The South Tyne Trail runs for 15 km (roughly 10 miles) from Alston in the south to Featherstone Park Station in the north, following the tracks of former Haltwhistle to Alston railway.

The railway was once a thriving lifeline, supporting the local lead, coal and limestone industries as well as providing the main form of transport until the closure of the railway in 1976.

We walked part of this trail in the form of a circular walk from Lambley Viaduct, starting at the small parking area at Coanwood. Another alternative is to park at the Wallace Arms in Featherstone.

As we started out, the remnants of the old railway are noticeable, including old platform sidings.

…although some of the information boards need a bit of love!

The Lambley Viaduct comes into view and is most impressive. There are 9 main arches with 17 metre spans and towers 32 metres above the South Tyne River.

The views are astonishing and it must have made a phenomenally scenic train trip to take in its day (see the below archive picture!)

Walking across the bridge and making your way down the stairs and mini bridge to the base gives another perspective of the sheer magnitude of this engineering feat.

Today the Viaduct is owned and cared for by the North Pennines Heritage Trust.

And if that wasn’t enough, we continued on from the Lambley Viaduct along the South Tyne River towards Featherstone and a surprising find that will be detailed in the next blog post 😊

More information on the South Tyne Trail can be found here

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