Another mid-wales vote. Around Brecon, Llanwrytd Wells, Elan Valley, Nant y Aran, Machynlleth. Loads of gravelly tracks, rocky bits, water crossings. Proper remote feeling without actually being too far away.

what about kielder forest?

Was just going to suggest

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Friend of mine lives in the NE, he’s posted some lovely pics of gravel type riding round Blanchland (which I can’t find right now annoylingly!).  Northumberland doesn’t look to be short of wide open places with good riding 🙂

I think we’re gonna try Northumberland first, then Mid Wales. Any Northumberland suggestions? Best train station to aim for, etc? Going to be going for a long weekend…

As per recommendations above (thanks btw!) I think we’ll be heading straight for Kielder Forest

Doesn’t look like there are many train stations near Kielder Forest!! 🙂

Correct easiest answer is above – the Ridgeway and Swan Way e-2-e, it starts 30 mins train ride out of Euston. Great ‘UK gravel’ ride. The early stages in the east half are more mountain bike-y but with some variant routes used it’s good on a 700x40mm tyre gravel bike, though 650x50mm is comfier.

Coast to Coast (C2C)? There are miles and miles of old railway lines that are now cycle paths across County Durham, Northumberland and Cumbria, many of which are Sustrans and take you up into the Pennines.

What’s the Swan Way?

south downs way as a local starter?
failing that its probably the alps or a flight to Denver

Doesn’t look like there are many train stations near Kielder Forest!! 🙂

If you’re coming from London get the East Coast main line and get off at Newcastle. Take a shanty train to Hexham to put you in easy range of Kielder. You could follow the Sandstone Way for starters and do the branches off that and end up in Berwick.

Look up the Old Roads and Drove Roads audax route round Salisbury plain.

If you want something closer than Finland – indeed, accessible by train – yet quite beautiful and dramatic, then I wouldn’t rule out the Ardennes.

@SaxonRider what’s the best airport for the Ardennes?

@shermer75

I would say that Charleroi is probably the best, but Brussels and Liege both proffer excellent convenience.

The regional trains are superb.

Taunton is less than 2 hours direct from Paddington. Take the lanes to the Quantocks, drop down and along the coast to Exmoor for a loop of the national park. There are a couple of bothies opened up, although they’re National Trust ones so not quite bothies in the traditional sense as cost and need booking.

Forest tracks and moorland bridleways galore in both places and easily linked up. Bring your climbing legs though.

Actually, if you went through Exmoor to Ilfracombe you could then do the Devon Coast to Coast to Plymouth (100 miles) and get another train back direct to Paddington.