Other public routes and open spaces

Other public routes and open spaces

Public access and active living in Sunderland is supported and promoted by a number of means:

• Active Sunderland provides advice for how to get involved in a range of sports and physical activities.
• An extensive network of parks and open spaces
• An extensive cycle network. Large proportions of this are available to pedestrians, and significant proportions to equestrian access. Sunderland hosts sections of four National Cycle Network routes:
  • NR7 the C2C cycle route
  • NR70 (opens new window) the Walney to Wearside cycle route
  • NR1 running up the North Sea Coast
  • Regional Route 11 the Bowes Railway Path linking Tanfield to Jarrow via Springwell Village
• Coastal access (opens new window) on foot is transforming after the 2009 Marine & Coastal Access Act. Under the Coastal Access Scheme 2013 (opens new window), Natural England is rolling out stretches of the England Coach Path National Trail (opens new window). The stretch from Sunderland to Hartlepool was launched in 2014 along our Heritage Coast (opens new window). Other sections are being rolled out north to Berwick upon Tweed, and south to Kingston upon Hull and Skegness.
• Open Access on 'mountain moor heath and down, commons and village greens' was set out and is now available, following the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Details of CROWA access land in the region can be found via Natural England (opens new window); the only CROWA access land in Sunderland is Russell Wood at Shiney Row (opens new window).