England Coast Path - Crimdon to Hartlepool Headland
This section of the England Coast Path begins at the popular holiday park at Crimdon and follows a more urban route to the historic Hartlepool Headland finishing at the old town walls.
Description
(S) From Crimdon car park follow the tarmac footpath south.
(1) Then cross a footbridge. Bear left and skirt round the escarpment until you reach the steps down.
(2) Go down the steps and back up onto the opposite dunes. Continue to walk south skirting Hartlepool Golf course on your right and the Hart Warren Dunes Nature Reserve on your left. Cross the footbridge and continue walking past the golf course.
You will pass two pipelines on the beach and you will see Steetley Pier. Walk around the new housing development next to the Pier.
(3) Check carefully here as the development work was going on at the time of writing and the route may have altered slightly: it should run straight up from the second pipeline then slightly left to what is now Butterstone Avenue.
(4) Go straight and through the gates at the corner of Spion Kop cemetery and follow the path around the cemetery then bearing left around the derelict land. Again check to see if this is being redeveloped, Stay on Old Cemetery Road footpath if it is not possible to walk here.
(5) When you reach the houses you will see a promenade, walk onto this or onto Marine Drive. Continue along the promenade into Sea View Terrace passing Fairy Cove Gun.
(6) Still following the promenade you will reach the Heugh Battery and the Heugh Lighthouse : here the promenade turns to the south.
Continue following the promenade passing the Headland War Memorial, Heugh Breakwater and Headland Paddling Pool.
(7) As the promenade begins to turn north you will see Pilot pier on your left. Go up the steps at the pier and cross the road to see the statue of Andy Capp next to The Pot House.
Continue walking along Croft Terrace to the old Town Wall finishing your walk in front of the colorful old buildings. A little further along the Town Wall are some benches to take a well-earned rest. (E)
Waypoints
- S : km 0 - alt. 31 m - Crimdon Car Park
- 1 : km 0.59 - alt. 8 m - Footbridge
- 2 : km 0.94 - alt. 11 m - Left turn to Dunes
- 3 : km 2.97 - alt. 8 m - Pipe Line (2nd)
- 4 : km 3.87 - alt. 17 m - Corner of Cemetery
- 5 : km 4.93 - alt. 6 m - Start of Houses
- 6 : km 6.8 - alt. 2 m - Heugh Battery
- 7 : km 7.42 - alt. 4 m - Andy Capp Statue
- E : km 7.64 - alt. 5 m - Hartlepool Headland Town Walls
Useful Information
To get back to the start retrace your steps along the Town walls to Northgate, turn left onto Northgate passing the public toilets at Croft Park. The Town Square bus stop is on the corner. There is also a car park next to St Hilda's church on the other side of Croft Gardens.
- Transport: There are car parks at both Crimdon Beach and next to St Hilda's Church on Hartlepool Headland. There are no direct buses between these stops. From the Town Square bus stop next to Croft Park take the Stagecoach 7 service bus (every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday, half-hourly on Sundays) to the National Museum of the Royal Navy, wait at this bus stop and catch the Arriva 24 service bus to Durham (half hourly Monday to Saturday, hourly on Sunday), which will drop you at Crimdon Dene Holiday Park. The train station is just behond the National Museum of the Royal Navy.
- Facilities: A new cafe and toilets are being built at Crimdon car park, there public toilets at Heugh Battery and Croft Park on the headland.
- Accessibility: The first half of this walk is across sand dunes so not suitable for those with mobility problems, however the stretch from Marine Drive to the Town Wall is all pavement so suitable for push chairs and wheelchairs. Park in the car park next to St Hilda's Church, walk up Northgate to the junction with Vane Street, walk up Vane Street to Marine Drive.
Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.
During the walk or to do/see around
- Crimdon Beach
- Steetley Pier, ruined but very photogenic
- Heugh Battery and Museum
- Headland War Memeorial
- Promenade and Town Walls
- Andy Capp Statue
- Croft Park
- St Hilda's Church
