2-3 hour Northumberland rides?

Overview Chat Bike Members News Women

This topic has 21 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 10 years ago by Drac.

Viewing 22 posts - 1 through 22 (of 22 total)

2-3 hour Northumberland rides?
Dyffers
Free Member

I have the pleasure of a week in Beadnell (on the NE coast south of Berwick on Tweed) in the near future. It’s a big extended family thing so time for riding will be limited to 2 – 3 hours early morning or evening.

Having never been to this particular part of Britain before, does anyone local have any ride suggestions?

A STW search gave me a few names, most of which are too far away – close-to-Newcastle-places like Hamsterley, Chopwell Woods, Edmundbuyers, Hexham or 7Stanes like Glentress.

Closer options from that search were Thrunton, Rothbury, Simonside/Harwood Forest area and Harbottle.

Tech trails or no, just getting away into the hills for a couple of hours will be fine. A GPS file of a good route would be a bonus, otherwise some pointers to placenames would be better than I have at the moment. Ta!

Posted 10 years ago

Drac
Full Member

Yup let me hunt out my old Garmin account and I’ll fire some routes.

Friend’s Strava from Friday http://app.strava.com/activities/68259107 it needs tweaked though as there was a death march that need cut out.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/77165738

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/70378108

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/78404271

Posted 10 years ago

ir_bandito
Free Member

if you’re in Beadnell, you’re best off staying up north with the Cheviots/Rothbury etc.
As nice as my patch is, no point driving an hour to get down here (Hexham)

Posted 10 years ago

br
Free Member

Buy the OS 1:25000 map with Yetholm on, loads around there.

Posted 10 years ago

simonside
Free Member

Alwinton area, there`s natural wilderness up that way, but it a bit cloudy at the moment 😉

Posted 10 years ago

Dyffers
Free Member

Great stuff, thanks chaps.

Any particular trails (descents) worth prioritising, or all similar riding?

Posted 10 years ago

toons
Free Member

YGM

Posted 10 years ago

lemonysam
Free Member

By the by, from Embleton you can do a lovely hour or two down to Boulmer and back along the coast. Linking it in from Beadnell is largely on reasonably quiet roads. Not sure if you can get from Beadnell to High Newton off the roads.

Not technical or hard but a fantastic ride. The Boulmer to Howick bit would be a great ride with kids.

Posted 10 years ago

cinnamon_girl
Full Member

Derek Purdy’s book is very useful.

I’ve been trying to track down some of my old routes but not having any luck!

Posted 10 years ago

Drac
Full Member

Bugger I did a repost with more routes but it’s not appeared.

Yeah Derek Purdy’s book is good I can lend you mine if you wish just stumbled across it earlier.

This may work

http://connect.garmin.com/activities?cid=31126292

Posted 10 years ago

cinnamon_girl
Full Member

Just found one – Bewick Moor (east of the A697), headed N to Chillingham and I seem to remember views of the coast although it was some distance away. It felt remote although it wasn’t really. Parked by an old chapel.

Edit: Into Wooler then picked up a nice little back road south then you can cross back over the A697.

Just before Wooler is a quarry where some downhill events took place. Bloomin’ steep!

Posted 10 years ago

Dyffers
Free Member

toons – email received, thanks. Won’t know about day to day plans until I get there, but might take you up on the guiding offer.

Everyone else – can’t wait to get home and fire up the OS maps prog for a planning session 😀

Posted 10 years ago

simonside
Free Member

The Bewick Moor route cinnamon girl mentions will be fantastic after all of this dry weather, it has a long grassy,dusty fast descent to Old Bewick on that one. Similarly, the climb from Harehope farm would be made easier by the same.

Posted 10 years ago

Drac
Full Member

Actually if I’m about I may be able to help out too seems an easier way to do it.

Posted 10 years ago

johnas7
Free Member

Was just up thrunton woods last weekends and theres loads of quality single track and hidden trails all over. You can start at the car park and theres a map there and you can do a full loop around, really good single track, keep a look out at the sides of the forest as theres loads of good man made trails. We were up there for 3 hours sun.

Posted 10 years ago

toons
Free Member

No probs; drop me an email if you can get away.

Also we’re at Beadnell most weekends; so if you see a blue fat bike on the beach or at the pub\chippy, wave 🙂

Posted 10 years ago

mtbfix
Full Member

Watching with interest. We’ll be up for the last week of August.

Posted 10 years ago

mtbfix
Full Member

As an aside, as the mrs likes to know what she is getting herself into, which has the better/funner blue loop, keilder or GT?

Posted 10 years ago

lemonysam
Free Member

As an aside, as the mrs likes to know what she is getting herself into, which has the better/funner blue loop, keilder or GT?

Kielder so long as you do the full loop and not just the fireroad first half.

Posted 10 years ago

Drac
Full Member

mtbfix if you’re as far up as Beadnell area it’s pretty much easier to get to Glentress than Kielder.

Posted 10 years ago

mtbfix
Full Member

Yes, Kielder does seem a faff to get to. That said, from Harbottle anywhere is a faff to get to, Alwinton aside. Herself got put off the local riding last time as I took her up Clennell St. and underestimated the climb for a non regular rider.

Posted 10 years ago

Drac
Full Member

Hahaha I bet.

The Carriage Drive above Rothbury is a good spot for non regular riders.

A rough idea for one here http://connect.garmin.com/activity/32690275

Posted 10 years ago