England : Northumberland A little known area

[Hardrock93]

Last April we had a short cycling tour in Northumberland. Our route was Norham > Lindisfarne > Seahouses > Craster > Alnmouth > Warkworth > Long Framlington > Rothbury (excellent break at Tomlinson's Cafe) > Alwinton (stayed at the delightfully quirky Clennel Hall) > Wooler > Etal > Norham. Wonderful countryside and a thoroughly enjoyable trip. Highly recommended.

 

[youngoldbloke]

I rode that stretch very soon after the chippings had been put down and it was dangerous on the bends. 'Danger loose chippings' signs from the highways department had been hastily brought into use (stating a 20 mph limit!). As I understood it originally the safety of the surface wasn't the issue it was to do with the 'urban' colour of the tarmac - and the fact that the main road on the other side of the hedge offered a far greater acreage of raw tarmac was apparently not important. It is a shared path, but relatively quiet. I've ridden that stretch a numbers of times and I've never come across more than a few people - one or two other cyclists or runners and walkers, maybe. Be back again soon so I'll see if its bedded in, or been washed away!

 

[robjh]

I rode a couple of years ago from Beadnell on the coast up to Kelso in Scotland, via Wooler one way and Coldstream and Bamburgh on the way back. It certainly was good cycling country. Here is yet another bike-at-border pic :

 

[Hardrock93]

[QUOTE 4131495, member: 9609"]how did you get from Long Fram to Rothbury ?[/QUOTE]
Looking back at the route I plotted on Mapometer, it shows the way we intended to go, but the notes which I wrote up at the end of the day say, 'I imagined it would be a flattish 20 miles today to Rothbury via Cragside. Far from it. Our chosen route from Long Fram was shut due to a landslide and the diversion involved a huge hill. This resulted in a long, steep descent into Rothbury where we had a break at Tomlinson's Cafe.' Perhaps you recognise this part?
I reckon we headed out on the B6344, but had to cross over the Coquet, due to the landslide. Then there was a lot of climbing on minor roads until we emerged at a T-jcn, high on the B6342. We turned right and had a long freewheel down to Rothbury.

 

[Fnaar]

[QUOTE 4131578, member: 9609"]Yes I know that road, you would have crossed the Coquet at Paperhaugh and then done a lot of ascent to the Rothley road. I tried to use the road that was closed late last year, I thought I would be able to squeeze through on the bike, but there was no chance, I returned to Paperhaugh but instead of doing the big ascent I joined the old railway and had an easy ride into Rothbury.

@Fnaar is the Weldon Bridge --> Rothbury road open yet ?[/QUOTE]
No, still shut... latest reports suggest "early 2016".
I've never investigated the old railway into Rothbury; usually on my road bike round those parts. Is it now part of the Sandstone Way?

[edit: OK, just had a look on the map. I've got where it is now]