The abandoned old County Durham road between Aycliffe and Heighington

The old section of Heighington Lane once carried traffic between Aycliffe Village and Heighington.

It was later bypassed by the modern B6444, leaving the former road hidden among trees.

Vehicles no longer use the old alignment, which now serves as a route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

The entrance to the old road (Image: GOOGLE)

Despite becoming overgrown, much of the original road can still be followed between the area near Heighington railway station and the village.

The abandoned stretch has attracted interest from enthusiasts who explore “ghost roads”, roads which have been bypassed, closed or left without a clear purpose.

For many local people, however, it is remembered as part of an everyday journey.

One horse rider said on a social media group: “I regularly use this lane on my horse. Lovely ride out.

“But I also remember when this was the Aycliffe Village to Heighington main road.”

Others recalled travelling along it before the bypass was constructed.

A former Heighington signalman said he remembered the work being carried out, placing it in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

Another resident remembered the original layout having a staggered junction and crossroads near the Heighington end.

The old road is believed to have been bypassed as routes around Heighington, School Aycliffe and Aycliffe Village were improved.

Its replacement created a more direct route for traffic while removing vehicles from the older lane.

An aerial view of the new road and the old road (Image: GOOGLE)

The old lane is also remembered by people who travelled to Aycliffe Stadium for stock car racing.

One former visitor said the road formed part of regular Sunday journeys to the track, which closed around the end of the 1980s.

The former road also runs close to one of County Durham’s most important railway heritage sites.

Historic England describes the former Heighington and Aycliffe station building as the world’s first railway station.

The Grade II*-listed building is on the route of theh the Stockton and Darlington Railway, which opened in September 1825.

It was also at Heighington that George Stephenson’s Locomotion No 1 was first placed on the rails before hauling the railway’s pioneering passenger service.

Much of the original Stockton and Darlington Railway route remains part of the national rail network today.

Although it no longer carries cars, Heighington’s forgotten road has not vanished completely.

It survives as a quiet reminder of how people once travelled between Aycliffe and the village before bypasses and modern road layouts changed the area.