Hadrian's Cycleway 2017
July 8th & October 6th-8th 2017
150 mile ride (3.5 days)
Unfortunately we had no 3-day weekends left in the year, so this ride was done over two weekends. Both yielded great conditions however, and it turned out to be a pretty and surprisingly flat route - definitely the flattest of the coast-to-coasts I have completed so far.
Day 1 - Moor Row to Silloth
(with 37 mile, 1,500ft add-on via Aspatria, Cockermouth & Loweswater)
35 miles, 1,050 ft climbing
As we were staying in Dovenby, this route was planned as a loop from there, capturing the Hadrians cycleway from Moor Row and following it North to Silloth. After a small section of busy road through Cockermouth to start, we soon found ourselves on quiet roads, skirting Loweswater with some typically beautiful lake-district scenery.
Soon after this, the bulk of the climbing was done (we weren't finding it too bad anyway as we were sans-pannier) and we made a gradual descent towards Moor Row, enjoying similarly great views! Just before Rowrah we ended up on the wrong track, and almost decided to follow it along as it seemed to lead in the same direction as our route. However, we did turn back to the correct route and were so glad we did - this happened to be a disused railway, following a sleeping flat route all the way to Whitehaven.
The scenery continued much like this all the way to Silloth, where we made an about-turn and pedalled through the definite head-breeze towards Aspatria. Another food stop was had in a sheep-free field on the way, as the countryside became more interesting (and undulating!). The last miles back to Dovenby were certainly enjoyable, through pretty villages and bright sunshine.
Day 2 - Silloth to Easton
(with 19 mile, 110 ft add-on via Aspatria & Glasson)
17 miles, 225 ft climbing
We arrived at Aspatria station early Friday evening (now October) and after a quick assessment of the light, decided to set off on a 36-mile route. This was by no means direct, and took in some of the local villages and countryside before heading off in a NW direction to Silloth. With a largely westerly wind this was a bit breezy, but the countryside views were fantastic, with rolling hills out of Aspatria, which were familiar from the end of our July ride.
Approaching Silloth, the land flattened out, a welcome break from undulations. Having made great time (the lack of mountains and tent-carrying being a key contributor) we discussed extending our our route by 10 miles or so to take in more of the Solway Coast. However, with two day's of cycling ahead and failing light, we decided to head straight for hour lovely B&B accommodation, which retrospectively was the right call I think.
I don't normally talk much about accommodation on here - but we stayed at Midtown Farm B&B and the owners really did go above and beyond to accommodate our needs. For instance, by the time we were ready for dinner it was dark and a bit nippy, and rather than let us cycle the 2 miles or so to the nearest pub, they insisted on giving us a lift there and back! So very recommended if you are looking on the Solway coast...
Day 3 - Easton to Once Brewed
47 miles, 2240 ft climbing
A cloudy but dry morning greeted us, and after a fairly leisurely and very tasty breakfast we set off along the coast towards Carlisle. The floodplain made for interesting cycling, with increasingly larger villages dotted along it. Reaching Carlisle itself didn't take all that long, and it was funny to think that we were here just yesterday late afternoon!
Carlisle was as lumpy as I remembered it from LEJOG just a month before, but more frustratingly, an inviting riverside towpath led us to a bridge that was under refurbishment and therefore closed. This would not have been so bad but the diversion was definitely one for mountain bikers or walkers only, and it was a very very grubby Roy that finally clambered across the river and down onto the other side (into a quite lovely estate park).
Putting the memories of Carlisle behind us, we soon left urbanisation and loosely followed the River Irving to find the wall. The first real extract of it we came across was at Upper Denton, and the novelty of it had me pausing and reaching for my camera. This soon wore off (the wall is quite long!) but it was great to follow the wall towards Haltwhistle and Bardon Mill, the latter being familiar from our Haydon Hundred ride of June 2015. Thankfully nowhere near as windy as that ride, which still ranks as my windiest ride ever (although Glencoe mountain pass came a close and much wetter second) we ended the day's ride by turning northwards towards our accommodation in Twice Brewed, on the edge of Kielder Forest Park. Here I bumped into an ex-colleague from Birmingham who was running the Kielder Marathon the next day, quite a coincidence!
With plenty of afternoon to spare, we visited The Sill discovery centre, grabbing a bite to eat and learning more about the wall and local area. The green roof and views from it were particularly pleasing. We further extended our activities by taking a walk to the wall itself, where the views were even more stunning, in that fantastic evening light that tends to frequent the shoulder seasons more so than summer.
Day 4 - Once Brewed to Whitley Bay
53 miles, 1800 ft climbing
Another leisurely breakfast and we were off! Today's start was a little more onerous than the Solway plains of yesterday, with a few lumps and bumps through the forts of Vindolanda and Muckle Moss Nature Reserve. This was followed by a road that I would describe as a light ridge, which offered brilliant views out to the countryside.
The next real town was Hexham, where we cycled past the abbey and over a masonry bridge over the Tyne to the north bank of the river. From this point on we saw much less of the wall, but wended our way through the countryside, taking a break on the river bank itself in quite a sun-trap.
We went on to cross the Tyne countless times, eventually reaching the conurbation of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Here the shared-use path got quite busy and our progress was slowed. However, there was plenty to look at and again we were making good time. Sticking close to the river the whole time, we pottered past Newcastle and out towards the coast. The end of the wall itself was in a surprisingly non-distinct location, which felt like it was in the middle of an industrial estate. Needless to stay, we didn't stop, eager to get to the coast and enjoy the sea views that awaited us!
Tynemouth marked the official end of the route, with plenty of National Cycle Network references (see pictures below) although I didn't find an official end of "Hadrian's Way" sign. This was possibly out towards the spit, which was rather busy! Enjoying the sun ourselves, we continued up our of Tynemouth, past the abbey, and then via Cullercoats to our destination of Whitley Bay. Here some fish and chips awaited us, eaten on the beach (and then on the steps as the tide came in!) with dynamic sea and lighthouse views.
Overall, this was a great route and I would certainly recommend it! Elevation-wise it is not too challenging at all, making it widely accessible and the coast-to-coast section very doable in two days. Starting at Whitehaven would make the start perhaps more accessible, but the days would be a little longer - fine for summer weather though.
Times
Total distance: 150 miles
Total climbing: 5,700 ft
150 mile ride (3.5 days)
Unfortunately we had no 3-day weekends left in the year, so this ride was done over two weekends. Both yielded great conditions however, and it turned out to be a pretty and surprisingly flat route - definitely the flattest of the coast-to-coasts I have completed so far.
Day 1 - Moor Row to Silloth
(with 37 mile, 1,500ft add-on via Aspatria, Cockermouth & Loweswater)
35 miles, 1,050 ft climbing
As we were staying in Dovenby, this route was planned as a loop from there, capturing the Hadrians cycleway from Moor Row and following it North to Silloth. After a small section of busy road through Cockermouth to start, we soon found ourselves on quiet roads, skirting Loweswater with some typically beautiful lake-district scenery.Soon after this, the bulk of the climbing was done (we weren't finding it too bad anyway as we were sans-pannier) and we made a gradual descent towards Moor Row, enjoying similarly great views! Just before Rowrah we ended up on the wrong track, and almost decided to follow it along as it seemed to lead in the same direction as our route. However, we did turn back to the correct route and were so glad we did - this happened to be a disused railway, following a sleeping flat route all the way to Whitehaven.
Whitehaven itself was perhaps less nice than anticipated. The harbourside was alright, but given this is the start point of a number of coast-to-coast routes I was expecting an enchanting town to suit. Glad to leave the town we followed the coast very closely, along with the train line. When we finally left the coast (yes, up a big hill) we paused for lunch, on a pretty bench by the cycleway.
The route trended up and then down towards Workington, after which we were treated to a rather industrial road on the way to Maryport. The town of Maryport itself was busy - in the middle of an almost-street-blocking carnival! Wending our way through a rather eclectic crowd we found ourselves on a now much quieter coastal road to Allonby. With a slight tailwind this really was quite enjoyable. Allonby presented the apparent facility of a track bike pump (which didn't work unfortunately - rust!) but also a string of picnic benches from which to admire the lapping water.
Day 2 - Silloth to Easton
(with 19 mile, 110 ft add-on via Aspatria & Glasson)
17 miles, 225 ft climbing
We arrived at Aspatria station early Friday evening (now October) and after a quick assessment of the light, decided to set off on a 36-mile route. This was by no means direct, and took in some of the local villages and countryside before heading off in a NW direction to Silloth. With a largely westerly wind this was a bit breezy, but the countryside views were fantastic, with rolling hills out of Aspatria, which were familiar from the end of our July ride.
Approaching Silloth, the land flattened out, a welcome break from undulations. Having made great time (the lack of mountains and tent-carrying being a key contributor) we discussed extending our our route by 10 miles or so to take in more of the Solway Coast. However, with two day's of cycling ahead and failing light, we decided to head straight for hour lovely B&B accommodation, which retrospectively was the right call I think.
I don't normally talk much about accommodation on here - but we stayed at Midtown Farm B&B and the owners really did go above and beyond to accommodate our needs. For instance, by the time we were ready for dinner it was dark and a bit nippy, and rather than let us cycle the 2 miles or so to the nearest pub, they insisted on giving us a lift there and back! So very recommended if you are looking on the Solway coast...
Day 3 - Easton to Once Brewed
47 miles, 2240 ft climbing
A cloudy but dry morning greeted us, and after a fairly leisurely and very tasty breakfast we set off along the coast towards Carlisle. The floodplain made for interesting cycling, with increasingly larger villages dotted along it. Reaching Carlisle itself didn't take all that long, and it was funny to think that we were here just yesterday late afternoon!
Carlisle was as lumpy as I remembered it from LEJOG just a month before, but more frustratingly, an inviting riverside towpath led us to a bridge that was under refurbishment and therefore closed. This would not have been so bad but the diversion was definitely one for mountain bikers or walkers only, and it was a very very grubby Roy that finally clambered across the river and down onto the other side (into a quite lovely estate park).
Putting the memories of Carlisle behind us, we soon left urbanisation and loosely followed the River Irving to find the wall. The first real extract of it we came across was at Upper Denton, and the novelty of it had me pausing and reaching for my camera. This soon wore off (the wall is quite long!) but it was great to follow the wall towards Haltwhistle and Bardon Mill, the latter being familiar from our Haydon Hundred ride of June 2015. Thankfully nowhere near as windy as that ride, which still ranks as my windiest ride ever (although Glencoe mountain pass came a close and much wetter second) we ended the day's ride by turning northwards towards our accommodation in Twice Brewed, on the edge of Kielder Forest Park. Here I bumped into an ex-colleague from Birmingham who was running the Kielder Marathon the next day, quite a coincidence!
With plenty of afternoon to spare, we visited The Sill discovery centre, grabbing a bite to eat and learning more about the wall and local area. The green roof and views from it were particularly pleasing. We further extended our activities by taking a walk to the wall itself, where the views were even more stunning, in that fantastic evening light that tends to frequent the shoulder seasons more so than summer.
Day 4 - Once Brewed to Whitley Bay
53 miles, 1800 ft climbing
Another leisurely breakfast and we were off! Today's start was a little more onerous than the Solway plains of yesterday, with a few lumps and bumps through the forts of Vindolanda and Muckle Moss Nature Reserve. This was followed by a road that I would describe as a light ridge, which offered brilliant views out to the countryside.
The next real town was Hexham, where we cycled past the abbey and over a masonry bridge over the Tyne to the north bank of the river. From this point on we saw much less of the wall, but wended our way through the countryside, taking a break on the river bank itself in quite a sun-trap.
We went on to cross the Tyne countless times, eventually reaching the conurbation of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Here the shared-use path got quite busy and our progress was slowed. However, there was plenty to look at and again we were making good time. Sticking close to the river the whole time, we pottered past Newcastle and out towards the coast. The end of the wall itself was in a surprisingly non-distinct location, which felt like it was in the middle of an industrial estate. Needless to stay, we didn't stop, eager to get to the coast and enjoy the sea views that awaited us!
Tynemouth marked the official end of the route, with plenty of National Cycle Network references (see pictures below) although I didn't find an official end of "Hadrian's Way" sign. This was possibly out towards the spit, which was rather busy! Enjoying the sun ourselves, we continued up our of Tynemouth, past the abbey, and then via Cullercoats to our destination of Whitley Bay. Here some fish and chips awaited us, eaten on the beach (and then on the steps as the tide came in!) with dynamic sea and lighthouse views.
Times
Total distance: 150 miles
Total climbing: 5,700 ft
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