Discover Ebchester

Ebchester brings together Roman traces, architectural history and paths along the Derwent. Visible remains of the Vindomora fort, the Church of St Ebba and Ebchester Woods each offer a different focus. When planning your stay, you can decide whether to concentrate on exploring archaeological and ecclesiastical heritage, or to make the woods and the described paths your main focus.

Vindomora: visible remains and building phases

The visible remains on all four sides of Vindomora include sections of a grassy rampart. These tangible traces in the landscape shape the picture of the Roman site. Archaeological investigations have identified at least seven building phases: four timber phases and three stone phases. The distinction by building material makes clear that the construction history spans several periods. For those interested in Roman history, two perspectives complement each other: the visible rampart and the archaeologically identified building phases.

Church of St Ebba: architectural history and Roman connections

The Church of St Ebba is a parish church dating from the 12th century and was extensively remodelled in 1892. In 1910, the tower was added, the nave was extended and further work was carried out. Its architectural history therefore spans the 12th century, the extensive remodelling of 1892 and the work of 1910. Part of a Roman altar is set into the west wall. Together with the church’s location within Vindomora, this detail creates a tangible link between the Roman site and the church building. At the same time, the periods remain distinct: the parish church dates from the 12th century, while the altar fragment is Roman. Those interested in architectural history will find both changes to the church building and an archaeological detail in its masonry.

Woodland walks and paths

Ebchester Woods is a 3.81-hectare woodland owned by the National Trust. A woodland walk there follows the Derwent. This gives the focus on the landscape a concrete form: a named area of woodland, its size and a walk that follows the river. In the area around Ebchester, Derwent Walk Country Park has more than 10 miles of well-maintained footpaths. The more than 10 miles refers to the footpaths in the country park, not to the walk in Ebchester Woods or the circular route. If you are planning a walk, check current path conditions; local conditions may vary.

The “Ebchester - Hamsterley - Hedley on the Hill Circular” route leads from Ebchester through the Derwent Valley to the higher-lying village of Hedley on the Hill and offers views across the Tyne Valley. Compared with the walk in Ebchester Woods, the circular route focuses on the journey through the Derwent Valley to the higher-lying village and the views across the Tyne Valley; the woodland walk is defined by its route along the Derwent. Conditions on the route can change seasonally; check them when planning your walk.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Hutton Magna, Byers Green, Shildon, Shincliffe, Headlam, Spennymoor, Tow Law, Sedgefield

For the main travel overview: Durham.