looking for some great singletrack from Allenhaeds over to Hexham to cut short the C2C. Any suggestions appeciated. Cheers Nick

The common is criss crossed with bridleways – it's all quite open and exposed and can be extremely wet depending. From Allenheads head back down the valley on the main road towards Allendale and then take a bridleway on the right marked as 'Broad Way' on the OS map over to Hangman Hill. Eventually through to Whitley Chapel and down to Hexham.

Or make your own route up while looking at the map 🙂 It's all good singletrack through heather with the odd landrover track for the shooters. Incidentally, don't be tempted to ride up the track from Sparty Lea – it's not a right of way and you might get shot!

The Stobbs Cross – Broad Way path will be good fun.

Further north, I really like the path from Catton over Greenrigg Moor via Rebel Hill. Fast and sandy with occasional rocks to throw you off

I've done this route a few times. I have to push it from the road at point 56 (NY 842 477) to point 60 so the farm track to byerhope farm/byerhope bank would be a better route if only it were legal. At the top of byerhope bank There is a stone road for the shooting cabins to point 72 (NY 873 493) and then there's some nice singletrack across the moors to (NY 902 453)with a bit of a paddle at one point if you stick strictly to the path.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Hexham-Common

That's it. The more southerly line is what I was on about.

Some of the common looks like this:

I've only been in summer but the route you are talking about (southern leg of my route) has always been nice and dry except for the one bit where the path is completely under water. (worse than your photo) I believe it's OK to walk around an obstruction like that though from a rights of way point of view.

Yes. My photo is more towards Rebel Hill. Sorry, should have said but it's fairly representative I think.

many thanks for the advice guys – will look to incorporate a couple of thesuggestions in a couple of weeks time. Doingthe first couple of days of the c2c, but once to avoid the drag into Newcastle and Tynewouth and head over to Hexham instead