Hi
Headed up to Northumberland later this week – staying close to Kirknewton nr Wooler. Anybody with local knowledge out there? Can you suggest rides in the area? Might also try Glentress as never been before.
BW Simon

One last go – anybody out there ride the Northumberland / Borders area.

Thrunton woods is your best bet.

Buy the 1:25000 OS map.

There is a route going inwards behind The Cheviot and coming on top near Windy Gyle.

Also you can ride the Pennine Way in Scotland.

Not Westnewton perchance?

As always, depends what you're after. Thrunton Woods has some excellent technical singletrack. Follow your nose, ride up the hill and look out for bike tracks. College valley is a fireroad climb in a spectacular setting and most excellent cruisey descent. Coquetdale is a drive away but beautiful. Oh and excellent walking too – get a map and you can't go wrong really…

have fun 🙂

TM

Sorry missed this post yesterday, Thrunton is good but will be a mess at the moment and if you don't know it you'll not get any the good bits.

Nearer Wooler there's plenty, I'll try to do something rough when i get a spare moment.

I was at Thrunton yesterday – yep bit of a mess.

Thanks guys – I've got the 1:25000 ready. Looking for XC, singletrack where possible, some nice descents. Rides of 20-40miles. Try and avoid anything too messed up. I know the whole area is quite peaty so prone to be a bit wet at this time of year. Can drive to find good ground or consider doing a one way trail. I used to live in Newcastle and rode around Rothbury, Keilder quite a bit but not further North. We had a great Autumn holiday in Wooler 16 months ago but did not manage to hit much good legal singletrack. The best descents were when we were aborting rides in bad weather down footpaths (which I would not normally plan to do).

[College valley is a fireroad climb in a spectacular setting and most excellent cruisey descent] Can I ride into/ out of College Valley at the top end? The brideways seem to stop and go on as footpaths only.

[Not Westnewton perchance?] We are at East Set Byre, not sure if this is Canno Mill (which looked nice the last time I cycled through a couple of years ago).

[There is a route going inwards behind The Cheviot and coming on top near Windy Gyle.] Sorry br must be blind, can't find Windy Gyle. Is this track coming from Wooler? Is it one way in and out?

[Coquetdale is a drive away but beautiful] Agreed. We plan to do a short ride each morning in our locality (grandparents looking after kids) with one or two bigger rides which could be further afield (Coquetdale, Breamish Valley, Alwinton etc).

Thanks again!!

This route is near Wooler. I don't know what it's like in winter. One bit above threestoneburn wood would be awful so wear waterproof socks. Also a few fords which could be a problem if in flood.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Cold-Law

There are a few routes near Windy Gyle which were covered in August What Mountain bike. They start from Barrowburn which is about 10 miles SW of Wooler but a 30 mile car drive. I can mail you the .GPX routes.

Jedborough is nearby but I haven't tried it
MOD: image removed due to malware

Cheers Abductee – email in profile
I had already packed the waterproof socks and shorts

There are a few routes near Windy Gyle which were covered in August What Mountain bike. They start from Barrowburn which is about 10 miles SW of Wooler but a 30 mile car drive. I can mail you the .GPX routes.

They're cracking routes and tested by one of the best riders. 😉

Had to reinstall my mapping software will plot a couple of routes tomorrow if I can.

Abductee, Drac – if you guys have any google map files would you mind emailing me some? Anything round North of Alnwick area would be great.

Im sick of travelling miles – normally through Cheviots up to places like GT or inners when I have place slike this on the doorstep, only problem is I dont know anywhere decent other than Thrunton.

I'll try and remember my login details for Garmin and post some links, it'll be Thrunton only I think though.

Have a look here see what there is Carbon.

Ok that failed.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/14970744

I'll add more soon that's just standard middle route.

Its a few years since l lived oop north but around Kidland Forest is a favourite … though might be dicey up there in Feb…any thoughts?

Another of Thrutnon, takes in some hidden bits.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/14973726

Thrunton's not that bad at the mo, just bit extra work in the mud!

From Saturday

Darc, is that route; coe crags wood, long crag, then head to traverse of the dogs & eiger sanction, back up the fire road past Birham Woods, then head up to the moor (towards the cairn).

I’ve not done the next bit, are you turning right by the pond?

Ok a rough one around Broadstruther.

http://www.lost-soul.co.uk/Routes/Broadstruther%20loop.kml

If I don't get any more sorted then best bet is to call in at the Haugh Head just south of Wooler, ask for Michael he should be where all the bikes are. He's a local lad with a way better knowledge of rides around Wooler than me, he'll point you in the right direction.

Yeah that's the one toons, I always forget the names. At the get to the pond you can go straight on in line with the wall for some great steep fun.

Your right looks better than I though it would be not been out in a weeks so wasn't sure.

There is also a cafe in Coquetdale, not sure if its open this time of year – point 'B' on this pdf

http://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/coquetdaleroundupdated.pdf

I (kind-of) did the WMB route last year, but starting on the Scottish side so I can 'lunch' in the cafe – lots of alternatives ins/outs around here. But this was in the summer, so it was wetter/muddier than now 😀

When you turn right at the pond is it straight forward to follow?

Going have to check the route now as not sure which one I posted.

Ah ok got it now.

Go through the gate past the pond on the right side of it, you then descend down a short bit to a finger post. There's the V shaped gully next to the finger post go down there.

Cheers, does that trail have a name?

Anyone fancy a STW ride at Thrunton soon? Share some knowledge of the trails

No idea Toons, we just call it the gully.

I may well be carbon not been out since Novemberor was it October.

Cheers guys – got some great riding to go at now. I'll let you know how we get on.

The Barrowburn Tearooms in Upper Coquetdale is a great place, good food and lovely people. It only opens a few days a week in winter though, I think Thursday to Sunday 9.30 to 4ish

It is a cracking Tearoom that's for sure.

If you're wondering about conditions, most of the snow has gone from low levels now, but on Sunday most things were skiable from around 400m or so, and some to lower levels. Depending on how much cold/wet/carrying you want to do would influence routes.

As a starter to work out how boggy/passable things are, I'd head up College or spin along the road up towards Cocklawfoot and try and judge how things are at lower levels and ride accordingly- plenty of stuff round that way that's not easy to describe but marked on the OS and easy to make loops of varying lengths from. Some of it is pretty easy to damage if it's not frozen at this time of year though.