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The
alternative 'ultimate challenge' for those with less time! |
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Some of the variations of the coast to coast routes .. ..
The Roman Way The Sea to Sea (C2C) trail Sustrans Stamping System W2W Way of the Roses Reivers Route Hadrian's Cycleway aka the Roman Route, takes you from coast to coast cycling west to east and thus with the prevailing wind to assist you. Starting at Ravenglass in Cumberland, alongside the Roman Fort of Glannoventa, the route initially takes you north, largely following the coast, all the way to Bowness on Solway, the western end of Hadrian's Wall. From there you turn east, following the line of the wall its entire length to Wallsend and the Roman Fort of Segedunum, a few miles beyond which you reach journey's end on the cliffs at Tynemouth. On the way there is much to see, not least all the Roman fortifications, that have stood proudly for 2000 years and the route I plan on doing (after doing a C2C from St. David's in Wales to Lowestoft, which is the widest part of the UK to cross) .. It is a little known fact that the Hadrian's frontier with fortifications extended down the Cumbrian Coast to Ravenglass but without a wall - just forts south of Bowness.
Overall Mileage: 178 miles with the route going through .. Ravenglass - Drigg - Flimby - Whitehaven - Silloth - Carlisle Riverside - Haltwhistle - Hexam - Corbridge - Wylam - Ryton Island - Newcastle - South Shields .. (which has a magnificent Roman fort and is one of the largest with several reconstructions. It's well worth visiting and its free, unlike Segedunum)
Click on the sign above for any up-to-date information about any diversions. Day 1. An easy first day takes you north from Ravenglass with the Irish Sea on your left and the hills of the Lake District away to your right. The route makes use of purpose built cycle ways and minor roads to bring you to Whitehaven. ~ 20 miles Day 2. Continuing north up the coast you pass Workington and Maryport, beyond which the coastline has long stretches of sand. Old railway lines which are now cycle paths are followed at first, but beyond Maryport, quiet lanes are more usual. ~ 28 miles Day 3. Today is the longest day in terms of distance but the cycling is flat and easy. This very quiet corner of north west England is ideal cycling country. At Bowness on Solway you reach the western end of Hadrian's Wall and your route from here into Carlisle follows the Roman vallum. ~ 36 miles Day 4. You'll encounter a few hills today as you continue east, leaving the Solway Firth behind. The attractive town of Brampton is passed and shortly afterwards you reach Lanercost Priory in its lovely setting. Next you ride right alongside a well preserved section of the Roman Wall to the fort at Birdoswald. From here your route soon leads you to your overnight accommodation in Haltwhistle. ~ 26 miles Day 5. Again there are a few hills today as you continue along the route of Hadrian's Wall. Your route also takes you along quiet lanes in the Tyne Valley. You will pass the important Roman Fort of Vindolanda and close to Chesters' Fort before reaching Hexham and then Corbridge. ~ 26 miles Day 6. You are out of the hills again now for the final day of cycling. The River Tyne accompanies you as you continue east. You will pass George Stephenson's cottage, on the banks of the river, now in the safe hands of the National Trust. Beyond here, the route soon leads into the western suburbs of Newcastle Upon Tyne and purpose built cycle ways close to the river lead you on. The route follows the Quayside through the centre of the city, with Gateshead across the river on the Durham bank. Here you will see the new and already famous Millennium Bridge, the Baltic Arts Centre and the brand new Sage Music Centre. The route then continues alongside the widening River Tyne to the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall at Wallsend and finally to the end of your holiday alongside the castle and priory at Tynemouth. ~ 30 miles
The C2C route is either
135 miles to Sunderland or 140 to Newcastle via:
Check out the Sustrans Shop for
maps and things as well ..
http://www.sustransshop.co.uk/products/5178-c2c-t-shirt
Like the E2E Challenge, once you have six stamps on your card and you have completed the route you can apply to Sustrans for a commemorative T-Shirt - each route has a different, specially designed T-Shirt - for you to wear with pride.
Inspired by the pioneering Sea to Sea Cycle Route (C2C), the W2W route passes through a variety of wonderful countryside to the south. It stretches between Walney Island, just outside Barrow-in-Furness on Cumbria’s Irish Sea coast, and both Wearmouth in Sunderland (153 miles) and Whitby (172 miles) on the North Sea coast. It’s an ideal ‘coast to coast’ cycle touring break or longer holiday.
It’s a linear route, but in
County Durham the route braids and you’ve a decision to make.
Following the hillier northern braid between Barnard Castle and
Bishop Auckland through Hamsterley Forest gives you the total mapped
distance of 153 miles (246km). Following the southern braid saves
you a couple of miles and is easier on the legs. The majority of the route is on quiet roads (much of the time) and country lanes, linked together with sections of cycle path, forest road and roughish track. The route through Barrow on Abbey Road can be a tad busy, but cycle lanes do appear, so stick with it and you’ll soon be cruising down the tree-line approach to the impressive remains of Furness Abbey., it does have a few sections of off-road track, but nothing that a well-shod touring, trekking or hybrid bike can’t cope with. It’s a challenge route all right, but really quite achievable and gives great rewards for your effort.
Interim signing of the route through North Yorkshire by Sustrans Volunteer Rangers using blue 52 number patches and direction arrows is gradually being replaced by highway authority hard signs. Darlington Borough Council have signed their bit of the route between Hurworth Place and Low Dinsdale, both River Tees crossing points. If in any doubt check the map, and do please contact us with details of locations where you think signing could be improved.
We've since received a further email from Rupert Douglas of the Cooper Douglas Partnership, Penrith, and I quote "I'm working for Sustrans and partners on a new Way of the Roses 'coast-to-coast' cycle route between Morecambe and Bridlington via Lancaster and York" so watch this space .. click on the link and it will take you to their website although still a work in progress ..
NB: I received a note from
a Sustrans Liaison Ranger in the area which read as follows -
Northumberland / Tyneside section is OK now. It is now
National Route 10 (red number patch) from Tynemouth to Kielder Dam
and well sign posted - I know, I renewed them all last August!
The Cumbria section due to be re-numbered and re-signed as NCN 10
this year it is hoped. All regional routes over next few years
will be changed to National routes with 3 digit numbering.
Many thanks to Doug Ridgway for that update!!
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The
WHITBY OPTION ~ 
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Route
Overview
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| Start point | Tynemouth |
| End point | Whitehaven |
| Length | 171 miles |
| Highest point: | 1200 ft (Scotch Knowe) |
| Off-road (max) | 35% (66 miles) |
| Off-road (min) | 23% (43 miles) |
| Ascending: | 12,800 ft |
The Reivers Cycle Route (RCR) is a stunning cycle ride exploring some of the most unspoilt and beautiful parts of Britain from the Irish Sea to the North Sea. Established in 1998, the RCR will take you along quiet country roads, traffic-free cycle paths, green lanes and forest trails. The route meanders through some of the wildest and remote countryside in the UK.
Route Navigation
The RCR is, technically at least, waymarked throughout. The sign below is typical of what you will see, indicating that the route is Regional Route 10 of the National Cycle Network. However, other signage is used en route such as a simple "10" and arrow. Forest trails such as those through Kielder use different signs
Don't assume that you will be able to hop on your bike at Tynemouth and simply follow the signs all the way to Whitehaven. Signage is notoriously poor in places and has been the subject of bitter criticism from many a cyclist. You can (and will!) go wrong on occasions so a dedicated Reivers map or guide book is essential. The official route map is available from the Sustrans Shop.
Make
it a round trip
For the more ambitious cyclist, the Reivers can easily be combined with the C2C route to produce the stunning 310 - mile Reivers/C2C round trip ~ If you're contemplating riding the C2C or W2W check out our route comparison page to see how the Reivers compares.
DISCLAIMER: Whilst every reasonable care has been taken to ensure accuracy of information provided on both this page and website, we cannot be held responsible for any errors in or omissions from the given text - you must accept all responsibility for using and/or acting upon that information which is given in good faith and, as far as is possible, up to date and correct.