Durham Coast / Seaham Routes

I'm local(ish-Sunderland) and there's loads of disused railway tracks to go at around there.
You could park at Cox Green - nice pub (Oddfellows Arms) and a great quirky outdoor cafe (The New Plough Tea/Coffee Trailer). Then pick up the Sunderland/ Consett railway path which is 7 miles to Beamish. Also worth a walk up Penshaw Monument and Herrington Park is nice to ride around. Nearer still is the Haswell to Hart path that starts at Ryhope and takes you all the way to Hartlepool (is a bit dull though). Sunderland to South Shields is a nice ride.

There are a few bridleways that spur off from the main bit of NCR 1 between South Hetton and Ryhope but bear in mind that the bit of NCR 1 from Seaton to Ryhope is closed for resurfacing (or at least it was a few weeks ago the last time we used it). The bridleway that spoings off at right angles to the main route at Murton is cool, here's a route we do quite often (clockwise, it's less fun going anti-clockwise!)-

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There's a bit of road connecting some bits but it's never that busy. We live in Peterlee and the route takes that into account so you might have to rework it to suit where you're staying.

edit- The Albion at Ryhope is a smashing pub, the people are dead friendly and the food's good

TL;DR? Get the OS map (308) for the local area

edited again- Chopwell's good fun too if you're happy to sling the bikes in/on the car for a day out. It's smaller than Hamsters but is denser (if that makes sense) and there's a really cool pump track there now too.

What's that coastal path on your route @kayla1? I've been down to Shotton on the NCR1 before but I ended up heading inland towards the Raintons and Finchale Priory mainly on road as I had no idea where the footpaths bridleways were

It's the sea front at Seaham, along to Nose's Point, then to Hawthorn quarry (keep left & head down into the dene, there are some steps which are rideable but sketchy AF) then back up the stairs (hike-a-bike) out of the dene and along the coastal path to Grants Houses. It's not strictly bridleway as such but plenty of people ride it and it's not frowned upon if you follow Rule #1 and drop the occasional kindness bomb

edit- there's plenty to ride along the cliff top from Grants Houses down to Blackhall and on to Crimdon Dene. We do a nice loop heading down from Peterlee to Hart down the line then over the railway bridge and up the other side through Crimdon caravan park (Butlitz) to Blackhall for a watch of some cricket on Saturdays (nice ground & the beer's ok!) It's not super-gnar or anything but it's a nice XC/bimblecore sort of potter. You just make the best of what's on your doorstep, don't you?

ou just make the best of what’s on your doorstep, don’t you?

Exactly, thanks for the inspiration folks. I'd heard of Chopwell so we might give that a go and everyone loves a pump track!

Thanks kayla, I'll go for an explore one weekend with the boy.

You just make the best of what’s on your doorstep, don’t you?

Absolutely, there's not much round here so have to make do with what we do have. I like the bridleway past Burdon to the NCR1 path, if I have the kids I turn towards Ryhope, on my own I turn towards Shotton. Makes a change from endlessly going up and down the C2C path to Beamish/Stanley/Consett etc and back.

Didn't realise there's a few locals here

I do a few fitness rides from the door on the gravel bike around the NCR1 when I don't have time to head down Hamsterley. It's quite boring but I enjoy going up that gentle incline from Ryhope past Burdon on the NCR1.

I was there last week and it was re-opened, they've tarmac all the way from Ryhope up to the A19 bridge which makes it even more boring.

I am glad this come up so I can explore some other off routes from the NCR1 to make it more interesting.

I was there last week and it was re-opened, they’ve tarmac all the way from Ryhope up to the A19 bridge which makes it even more boring.

There's that view, but there's also the view that it helps more less-able people use that route and will (hopefully) discourage the arseholes on motorcycles who think they're Ricky Carmichael or whoever from using it. It's a shame, cos I used to love popping over the puddles and manualling over them when they froze on the bit before you get to Sount Hetton (heading North from Shotton) but hey ho, if it helps get more bodies out of cars and doing something active then that's A Good Thing

I like the bridleway past Burdon to the NCR1 path

Is that the one where you can sploosh through the ford after the stony drop down from the farmyard? I love that bit!

Is that the one where you can sploosh through the ford after the stony drop down from the farmyard?

That's the one, sometimes I go out of my way to add it in purely because the majority of everything else is so bloody flat/tedious.

Apologies for the slight hijack but is it worth exploring Cherry Knowle and Ryhope Dene's on the MTB? Keep thinking I should when I'm riding past on my gravel bike.

Apologies for the slight hijack but is it worth exploring Cherry Knowle and Ryhope Dene’s on the MTB?

Looking for Strava segments there shows nothing, although that could mean diddly squat!

Is that the one where you can sploosh through the ford after the stony drop down from the farmyard? I love that bit!

That sounded interesting so went and try it out this morning. Perfect for the gravel bike.

Turns out it links the NCR1 with the W2W so formed a loop to and from Silksworth. Quite a nice little loop if I'm short on time.

Sweet!

Apologies for the slight hijack but is it worth exploring Cherry Knowle and Ryhope Dene’s on the MTB? Keep thinking I should when I’m riding past on my gravel bike.

I grew up in Ryhope and I've been down every little nook and cranny for miles around looking for fun stuff to ride. My advice is don't bother.

Thanks Sharky, at least I've got Tunstall Hills on my doorstep for a quick play.

@nicholas_yiu that is the exact route I take the eldest on when we can't be arsed packing the car for Hamsterley. Maybe not this time of the year though as his hayfever turns him into a snivelling mess near the oilseed rape fields.

Ryhope Dene’s on the MTB?

@faz71 I went down Ryhope Dene and there's a lot of motocross activity. It's muddy even after the dry spell, a stream down the middle, UPVC doors, a burnt out car and lots of tyres and wire sticking out of the ground, it's not great.

We went to Hamsterley for a few hours on our last day and that went down well. What I did find that round Seaham there's good provision for shared routes and safe routes for cyclists, unlike round the Preston area.

Had a nice ride to Durham one morning too, along one of the old railway tracks. A few links to rides here:

Ride 1

Ride 2

Ride 3

Ride 4

Hawthorn Dene was very pretty just a shame there wasn't a lot of it.

A few rides along the English Coastal Path were quite nice as well (except when you get to Sunderland)

Glad you enjoyed your stay Ben.
Sunderland in general isn't a pretty place. Like a lot of ex industrial northern towns it suffers from a chronic lack of funding, development and public pride (a lot of people just don't give a s*#t and spending money won't change that). There are nice areas (honestly!) but you need to know where to find them.

My quality of life has improved dramatically since I left Sunderland. My only regret is that I didn't leave 10 years earlier.