Easy beginner routes in Northumberland

[Aescott]

Hi

Heading off to Northumberland for a couple of weeks holiday. Wife has dropped the bombshell that she may take her bike ( last seen in action ((if action is the correct word)) several years ago). She is not at all confident on a bike and my own efforts of regularly commuting and cycling for pleasure don’t encourage her as she doesn’t want me to be held back. Personally, sitting behind her and watching her rear end is a perfectly acceptable way of passing the time, but she doesnt se it that way.

anyway, I’m looking for flat, easy routes in North Northumberland (Morpeth / Longhorsely) away from traffic. Any suggestions? Happy to travel a wee bit if it gets her mobile.

 

[Pale Rider]

Northumberland is a big place and not especially flat.

The best general advice is ride close to the coast, which is much flatter than inland.

NCN1 aka the Coast and Castles route is mostly flat and off road - ideal for a wobbly cyclist lacking confidence and experience.

A car assisted good day out would be the 26 mile off road circuit of Kielder Water, which in any event is an interesting place to visit.

There's a few cafe stops on the circuit, so no danger of dying from thirst or malnutrition.

However, the 'far side' - furthest from the road - does have several short, but sharp, climbs.

 

[Emanresu]

Lived in Northumberland for almost 20 years and loved it. It's not very busy as it's seen as too far away for most.

Kielder is a good suggestion but is difficult to get to. Coastal route (NCN1 or Eurovelo 12) has a lot of history. You've also some fantastic beaches there around Warkworth plus the fishing towns like Amble. Really good fish & chips.

If you want to start in Newcastle you can cycle up the Tyne Valley on good routes to Hexham and in between there there are lots of local routes. In fact there are lots of quiet country roads where you can meander without really seeing a soul for a long time. There really aren't many people there.

 

[annedonnelly]

As above NCN1 is pretty good up the coast - more likely to be busy with cyclists than cars. If it's the Morpeth area you're staying there's a cycle path from there through Pegswood and Ashington that connects with NCN1 at Woodhorn. From there you can head north towards Amble or south to Tynemouth.

In addition to going west out of Newcastle up the Tyne Valley you can head east from the Quayside to North Shields/Tynemouth. Almost all of that is off road.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[Alex H]

Park your car at Cresswell Beach. Cycle north and continue into Druridge Bay.

At Druridge the road becomes a dead end for cars, but you can continue traffic free up to Low Hauxley. (NCN1)

Drift Cafe at Cresswell end - cafe at Hauxley Wildlife Centre (free access) at the other end.

7 miles total

 

[taximan]

To me Northumbria has always been just somewhere to pass through on my way to Scotland, but a few weeks ago my buddy and I had a 4 day tour in the area

and all I can say is what a beautiful county it is. Regarding the op's question, almost the whole of the coastline is easy cycling and well worth a visit. I must admit though that further inland the terrain was quite challenging. Having said that we are planning another foray in that direction sometime

 

[postman]

I have all this to find myself.Postman and Mrs P will be moving to Northumberland,sadly after father in law has passed on.We cant move before its just too much distance if we are needed in Preston at short notice.

 

[Donger]

All the above advice sounds good to me. I'm on my first day In Northumberland and have just done a 24 mile figure of eight ride in the Longframlington/Rothbury/Coquetdale/Swarland area. Flat is one thing it isn't. Some killer climbs and raging winds encountered today, but loved the scenery and the ride. My plan was always to first explore this local area near the house we are staying in and then drive off to Amble or Warkworth on later days to make my way along some flatter coastal roads/paths. After today's ride, I think my legs will thank me for that.

 

[Pale Rider]

All the above advice sounds good to me. I'm on my first day In Northumberland and have just done a 24 mile figure of eight ride in the Longframlington/Rothbury/Coquetdale/Swarland area. Flat is one thing it isn't. Some killer climbs and raging winds encountered today, but loved the scenery and the ride. My plan was always to first explore this local area near the house we are staying in and then drive off to Amble or Warkworth on later days to make my way along some flatter coastal roads/paths. After today's ride, I think my legs will thank me for that.

For real suffering, the area towards Blanchland and the County Durham border is hard to beat.

As picturesque as you'll find anywhere, but there seems nothing other than short, sharp ascents and descents.

I would go as far to say it's all but unridable for most of us.

 

[Donger]

For real suffering, the area towards Blanchland and the County Durham border is hard to beat.

As picturesque as you'll find anywhere, but there seems nothing other than short, sharp ascents and descents.

I would go as far to say it's all but unridable for most of us.

I found a hill on the way into Rothbury today that had more false summits than I've ever seen before. Could have been soul destroying, but it happened early in my ride, so I had enough oomph left in me to get up it, and it was followed by a nice descent.

 

[AndyRM]

As above. Inland can be brutal, but the coast is lovely with stunning scenery and plenty of nice places to stop.

I'll see if I can find the old Cyclone routes, the short one was really fun. Undulating, but very quiet and mercifully doesn't take in the Ryals.

 

[tfc03]

All the above good advice. One possibility in doing the Tyne Valley would be to drive down the A1 to Newburn Riverside park on the edge of Newcastle [lots of free parking, a good pub and decentish cafe there] and head west on the offroad Sustrans path to Wylam [three miles sheltered from the wind by trees] where there is also a good pub [The Boathouse] and a better cafe [for both you have to leave the trail at Wylam car park]. You can keep going on the trail [NCN72] for as long as you like, its offroad until Prudhoe i think with just the odd lump. There is a very nice historic bridge to cycle over on the trail on the edge of Wylam which could make a nice turnround point if you want to keep it below 10 miles.

Alternatively the Reivers route is a mix of on and off road but you could do a mostly offroad section by similarly driving down the A1 and parking at Weetslade Country Park and heading west to ponteland [lots of pubs and cafes]. Again you can keep going to Carlisle [!} Approx 15 mile round trip.

Both these are less scenic than the coast routes [esp. the second one] but they offer very easy entry points for someone who hasnt cycled recently. If you did do NCN1 on the Coast, follow advice above re accessing it, ditto advice about Cresswell as a good start point near Morpeth [south of here its a bit 'post-industrial']. Warkworth makes for about 20 mile round trip from there. NCN1 is stunning all the way to Scotland so you can't really go wrong.

 

[T4tomo]

Park your car at Cresswell Beach. Cycle north and continue into Druridge Bay.

At Druridge the road becomes a dead end for cars, but you can continue traffic free up to Low Hauxley. (NCN1)

Drift Cafe at Cresswell end - cafe at Hauxley Wildlife Centre (free access) at the other end.

7 miles total

^^ yes this would be a good gentle start.

Having done the NCN coast and castle Newcastle to Edinburgh recently, then I second the advice that north of Newbiggin / Lynemouth is where it gets more scenic. North of Walkworth is also very pretty but it does get a a bit more undulating so more challenging for your Mrs.

between Amble and Walkworth (which are both pretty villages) its a shared cycle / pedestrian path beside the road, with a bit of hill on the last bit up to Walkworth

 

[youngoldbloke]

IMO country north of Alnwick is the most beautiful. General rule stay east of the A1 for flatter rides - along the coast north of Amble, Warkworth, Alnmouth, Boulmer, Longhoughton, Howick, Craster, Low Newton, then road to Beadnell can be busy, so divert inland and lanes up to Seahouses. Bamburgh and so on. Easy to make a return loop avoiding the main roads, but even they are quiet most of the week. Very few safe crossings of the A1, so best stay one side or the other. Country to the west towards Cheviots very beautiful but can get a bit lumpy! Check out routes on RWGPS. You can follow NCN 1 for much of the way up the coast but some stretches are not very suitable for road bikes.

 

[albion]

More on the pending Tynemouth improvement.
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/new...usiness-support-28841761.amp#comments-section

If anything, footfall has actually gone up. Pedestrians are now well separated from the once smog ridden nose to tail two way traffic.
Once finished it will be a massive boost for trade, that smoggy dangerous hell hole vanquished. The main problem they will have is pedestrian congestion spilling onto the cycle path.