Walk stats
- Distance7.7 km · 4.8 mi
- Elevation+219 m
- Duration2 hr
- DifficultyModerate
- Route typeCircular
- TerrainWoodland paths, field tracks and quiet lanes with a few short climbs
- Best seasonLate spring to early autumn
- DogsDog-friendly; keep on lead near livestock and burns
About this walk
The Boundary Walk sets out from the village of Chopwell in the west of Tyne and Wear, a settlement long linked with the surrounding woodland that shares its name. The circular route heads out through field edges and mixed woodland, weaving along the parish fringes before dropping towards the wooded valley of the River Derwent, which forms the historic border between Tyne and Wear and County Durham.
Along the way you cross the quiet watercourses of Pallis Burn and Galley Burn, small tributaries that thread through the trees and add a gentle soundtrack to the walk. The path passes close to The Hop Garden CIC, a community project on the outskirts of the village, and climbs past Heavy Gate before curving back towards Chopwell.
With around 219 m of ascent spread over 7.7 km, the going is steady rather than strenuous, and the mid-route return through Chopwell makes it easy to break the walk with a rest or refreshment. Allow roughly two hours at a comfortable pace.
Route map
Route line drawn from OpenStreetMap footpath data. Numbered markers are waypoints on the route; amber star markers are points of interest a short detour away.
Waypoints along the route
2 waypoints along the way
- 1
Chopwell (start and finish)
- Start / finish
Start and finish of this circular route.
- 2
Midway: Chopwell
- Midway
The midway point of this circular route.
Worth a short detour
Points of interest just off the route, look for the amber markers on the map.
River Derwent
~242 m off the route
Pallis Burn
~330 m off the route
Galley Burn
~480 m off the route
The Hop Garden CIC
~441 m off the route
Heavy Gate
~225 m off the route
Route & waypoint data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).