You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Have had many family holidays a bit further south, in the Morpeth area, but this summer heading for a week to a cottage in Lucker, just inland from Bamburgh. Wondering about taking gravel bike, is there much on my doorstep for some 20-40 mile early morning rides before the family surface ?
Take your road bike.
Accept its a headwind in every direction.
Get up really early and enjoy the sunrise.
My mother lives in Belford, just a few miles from Lucker. I do a road loop from there via Fenwick, Lowick, Doddington and Chillingham. Roads are quiet and scenery is very pleasant.
Sounds like I might take road bike then !
My wife is a Northumbrian , NOT a Geordie , she insists, so I have visited often. There are some pleasant bridleways on the other side of the A1 not far from Belford. They are not very technical but pretty with some good views towards the coast. However there aren't that many so if time is limited, roadbike might be better.
Check out the Coast and Castles route. You could follow that in either direction.
Trouble is though the roads have got very busy up there in the last few years
I would only ride up there early in the morning now.
And yes be ready for that head wind!
Thanks for the updates, will have a think
Its busy on the coast around Bamburgh, Seahouses, Alnmouth etc but much quieter inland.
Take the gravel bike. You can get over to St Cuthbert's cave via the bridleways from Belford and then thru the woods to Detchant.
There's also the section of coastal ride from Embleton to Dunstan and also Howick to Boulmer which is much nicer on the tracks. I've done Seahouses to Holy Island a couple of times and there's very little traffic if you stick to the quiet lanes (the barn at Beal is a great cafe). Gravel bike is great for Scremerston to Beal coastal section.
Stay of the A1 at all costs. Avoid the busier roads and it'll be great !!!
Apple Inn at Lucker does a nice pint and decent food. The pizza place across the road is supposed to be great and does crepes too .
Fish & chips in Seahouses is a must!! Élan pizzeria there is also very good, try the Keste pizza base. Mmmm
Also.... Look at the firing times for the Otterburn ranges. There's a circular route up Coquetdale over the range and back to Coquetdale of there's no live firing.
You'll need a gravel bike for that
^^^^ excellent, thanks
Last time I was there (must be about 5 years ago), I was glad of the gravel bike due to the rough nature of some of the back roads.
I enjoyed going over to Holy Island.
Most has been covered. Use backroads as they’re much quieter than the main B roads there’s lots of them.
Thanks all, lots of food for thought.
To be fair the OS maps are great to plan your routes. There are lots of little bridleways to join up road sections. Most are local farm tracks but some have lovely grassy sections.
We've done a lot of 30-60km rides between Berwick and Warkworth. Never had a bad day out despite the weather. The skyscapes are amazing and there's always a good cafe or pub to be found.
We're up in Seahouses next week. You've just reminded me that we need to do a bike ride with a pub stop in Lucker.
😎
Stay west of the A1 if you take your road bike, loads of quiet country lanes to go explore around Chatton, Chillingham - go see the cooos (Northumbrian for cows).
Or, get the train from Chathill to Alnmouth and cycle back via Sustrans Coast and Castles route (or go north to Berwick and return via the Coast and Castles route)
You don’t need a gravel bike to ride on the ranges from holystone to chewgreen and back via the coquet. The army always used to have the best roads in the county