Hamlet of Rock easy walking round picturesque Doxford and Fallodon Halls. The walk is close to the A1 but is peacefully a world away. Great views of the picturesque Doxford Hall lake and the adjacent ancient settlement. Fallodon Hall is very beautifully laid out and has much history as well as an excellent walled garden
Technical sheet
n°7953428
A Rennington walk
posted on 18/04/21 by Sprocketman. Last update : 17/10/22
Start : At the Y junction nearby Rock Cricket Club. Grid ref. NU 202 205. Rock Mill farm track.
(S/E) From the Y junction, take the road West-North-West to Rock moor away from Rock. After around 830m join a right of way on your right (North).
(1) Turn right here. Follow the right of way keeping the same direction (North-West) until it joins B6347 near West Fallodon.
(2) At the road, turn right onto this for around 200m entering the woods on the left just beyond a small bridge.
(3) Follow the route as it passes Doxford Farm with its holiday cottages on the left-hand side. Stay left of the fence and view the ancient settlement (that is the hill on your right) then rejoin the road at one of the gatehouses of Doxford Hall with its unique cast iron roof supports and drains pipes.
(4) Turn right and follow the road past the rear walls of Doxford Hall for around 1.3km. Take right at the first junction and immediately right again at the next.
(5) This is hard to spot! Find the footpath that goes South-East-East in the woodland. Follow the well-defined path to the front of Fallodon Hall. (Around 2km)
(6) Opposite the house on the corner go through the second gate turn left and enter the woodland. Walk through the trees on the well-defined woodland footpath adjacent to the hall's walled garden.
(7) Join a road, and keep South-West (right) for a short distance (around 200m) before taking the farm track. Turn left up the field edge and follow the field edge all the way around until you come to a gate by the road.
(8) Cross B6347. Follow the path across the field bearing fractionally right heading for Rock Mill (the houses at the far end of the field). On the way, you will pass disused quarries before joining the farm track at Rock Mill.
(9) Follow this well-made farm track back to the start point.(S/E)
Waypoints
S/E : km 0 - alt. 80 m - Rock Mill farm track
1 : km 0.83 - alt. 90 m - Right of way
2 : km 2.19 - alt. 68 m - B6347
3 : km 3.91 - alt. 62 m - Doxford Farm
4 : km 4.68 - alt. 53 m - Gatehouses of Doxford Hall - Road
5 : km 5.95 - alt. 41 m - Burnhouses
6 : km 7.85 - alt. 52 m - Fallodon Hall - Woodland
7 : km 9.05 - alt. 56 m - Road - Coldharbour farm
8 : km 9.64 - alt. 65 m - B6347
9 : km 10.37 - alt. 62 m - Rock Mill
S/E : km 11.52 - alt. 80 m - Rock Mill farm track
Useful Information
Start : At the Y junction nearby Rock Cricket Club. Grid ref. NU 202 205. Rock Mill farm track.
Parking : Park just on the Northern edge of Rock in Rock Mill farm track entrance taking care not to obstruct farm access.
⚠️ This path can be overgrown and trees can be on the way.
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.
(A) Fallodon Hall, one time home of the famous Earl Grey and Sir Edward Grey (Foreign Secretary);
Reviews and comments
3.8 / 5
Based on 3 reviews
Clarity of route description 3.7 / 5
Clarity of route map 4 / 5
Walk interest 3.7 / 5
Blaze705
Overall rating :
3.3 / 5
Date of walk : 04/10/22 Clarity of route description : ★★★☆☆ Average Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average Walk interest : ★★★★☆ Good
This walk started well but several of the paths were completely overgrown and impassable.
We found alternative routes but this spoilt the walk.
Delphinium
Hi Hoppy the Hiker,
Thank you for this feedback.
I just contacted the author to see who I should contact to inform the trees are on the path.
Enjoy your walks
Hoppy the Hiker
Overall rating :
4.3 / 5
Date of walk : 25/06/22 Clarity of route description : ★★★★☆ Good Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good Walk interest : ★★★★☆ Good
An easy walk with only small rises in gradient so should be suitable for most.
We actually did the walk the opposite way around from the route (by mistake) and I realised this quite early on but we decided to continue. Fallodon Hall at this time of year has some lovely flowering dogwood on the path that passes the back of the walled garden and the woodland walk is lovely here though I must mention that there a quite a few trees down, mostly conifers after the winter storms and a few are a pain to negotiate, especially north of the hall.
All in all, a good walk that I'll do again sometime, hopefully the trees will have been cleared by then.
Crabster
Overall rating :
3.7 / 5
Date of walk : 25/04/21 Clarity of route description : ★★★★☆ Good Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good Walk interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Some of the walk instructions could be a little better.
The exit on the A1 in the instructions isn't South Charlton exit it is the next exit a few hundred meters north signposted Christon Bank.
The instructions after Doxford Hall could be clearer. Point three - it should be right at the first junction and immediately right at the next. Point four - opposite the house on the corner go through the second date and walk through the trees on the well-defined woodland footpath.
Point 6 - turn left up the field edge follow the field edge all the way around until you come to a gate by the road. The footpath continues over the road.
Point 7 - Cross the field bearing fractionally right heading for Rock Mill (the houses at the far end of the field).
