Irish Sea to North Sea...

The route from Whitehaven to Newcastle followed the Sustrans coast-to-coast cycle route. We found it well signposted and especially admired the varied accommodations we used on the journey. Our ride back was with the Reivers Cycleway, which roughly Hadrian's Wall, again a good route, if at times quite bleak and hard-going.

What’s that then? The Coast2Coast route is a popular, hilly, scenic, hilly, long distance, hilly, cycle ride. Do I need to mention that it's also a little bit hilly? It crosses three mountain ranges (well, that might be an exaggeration)- the Lake District mountain, the Pennines mountain ranges and the Borders mountains! So, unless you have previously ridden in the Alp section of the Tour de France, this is going to take you more than a day to complete. For us, it was east to west and back again. Of course, if you want a challenge you could try and beat the record of a little over ten hours. Good luck!
It needs to be mentioned this is a popular club ride and as you might expect speed nutters have tried to beat the current record of coast to coast in 4 hours and 1 min. A large number of 'bike touring' companies have elbowed their way in, the choice is yours, but if I can manage it after an evening's study and accommodation booking, anyone can.

Watching the weather is also advisable, particularly as it is changeable in this part of the world (not to mention typically cold). Do not be fooled by the weather on the coast. The wind can be biting across the tops – even in summer – so shorts and a T-shirt might be foolhardy or wishful thinking.

Don’t let this 'wimpish weather warning' put you off though, as the Coast-to-Coast' is an ideal route for the cycle tourists. You get to observe some of Britain’s finest countryside and industrial heritage, whilst getting fit and enjoying its surprisingly remoteness.

I found this to be one of the best signposted and organised Cycle routes in Britain - by far - and no exaggeration.

Credit must go to the book ‘Coast to Coast Cycle Routes’ by Mark Porter with John Grimshaw.

One of the things that made this journey such a joy was the brilliant accommodation, some of it quirky but always hospitable and good value.

Started at Whitehaven to Newcastle (should have been Tynemouth, but we cut a little corner off by heading west again at the Metro Centre) it is 136 miles. We followed Reiver's route back through Carlisle and down the coast back to our starting point.

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Sunday 20th Sept 2009. Mid-afternoon arrived at The Chase Hotel, Whitehaven. This hotel is right on the Coast-to-Coast cycle route and is in a quiet area of the town. I had booked this place for the first and last night of our ride. Consequently, there were no problems in leaving my car in their car park. We had a meal at The Bransty Arch, a Wetherspoons pub down in the town. This was a converted garage and the whole place was just buzzing and had a great atmosphere.

Monday 21st Sept – Whitehaven to Greystoke– 47 miles. After the compulsory full English breakfast, Chris and I headed off on our journey. The first part took us through the housing estates of Whitehaven, and we mixed with what seemed like most of the population taking their kids to school. Whitehaven not being that big we were soon on the disused railway line which was tarmac and well signposted. Now the only people we were meeting were the mid-morning dog walkers. Once you get out of Whitehaven it’s clear why the route is so popular. The back lanes of the Lake District are brilliant for cycling, and you’ll see hardly any cars until you reach Keswick, right on Lake Derwent. Our aim for the day was Greystoke, which was 50 miles away. So it was going to be a good day's bike ride. Luckily, the weather was overcast, which made the ride quite pleasant.

Several cycle routes using the same route here, so just be vigilant. The route being flat, we were soon through the towns of Egermont and St Bees and into the open countryside of Cleaton Moor. We were now following minor roads which were very quiet of traffic. We seemed to be skirting the main mountains of the Lake District and there were good views despite the dull weather of Loweswater and Crummock Water. The afternoon climb was Whinlatter Pass, which had a seterate cycle path through the trees, but as the roads were quiet, we stuck to the good old tarmac roads which give superb views over Braithwaite and Derwent Water.

By the time we got the Keswick, the rain came and it amazingly started and stopped while we were at a bus shelter on a short break. In Keswick, we again went on a disused railway line which followed the river. Once you’ve left Keswick, you ride through some nice woodland on a boardwalk through the trees which criss-crosses a fast-flowing river. The wetness on the planks, made for some careful cycling. This was a very scenic section and we criss-crossed the river on some ornate cast-iron bridges. Our next stop was to be Penrith and when we got to the village of Threkeld we were back on roads.

We were back in agriculture country and following narrow roads on the hillside looking down on the A66. The road we were on must have been the main road in the past, which must have been a nightmare for travelers. Our arrival at Greystokes was a real treat, a great place to stay. Ideally, set up for the touring cyclist, it was one of the best-equipped places ever. We had a meal at the local pub which was busy and judging by the quality of their food, you could see why.

Whithaven - Cleaton Moor - Rowrah - Kirkland - Felldyke - Waterend - Loweswater - Thackwade - Low Lorton - Whinlatter Forest - Braithwaite - KESWICK -Briery - Threlkeld - Trourtbeck - Matterdale - Hutton John - Greystoke

Cleaton Moor old railway cycle path.

Tuesday 22nd September – Cycle day two Greystoke to Nenthead 42 miles At Penrith we had a massive climb out of the town. Hills don’t seem so bad when there are bendy bits in the road as you can’t see the top but this hill was straight up for about a mile. Nice views at the summit though but no sooner are we there, then it's over the other side, and this time it’s a proper downhill with twists and bends. You then leave the Lake District and descend into the green Eden Valley before the town of Penrith. Out of Penrith the Pennines beacon and its a gruelling climb up and over the Hartside Pass (1903ft)

The Famous Hartside Summit

You’re rewarded with a fast, long descent to Nenthead. Overnight stop at Nentheads (Cherry Tree Cottage - Helen Sherlock). The superb welcome to the whole house, all to ourselves! Helen told us about getting stuck in the snow for 3 days in a car before a helicopter found her (this was in the early 1960’s)

Greystoke - Newton Reigry - PENRITH - Langwatby - Little Salked -Haresceugh Fell - (Hartside Heights) - Leadgate - ALSTON - Garrigill - Nenthead

Wednesday 23rd September – Cycle day three Nenthead to Corbridge 55 miles Steep climbs out of here take you along the remote North Pennines, through the village of Allenheads and everybody's favourite cyclist stop at the Allenheads Inn. From there, it is only two more climbs to do until you reach the town of Consett, where the route divides into two, either Sunderland or Tynemouth. Strong worded warnings about this in the book, and we still very nearly missed our junction to Sunderland.

Great ride from Consett into Newcastle along a disused railway line. We had stunning views over the valleys as we crossed them on railway viaducts.

 

Cycle path to Consett and River Tyne - at last!

A midday meal at the Skiff Inn (Metero Centre) and we follow the River Tyne to Hexham. This was a very long ride today. The B&B was very much up to the high standard of this trip. I could see the concern on the womans's face about our knackered condition.

Skiff Inn, Newcastle and which way to go?

Nenthead - Allenshead - Rookhope - Stone - Waskerley - Castleside - CONSETT - Blaydon - RIVER TYNE TRAIL - Brooomley - COREBRIDGE

Thursday 24th September – Cycle day four – 54 miles – Corebridge to Burgh By Sands 52 miles Westward through Haltwhistle, Gilsland and Brampton before our overnight stop at Burgh by Sands.

Our last BB house. And puncture repair by the sea.

We are very much now heading back west. We follow the route which runs parallel with Hadrian’s Wall but you see very little of it. The drop into Vindolanda (a well-preserved Roman fort) emphasised why its bleakness and remoteness showed even today, why the Romans considered this to be the edge of the civilised world. The roads is very straight and long (there’s a surprise) and with steep drops and hills in and out of the valleys. We meal at Haltwhistle and carry on to Carlisle. There we hit major problems as the cycle path no longer exists. Carlisle flooded last year and there was extensive work going to widen and deepen the river and the cycle tow path simply did not exist. We ring our next B&B and she makes an offer to come a collect us. We chose to carry on and ended up at a magnificent farmhouse and was very nicely treated by all. The view from the farmhouse was flat and pretty and in total contrast to what we had come through that day.

Corebridge - HEXHAM - Bridge End - High Warden - HALTWHISTLE - Gilsland - Vindolanda - Brampton - Fenton - CARLISLE - Burgh By Sands

Friday 25th September – Cycle day five – 65 miles – Burgh by Sands to Whitehaven I came to consider this a very strange, forgotten, quiet corner of Britain. Why would anyone want to live in Silloth, for example, with its faded, well weather-beaten, Victorian facade.
Not the most direct route to Whitehaven but following the Solway Firth through Silloth, Maryport, and Workington. Stayed again at The Chase Hotel. My day ended abruptly at Maryport - I’ve got diarrhea! This is no joke, without going into great detail, I abandoned Chris and jumped on the train back to Whitehaven. The fare was only £2 but to be able to sit on a proper toilet - it was bliss! Looking through a gap in the frosted glass of the train toilet I did recognise that this was probably a lovely coastline. The railway line itself twisted and turned with not much room between the cliffs and the sea.

Burgh By Sands - Bowness on Solway - Silloth - Maryport - Workington -Whitehaven