Hadrian's wall and back again - choices, choices ....

[cisamcgu]

Dear comrades,

Mrs C and I are planning a trip in the summer on our tandem (which should be arriving in March ). We fancy doing Hadrian's wall (route 72) from Bowness-on-Solway to South Shields and then returning to Bowness. We will drive up and park the car for the duration in whatever accomodation we pick in Bowness.

So, I have two questions really. Given that the route is approx 100miles, and we are neither fast nor particuarly fit, we figure we can do between 30-40 miles per day at a relatively pootling pace; so where do we stay - has anyone got any recommendations for staying on the route ? Also, should we plan on staying in South Shields or is it better to do an "in and out" of the Newcastle area and plan on staying outside of the city ?

The second question centres around the return leg. We think that we have three options
1) Simply retrace the route back to Bowness; this has the advantage of being simple but might be a little "samey" considering we have just ridden it a few days before.
2) Make up our own route staying north of the official route but not straying too far away; this has the advantage of being new terrain but not far from familiar places, but is not "official" so we would have to make it up as we go along - or at least plan it well
3) Go back using the Rievers (route 10) via Kielder. Advantages are that is should be signed and therefore not likely to run into dead ends, but is longer and maybe more difficult (hilly). Or indeed should we go Reivers outward and Hadrian's back ?

So, we are pondering options, but we want to decide relatively soon since the acommodation may book up quickly.

Thanks
Andrew

 

[jongooligan]

Stay in South Shields. The Indian restaurants on Ocean Road are legendary.

For accommodation en route have a look at this site.

 

[cisamcgu]

Thank you

 

[Deleted member 23692]

For accommodation en route have a look at this site.

That's for the long distance footpath, which follows a different route altogether. You'll be better off with this http://www.cycle-routes.org/hadrianscycleway/

 

[jongooligan]

That's for the long distance footpath, which follows a different route altogether.

Sorry, I did not know that. I would have thought they would have been very close together. Close enough for the accommodation to be useful anyway.

 

[Deleted member 23692]

They run pretty much parallel to each together albeit up to a couple of miles apart apart in places... that might be a couple of miles too much at the end of the day

 

[fimm]

I'm very familiar with a short section of the Rievers' Route as it goes through the town where my parents live. That section is mostly off road, and one section I would only cycle on a mountain bike, it is very muddy indeed. I can't comment on any other sections.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

If you did the route both ways you would have the opportunity to visit some of the attractions on the way out and the way back. We did it outward from Ravenglass to tyneside back in September and really enjoyed it. We stopped at quite a few of the sites and asked if they would keep an eye on our kit for us which they were more than happy to do. Several commented that they often see cyclists come past without stopping and going around the sites. Lanercost Priory, Birdsoswold and Vindolanda were all happy to look after our fully laden touring bikes.n we didn't even bother locking them! As for where to stay I guess that depends on if you are camping, b&b'ing or wanting hotels etc. I did write our journal up in the travelogue section if you want a peep. Ravenglass starts are day 5 iirc.
www.cyclechat.net/threads/lellow-bike-nover-lellow-bike-exclaimed-the-little-girl.165131/

 

[cisamcgu]

Thank you everyone, I will read your report avidly, @SatNavSaysStraightOn , and I hadn't thought of the option of visiting places that we had missed on the way out. As to accommodation, we were planning on B&B, Pub or Hotel - we are not trying to do it "on the cheap", and will stay where ever is best and most convenient. Perhaps use the defined route as a starting point and map our own way using OS maps .

Hmmm... @fimm the issue of the Reivers route being muddy and "mountain bike" only in places would rule that route out I think. A tandem is hard enough on a road, never mind on a singletrack, uphill in inches of mud....

Thank you everyone

Andrew

 

[dr snuggles]

You don't need to do any off road to complete the Reivers route. I've done it twice and to my knowledge the off road bit is around newcastleton. I simply carried on through newcastleton and on into kielder on the main road through and the route is signposted! It's a harder ride than the hadrians but I enjoyed it. Why not ride back along the hadrians but leave it around hexham and head up to Alston then on to Brampton and rejoin the hadrians.I've also cycled around there and found that to be a great route.

 

[theloafer]

also great info here ... http://c2c.freeforums.org/

 

[Tail End Charlie]

Like Dr snuggles I've done the Reivers route and didn't go off road. It's a great route, although a few hills will have you panting, but I'd try to do at least part of it.

 

[Soltydog]

If you are planning to stop over at Hexham, read this review from a friend of mine when we did the Hadrians cycleway Its all true http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUs..._Northumberland_England.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT

 

[Pale Rider]

The refurbished Tyne Cycle tunnel is due to open around June, next year.

It crosses the Tyne a few miles before the South Shields ferry, but the new inclined lifts must be worth a ride on.

Obvious plan is to pop over on the ferry one way, and take the tunnel the other.

http://www.tynepedestrianandcyclisttunnels.co.uk/refurbishment/

A small point, but the path from Newcastle out to Tynemouth has several anti-motor/quadbike zig-zag gates at the numerous road junctions.

I've never ridden a tandem, but hoiking a loaded one through these gates might not be easy.

The road to the coast if not far away, so you could always nip onto that for a few miles.

 

[fimm]

I've just been and looked at the Sustrans site and their map of the Reivers Route shows it going along the unsurfaced disused railway line and very muddy field that I'm talking about. You can avoid this section on roads if you know what it is like. I was only posting because if that bit is unsurfaced, other bits may be too.