anyone know of a nice route from holy island to rothbury?
paging Drac, TimC as well..?
Off the top of my head I would either head down the coast and cut in along the Coquet though I would be looking at the os map for the inland bit and it would be small roads mixed with farm tracks. The other way would be to get over to Wooler over the sandstone ridge that runs north south such as the kyloe hills and then to Wooler and via the Cheviots. Wooler common, harthope burn, langleecrags, ingram, prendwick, alnham, trewithall, blue mill, rothbury moor. Either way it will be a big dayout.
^^ that looks interesting !
Fully off road isn't that easy without being massively contrived. Off the top of my head I'd say head for Wooler then skirt Cheviots would give best off road to tarmac % and keep to decent (quiet) back roads where you do have to use them.
One way would be to head S from the end of the causeway, pick up tracks through Kyloe Woods, and then some minor roads to Wooler (basically St Cuthbert's Way). Head W out of town through the forestry then BW over Wooler Common to Broadstruther, S to langleeford. Steep up and over towards Threestoneburn FC plantation, then SW to Linhope. Quite a few BW options in all directions here. Direct option would be cross the Breamish head S on BW to Alnham. Then either East on minor roads and then into Thrunton Woods and South to Rothbury, or South towards Thropton on byways and minor roads then pootle through the woods and down into town to finish. Not sure of the distance but a reasonably stiff day even if there aren't many big climbs.
[edit - basically what geda said then...]
cheers, i will plot the suggested on a route planner.
http://www.cyclepad.org.uk/listing/The-Sandstone-Way
Any use? I think official maps etc should be out by now
that looks ideal mate...cheers for the link.
Really like the look of that Sandstone Way ... my old stomping ground (more or less from end to end!).
Will have to plan that one in for a return to the north-east.