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looking for possible hostel based night or two trip suitable for 3 kids aged 7/9/11.
North of England or Borders/Tweed etc. Preferably gravel and blue type trails. Point to point with train back would be an option too.
What trips have you done?
Mary Towneley Loop would be good, done that a couple of times - start somewhere down towards ramsbottom, ride up to Haworth, then loop back the next day.
hadrians cycleway out and backs basing yourself at The Sill? roads are fairly quiet and there's loads of sites en route I'm told 🙂
Can you go a bit further north - to Callander ?
Loch Voil Hostel is an excellent trip from Callander.
https://www.scottish-hostels.com/business-listings/loch-voil-hostel
Day 1) Callander - Strathyre (stock up on food) - Balquhidder - Monachyl - rowing boat across the river - Loch Voil hostel.
NCN7 to Balquhidder and then a very quiet dead-end road. Or undulating gravel on the south side of the loch.
Day 2) Same again but gently downhill all the way.
17 miles each way - which is probably about right with a 7yr old.
Thump was 10 when we did it - and it was a superb wee trip away. We waded the river on Day 1 - which meant he got soaked up to his armpits. Straight into the hot shower and all was good. He still talks about the French girl that was trying to microwave cheese.
And - if you want to do two nights, you could do a day trip to Killin via Glen Ogle and back, Stunning !
Full album of foties: https://photos.app.goo.gl/rmT5mHwqzDfSSLdi9
You can do Hadrian's cycleway as a one way with train return. Trains every hour from Newcastle to Carlisle and back. Just pick a start and end. The Sill is a good place to stay.
For just cycle paths tour then the cinder track from Scarborough to Whitby is good. Boggle Hole YHA is a great position on the beach.
Also couple of the Peak District hostels are just off trails. Ravenstor is just off the Monsal Trail and I think Hartington and Ilam m Halls just off the Tissington or High Peak Trails (sorry can't remember which).
I've done overnighters in Boggle Hole and Ravestor with kids on bikes and been good trips. Also stayed at the Sill with the kids but used the car for that trip.
How many miles/climbing a day? Pennine Bridleway from Settle towards Kirkby Stephen might work for you. Direct train back to start.
Hadrians is lovely but any links between the railway stations at riverside level and the good Roman bits and The Sill involve big big hills up and down for a 7 year old on not very quiet roads unfortunately.
How about York? Super Hostel by the river, lots to do in town, nice riding north west of town following the river and Way of The Roses route. Stupendous ride to the south to Selby following the Solar System path for much of it. I would train to Selby and bike northward. Maybe just an out and back would be plenty.
https://www.york.ac.uk/physics-engineering-technology/outreach/astrocampus/cycle-solar-system/#
Also couple of the Peak District hostels are just off trails. Ravenstor is just off the Monsal Trail and I think Hartington and Ilam m Halls just off the Tissington or High Peak Trails (sorry can’t remember which).
Using the Peak sustrans routes would be one of my suggestions. We used Youth Hostels at Youlgrave and Ilam. This is what i did with my sister in law who hasn’t hadn’t ridden her bike time that year. The original route was longer but a mate but he had to drop out so I came up with this shorter option . The climb from the Monsal trail is tough
https://strava.app.link/M1DTNXXLdHb
https://strava.app.link/MXfdzMZLdHb
https://strava.app.link/33FSBr1LdHb
Cheers so far folks, won't be using the military road next to Hadrian's wall though, as I know from experience that its too fast.
I do like the sound of that Calander trip, but who's boat is it? 🤣
I do like the sound of that Callander trip, but who’s boat is it?
Boat belongs to the hostel. Phone in and the warden punts across to collect you.
It's normally a shallow river crossing - and I have waded across in the evening to get to the posh hotel / pub on the other side. However, on the trip with Thump there had been storms the day before and the loch/river was higher than I realized.
My kids are the same age.
I am eyeing up a a trip round the dales. Grassington - malham - kettle well - grassingtond.
Mostly off-road.
Also want to do the cinder track but not sure I can face doing it as a point to point/car collection.
The John Muir Way East of Edinburgh may suit. Marcus Stitz scoped one out.
Lack of hostels ,but a few options in the area. I know train goes to North Berwick,
Start on outskirts of Edinburgh?
I just Googled it , they call it Go East Lothian Trail.