We phone and ask if we can leave the car in the caravan park, as it’s very low season and the place is a ghost town – the woman on the other end of the phone almost gleefully says no. So it’s an Uber that drops us just inside the entrance, and we spend a bit of time lurking around, looking in a few caravan windows and trying to find the path that will lead us down to the coast.

This is Crimdon Dene – a “dene” being a deep glacial valley ,of which there are several along the Durham Coast. From here the coast path twists its way through an area of tall dunes – there are people on the beach but there are also what look like deep pools between the beach and the dunes, and I do not want to find our way barred further up and have to come back.

It is now turning out to be a nice day – we have been lucky enough so far, managing to dodge short lived outbursts of rain…..but it’s still very cold.

At one point we are led onto a golf course – can this be right? But the signs are clear. Two benches stand sentinel in the distance.

We follow the path down to the beach – a dilapidated landing stage/pier in the distance marks the outskirts of Hartlepool. Built in the 1960s this 2,000 feet long structure was used to pump seawater for use in the steel industry.

A mile later and we’re on the promenade leading up to the Headland – the well preserved historic district of the city, which curls around on itself like the neck and head of a turkey.

It is windy and high tide and the waves smash furiously against the sea wall – the whooping is me trying to keep the phone dry.

Later on we come across these little fellas, expanding the tradition of crocheted post boxes to bollards.

This guard has had a good night out……

I wonder if Damian stands here long enough that someone will get ideas for him too.

We reach the entrance to Victoria Dock – heavy industry may have declined, but Hartlepool is apparently still a busy centre for renewable energy, oil and gas production. Lock-free access to the North Sea means easy access to some of the world’s largest offshore projects.

Respect for the lifeboats – I love the way the mural incorporates the low roof.

The path now takes us from the harbour to a long trudge down the A1048 which skirts the centre of the city and leads down to the Marina. An abandoned public library is a depressing site but I later discover that there are five other libraries in Hartlepool alive and well.

Nice idea for a roundabout……………..

We cross the road at the roundabout to take a look at the National Museum of the Royal Navy. We think it may be open but we are both gasping for a cup of tea and choose Costa instead.The young boy behind the counter looks slightly horrified when we walk in, I guess it must have been our wind swept hair, muddy boots and rucksacks.

Refreshed we head down to the Marina, cross the lock and head down the road in the direction of Seaton Carew.

Why? It’s a carpark………………….

It’s a straight run down to our destination – a row of wind turbines stand out against the darkening sky.

And this catches my eye – the base is granite.

Our hotel is 100 yards away and yes we are tired, but who would want to sit on this bench? I have nothing against memorial benches but leaving flowers should not be allowed – in my humble opinion.

Distance: 10 miles