In corbridge for Christmas and looking for some mtb inspiration. Did a bit on the common and up to Aydon castle yesterday. Might check out the southern chunk of the sandstone way, but get the idea it might be a slopfest.
Ant suggestions for good XC? Or groip to join.

Cheers

There’s some decent riding to be had riding north out of Blanchland over toward slaley and looping back. It will be wet but rideable. I’ll PM you a link to a ride that might give you an idea. You’re also about 30 minutes from Hamsterley for some marked trails.

Get on Facebook and search for ‘tyne valley mtb cycling’. They’re heading out on Sunday am from Hexham and are a friendly bunch who’ll be glad to show you around.

Here’s a bunch of links to segments on Strava that I would consider some of the best/fun/least slop sections of trail on the Hexhamshire Commons, take your pick and just get the OS map out to link them together in whatever way you fancy.

Heading North on west side of Blanchand Moor

Embley Fell towards Whitley Chapel

Technical little section just south of Whitley Chapel

The above three can link together in the order that I’ve written them.

Bolts Law west to east (just south of Blanchland)

Singletrack down to Edmundbyers from Edmundbyers Common

The above two can link together also in the order I’ve written them. Maybe park in Blanchland, take the road up to the west side of Bolt’s Law, then head east across Bolt’s Law followed by the singletrack segment all the way to Edmundbyers and back along the road beside Derwent Water to Blanchland. I’m from just round there and we do an annual Xmas eve ride each year, a few years ago we tried out that Bolt’s Law trail and I think it is my favourite section of trail up on the moors! Haven’t tried the Edmundbyers trail for a loooong time so not sure what that is like. You could always cut it shorter and head down that bit of bridleway marked over Buckshott Fell, although I’ve tried that so I’m not sure what it is like (satellite view seems to look like a shooters double track road).

^^ what they said 🙂

That section through Slaley forest to Viewley is all surfaced though now is it not? From memory it got destroyed by MXers so they put a gravel track in.

I rode the Edmundbyers track in mid summer so it was pretty dry but even then there’s only a section in the middle that is basically crossing fields. Most of it is surfaced or at least stony.
The track down Buckshot fell is a gravel road.

Above covers some further away stuff reasonably well. Check strava if you’re on it as there are plenty of bits of singletrack around the various woods around Hexham/Dilston that are rideable from your door, worth a look and can be used to link to routes described above for a decent day out. In fact, at this time of year and current forecast the woods might be more fun than a fair bit of stuff on the moors which can get a bit chopped up if not frozen – a bit tricky to describe in text to someone who doesn’t know the area but if you have a map or Strava to give a general idea you won’t go too far wrong.

A bit of creative thinking using the OS and strava you might be able to link Corbridge, past Hexham, in and out of various woods etc. eventually looping back to the Dyvels in 30km (can likely double this adding in extra stuff) with most on good singletrack (and probably 15% on road) and never too difficult to cut short if you run out of time/get lost etc.

Cheers chaps. Working out a route just now.
Actually did two of the sections just south of skakey forestcearliwr in the week. Trying to get a loop organised from kings law up to hangman hill them over Broad Way under Pikely Rigg to Tedham Moss then east past Halleywell Fell towards Nookton.
Any views on whether that is good. Or perhaps best in the other direction…..

^ much better in other direction (especially with forecast westerlies), and only worth doing most of it if it’s totally dry/frozen. The latter bridleway you mention doesn’t exist in any meaningful way on the ground (though there is an obvious estate track you *shouldn’t* use it’s v. dull. The best bit is the start (as you’ve described it). If you want to venture that way I’d suggest you’d be be better looping west/northwest from the first junction, using one of the bws to get down to Allendale then coming back to the north rather than further south. TBH it’s unlikely that you’ll find it as good as the stuff you’ve ridden earlier in the week IMO (assuming you thought it was OK?). If you did that stuff but missed out Edmundbyres then i’d suggest doing that instead.

Hi all.
Many thanks for the suggestions. In the end I think I did most of them to a degree. Started in whitley Chapel. Headed sort of from kings law up to hangman hill them over Broad Way under Pikely Rigg to Tedham Moss then east past Halleywell Fell towards Nookton…
Then Blanchland for scones, then up the big big hill to do the two sections mentioned by anus et al down to Edmunds…. by which time it was fully dark.
Back to Blanchland, up the endless hill and then parallel to the other section mentioned by anus then down the valley and back to the car. 63km and 1133m height gain doesn’t seem to do it justice. I’m completely exhausted.

Lots of hard work heather big rut sections on Broad Way. Wouldn’t recommend that bit. Will head down to Allendale as someone suggested next time.

Cheers

Can do you a guided tour of Chopwell tomorrow if you fancy.

Ooh that would have been ace, but we’re heading back dahn saaf ( Manchester).

Many thanks for the offer.