrisons supermarket. The only reminder this was ever a seaside resort is the amusement arcade next to the supermarket. The one thing that has survived is Minchella's where you can buy fish and chips or ice-cream from the hatch. This place is a good spot to take a breather and refreshments as there are little opportunities for the remainder of the walk. Whitburn Further along the seafront the paved footpath passes in front of some houses and then leads you back to the road, across a small bridge and then sharp right again to follow the road around Whitburn Bents car park. Here the footpath shares the route with the NCN1 cycle path. The ground underfoot becomes a gravel track and follows the cliff tops giving great views of the coastline. Houses and a school line the other side of the path. The cycle path then takes a sharp left up to Whitburn itself, in hindsight I should have followed that route rather than the path. Crossing a large grassed area with rutted tracks, and passing through an A-frame barrier led to a very muddy narrow footpath around the tops of the cliffs. There were warning signs everywhere warning of coastal erosion and encouraging staying back from the cliffs. The A-frame is meant to deter cyclists but many came that way anyway and the path was deeply rutted in places with tyre marks making walking very difficult in places. The path skirts and old rifle range, but these days this is used to graze horses. As the section stretched out with my feet becoming caked in mud, I began to regret my decision to continue. Having mobility issues and not walked for some time I had probably reached the limitations of my physical abilities, however I had reached the point of no return and had about the same distance to Souter Lighthouse as back to the road. I pressed on feeling sore and anxious about the rest of the walk. I stopped and rested for a while and then pressed on. I think not being able to see the end point of the walk and feeling it should have been closer than it was caused some phsychological problems, but I reconciled this with the notion this walk was to test my abilities to help in planning other walks. I kept looking at the stunning coastal scenery and telling myself this was why I was walking the coastal path.
Practicalities
I parked in the Harbour View car park on the seafront at Roker, this cost £3.00 all day. There are toilets along the promenade at Roker and Seaburn and cafes, restaurants and bars here too. There is little else from Whitburn to Souter Lighthouse which is approximately half the walk but took much longer than the first half because of the muddy footpath, narrow part of the path where you may need to give way to other walkers and cyclists. There are also toilets and a cafe at Souter Lighthouse when open. I took the E1 bus from outside Souter Lighthouse back to the car park. This bus runs along the seafront from South Shields to Sunderland City Centre, costing £2.80 one way.
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AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. CategoriesAll England Coast Path North Gare To South Bents South Bents To Amble
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