Free parking is available from the turning off the A183 at Bournmoor.
(S/E) From the parking follow the good path north, then go through a gate in a drystone wall into a field. Cross this diagonally to another gate and them follow a path through woodland to a marker post with arrows.
(1) At the post take the right hand path and follow it through trees and down across a meadow into more woods. The path drops down gently through the woods, crosses the Shepherds Gill and then emerges on one of the estate roads.
(2) Cross the road and then follow the path as it bears left and continues beside the River Wear. You will shortly come back out on the estate road just before the New Bridge.
(3) Walk onto the bridge and get the views of the river, looking NE you will see the remains of the old bridge on the left hand bank. Head back to the estate road and follow the good track, with the river on your right, to the Lamb Bridge. You will get good views of the castle on the far side of the river from this section of the walk.
(4) The Lamb Bridge is closed at the time of writing and if you look at the arch you will see it is pointed and almost Gothic. This was not always the case; the bridge was built as a uniform arch but the banks of the river have moved closer together and they have compressed the bridge to give the Gothic appearance.
At (4) the path splits, take the lover path through light woodland to another marker post where the path splits.
(5) At the post go straight ahead and emerge from the woods through a gate into a large field with a rectangular plantation in the middle. This is the site of an old racecourse which was used intermittently for horse racing in the early 1800's. Follow the path around the field to a gate leading onto an estate road and an impressive arched gateway.
(6) Cross over and follow the path into light woodland. Gently ascend to curve around the top of a field and re-enter woodland. You will emerge at an estate road.
(7) Go straight over the road and the path will bring you back to (5). Turn right and follow the path back to (4), now turn sharp right and follow the road uphill to a junction. (Alternative from (7), If you turn right on the estate road and follow it you will come to point 8 more quickly than described above)
(8) At the junction turn sharp left and follow the road to a gate on the left. Follow the path through woods to a field where the path turns left to follow the field boundary. At the bottom corner there is an information board and a nice view across to the castle. Continue around the field and back into light woodland, descending beside another field to another marker post and split in the path.
(9) Turn right and follow the path up to an estate road. Turn left and walk along the road before turning left again and descending though woods to a junction with another path/track. (Alternative from (9) if you go straight ahead you will get to (10) by walking through woods)
(10) Cross the estate road and back into a field, walk up this, then back into light woodland where the path bears left to bring you back to (1).
(1) Turn right and follow the path back to the parking. (S/E)
