Greencroft Walk

About

Start at Lanchester Village Green. From war memorial take path to and cross A691, turn left and take next footpath on right . Turn left over stone stile into field.


The Lodge, standing on the left hand side, is an early 19th Century house and is listed Grade II (no public access). The well in the grounds is also listed. Continue up Pace Egg Bank. At top of 2nd field bear left then turn right between thorn bushes and over stile. At top of next field bear left.


From here panoramic views can be taken of Lanchester village and across parts of Greenwell Ford Estate (south). Greencroft estate woodland is visible to the west, this stretches across the A6076. ‘Cold Pig Hill (or Humber Hill) lies to the west.


Pace Egg Bank derives it’s name from ‘Pace-egg’ rolling. This continues today on Easter Monday morning. The eggs are hard boiled and dyed with flowers (usually celandines) and onion skin. Cow parsley leaves also provide a stencil to make a feathery pattern. The eggs are then bouled competitively down the hill.


Continue through stone gateway then take right fork aiming for wooden electricity pole and cross stile. Follow the path to Moor Leazes and turn left just before mobile phone mast. Over the stile keep to the left of the holly bushes and walk down to Back Lane.
The trees and bushes cover a sunken lane. This was a track to a disused sandstone quarry north of Spring Gardens.


Turn left into Back Lane. The path goes past the rear of Ornsby Hill House which was built in 1778 and is reputed to have a coffin chute.


At sign for Lanchester cross A6076 and follow public footpath sign to stile. Bear right after stile and join the track from Fenhall Lodge, entering Greencroft Park. Greencroft was mentioned in the Boldon Book, a survey of the Bishopric of Durham in 1183. It is believed there was a medieval village on the site of Greencroft Park and the Hall may have been built on the site of the original manor house. Greencroft Hall was initially built by the Clavering family in 1670. A dovecote, dairy, Fenhall Lodge and ice house have survived in the old park. Mackenzie wrote in 1825 “It is a spacious, elegant mansion embosomed by luxurious plantations of lofty forest trees and commanding a fine rural prospect of the winding vale of Lanchester”. In May and June some of the colourful old varieties of rhododendron can still be seen among the woodland. Fenhall Lodge is listed Grade II. It is built in the ‘Tudor style’ he gate piers and walls are also listed Grade II. The lodge stood at the entrance to a carriage drive leading to Greencroft Hall (demolished 1950s), the line of the drive is visible on the path.


At single stone gatepost turn right, cross stile and keep fence on left. Cross the next stile and follow waymarks to a wooden stile at the gap between High Crow Wood and Mawsfield Wood. Cross stile and make for waymarked oak tree. Pass the tree and cross the stile at the corner of the field. Cross second stile on left and follow path across drive to a field. Bear right aiming for Parkhead Farm (the building on the hill top), over a small stream to a stone gatepost. Turn right and follow wide grassy lane. Keep this
direction through the woods and on to Maiden Hall Farm.


Colonies of crows were encouraged on Estates as they provided both food and the sport of shooting. Crows were a common source of protein during WWII. Turn right onto A6076 then left onto A692 and into the village.