Walk, River Tees 2 (Newport Bridge)

Walk, River Tees 2 (Newport Bridge) Approximately 3 mile or 4.7 kilometres.

This walk can be done in conjunction with Walk, River Tees 1 (Stockton-on-Tees) for longer six mile walk if required.

For this walk we used the car park next to The Talpore pub and walked down to the river before heading east, towards Newport bridge but it would be the same from the White Water Caravan Club Site.

This may seam like a pretty straightforward walk, head to Newport bridge, cross over and walk back to the barrage, but there is plenty to see along the way.

As we walk, the river is on the right and the Portack Marsh Nature Reserve is on our left, there is a chance to see rare birds here (if you know what to look for, I don't).

Talking about wild life there was a seal feeding in the river and also several cormorants feeding as well, this is not unusual and we usually see them when we visit the Barrage.

Next we pass under the Tees flyover carrying the six lanes of the A19 high above us. Then just on the other side of the flyover, Lustrum Beck joins the Tees through a culvert (I didn't even know there was a Lustrum Beck).

From here the view is dominated by Newport Bridge, a big green vertical lift bridge (although it no longer lifts). On the left are green fields where until recently a huge incinerator stood but thankfully, it was demolished and the replacement built further down the river. Far over to the left is the large Billingham chemical complex, sadly no longer the major employer it once was though, since ICI sold it off to various other companies (that are now mostly failed enterprises).

When we got to Newport Bridge we walked underneath to the other side to see the confluence of Billingham Beck with the Tees and also look down the river to the old ICI jetties.

We then climbed the steps to the bridge road deck and walked along the footpath over to the south side of the river. Here we turned west and follow the railway lies back towards the Tees flyover and eventually our start point at the barrage. But we can not help looking back at Newport bridge.

Walking back along the opposite side of the river we can see where Lustrum Beck actually joins the tees through four pipes.

On the left of the path is Maze Park, a green space with three manmade mounds, these can be climbed as part of the walk for better views (we did not this time but have done in the past). From the top of the highest mound you can look over Thornaby Marshalling Yards, Teesside Park shopping complex and the industry of Billingham.

Along the way there are also viewing points for looking over the river and some sculptured cycle racks in the form of butterflies and snails. Towards the end of the walk we crossed over a small bridge, over what was once the original course of the river Tees but is now just a small stream.

Back at the barrage the usual cormorant was there doing his fishing, and when we crossed back over, we were lucky enough to see the trap at the top of the fish ladder being emptied. Some of the fish had bite marks in them, presumably from the seal, well that what the men emptying the trap thought.

Of course at the end of the walk, we had to pop into the Talpore for a beer (or two).