A SPRING festival of walks charting the industrial heritage landmarks surrounding the rivers Wear and Tyne, starts today.
Northumbria Ramblers stage three walks of up to 17 miles, today, the first of 11 by next Saturday on sections of the new 80-mile Tyne Wear Heritage Way.
Architectural historian John Grundy will perform the official opening of the Heritage Way, on Thursday, at 2pm.
The launch event takes place at Causey Arch, near Stanley, where the nearby Tanfield Railway will ferry guests to and from the venue by steam engine.
Causey Arch was chosen as the backdrop as the first single-span stone-built railway bridge in the world.
More information on the walks is available on TyneWearHeritageWay.org.uk, from where maps and walk instructions can be downloaded.
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