Pints & Parkruns: Denton Dene

Ever fancied running in the footsteps of a Roman Centurion? Denton Dene parkrun might have the answer. Tucked inside Newcastle’s traffic-choked Western Bypass, the Dene is a woodland oasis – and it also carries the Hadrian’s Wall Walk into the city. That pathway, which stretches 84 miles in total from Bowness-on-Solway to Wallsend on Tyneside, shares a stretch of the parkrun route here.

The long-distance walk is something of a tourist attraction, and sure enough a group of hardy hikers dropped in on Denton Dene for a quick 5k before completing their cross-country trail via lunch at one of Ouseburn’s better pubs.

Before that, they got to join in the first anniversary celebrations for the parkrun, an event marked with a visit from the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Rob Higgins, who is also a councillor for the district. He’s a familiar sight on the running circuit, having been guest of honour at the start of last week’s Blaydon Race. Plenty of Denton Dene runners were showing off their swag from that six-miler, appropriately enough for a route that lies close to the Scotswood Road immortalised in the traditional Tyneside anthem.

The whole event has a strong Toon accent: the Newcastle Blue Star football ground, which we ran past four times on an out-and-back stretch of a two-lap course, is decked out in black-and-white with branding that recalls St James’ Park in the 1980s. Inside, music blares over the PA system: Happy Birthday to Ya to mark the run’s anniversary and, second time round, the theme from Local Hero (also used to serenade the Magpies into Premier League action a few miles down the road). For a Sunderland fan, it’s a great incentive to speed up a bit!

So that’s one half of the route. The other has a completely different vibe, plunging down into a wooded valley reminiscent of the quarry garden at Belsay Castle, a few miles up the road past the airport. Now, it feels like deep countryside; cool shade beneath the trees and an atmosphere that seems miles away from the outer suburbs.

There’s a difference of opinion among regular runners about whether this is a hilly route or not. The organisers stick to the trusted neutrality of ‘undulating’ but while one YouTuber insists it’s “fast and flat”, others look at 64m of elevation gain and feel that it’s quite steep enough, thank you.

In reality, you can make a case for both. It is up and down, and the return to the start / finish point is a bit naughty. On the other hand, there’s nothing too steep or too draining; all the slopes are fairly short and most are followed by a nice downhill to aid recovery. Plus, the paths are not just paved but beautifully smooth all the way around (no need for trail shoes here). Thus, while it has the scenery and elevation profile of a trail run, it does not actually inflict the kind of pain that authentic trails can provide.

Other practicalities are straightforward enough. There are no facilities in the Dene, although there is a gazebo for runners to leave bags and jackets. Parking is over the road at the local secondary school (and ideally not on the road or in the football club carpark, which is reserved for other visitors to the Dene).

The pint

With the Hadrian’s Wall Path running across the route, it makes sense to write up the Hadrian & Border Brewery for this week. Based in nearby Newburn, it’s celebrating its 30th anniversary this year with a collection of limited-edition brews. These include some big hitters: a couple of impy stouts and a take on a traditional Scottish heavy that weighs in at a meaty 8.5%. That’s roughly double the strength of the 80 Bob I remember drinking in Glasgow back in the day. These specials are going down well, perhaps surprisingly so compared with a core range that tends to be solid rather than spectacular. Maybe the answer is for the brewers to take the brakes off more often?

First visit: June 2024; PB: 25:55

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