Road ~ Ride Holiday 2017
Diary – Part 2
Diary – Part 2
Saturday September 9
Good sleep, 7.00am had been arranged for breakfast. We straggled in around 7.00am, not exactly on time but close.
John and Ken found time for a Nero's Coffee before going back to pack to catch the London Kings X train to Newcastle upon Tyne. Beth and Paul did their own thing before heading off early for the train and Geri and Paula did postcard and other shopping.
A stop at the bike shop was in order before making our way to the Grahamston Station, nothing of interest was found. The train was full with our reserved seats already occupied, Aberdeen were playing Edinburgh (Soccer) so it wasn't until after Edinburgh Waverley Station that all the reserved seats became vacant, although Paul and John convinced a few of the passengers in their reserved seats to move. Paula found a seat next to a lady who entertained her for the two hours of the trip and Geri also found a like minded passenger who told her of a few things to do on the road trip back from Newcastle upon Tyne to Ratho.
The train trip down the Cumberland coastline was very interesting, lots of fertile land with hay crops being harvested.
Newcastle upon Tyne is a very busy city and even more so this weekend as they are hosting the largest 1/2 marathon in the world. The hotels are full of runners.
We were able to get 2 of the 3 rooms so we had the chance to settle John & Geri and Paul & Beth with Ken & Paula leaving their luggage in Paul & Beth's room to come back and do laundry, which turned into a non-event, they had to hand wash everything and try and dry the washing in the rooms.
Lunch was had in the Jazz Cafe in Pink Lane, it had a very relaxing atmosphere.
At 3.00pm we returned as the 3rd room was available - Paul & Beth and Paula & Ken collected the washing and tried to find a coin operated laundromat. They were directed to a Dry Cleaner who told them there were no coin operated laundromats in the area. Back to the rooms to wash!
Everyone did their own couple reconnaissance before dinner at Roberto's Italian restaurant - not the best meal we have had.
Paula & Ken had an after dinner walk so Ken wouldn't bust, he had 3 courses while the rest headed for the rooms.
Later breakfast tomorrow as the runners will be eating 7.00am - 8.30am.
Sunday September 10
Sight seeing Newcastle upon Tyne.
Paula and Ken went to St Mary's Cathedral for 8.00am Mass and then met the others for breakfast before everyone headed in different directions to look at the things each couple were interested in.
Paula & Ken took a bus ride out to the Angel of the North monument, travelling through the area of Durham which was one of the old coal mining site around Newcastle upon Tyne. Many of the houses were the mining cottages from a bygone era. Rows and rows of narrow, crowded little houses, all looking exactly the same.
The monument was interesting and presented a good view over the surrounding countryside. Back in Newcastle upon Tyne they went to look at the Grainger Markets then down to the Markets along the Tyne River. From here they crossed the Millennium Bridge and walked through the Bristol Art Centre. It was different - the continual stairway was clever.
From here back to the main part of Newcastle upon Tyne to try and meet up with John & Geri at the Laing Art Gallery. No luck so they then ventured down to Chinatown to view the original Town Wall which was built in the 12 century and is still in good condition.
It was starting to sprinkle and getting late so it was back to the hotel to contact the others and organise a meeting time for dinner and hopefully hear their tales of the day's activities.
Dinner, after a bit of a walk and some general discussion, was Thai. Excellent meal.
Organisation for tomorrow was arranged, breakfast 8.00am - before that shower and pack. Transport to Maryport arrives at 9.30am.
Monday September 11
C2C ride begins.
Darren was our C2C transportation from Newcastle upon Tyne to Maryport. He arrived at 9.15am, we packed the van and were leaving the Hotel Indigo at 9.30am.
The trip out of Newcastle upon Tyne had us retracing some of the areas we had walked but we were soon on the A69 heading west. The road was dual carriageway with relatively little traffic. The most interesting aspect of this part of the trip was the number of old trucks on the road, some looked like 1960 vintage vehicles.
We had patches of rain around Haltwhistle, Paul's stepfather, Peter Slater, lived here when was working in England. Haltwhistle is also the geographic centre of the United Kingdom, the central point East to West as well as North to South. There are also lots of signs to the different Roman museums and sites associated with Hadrian's Wall. We were more than 3/4 of the way to Maryport when in time it was the same as travelling from Narrandera to Wagga.
Once we moved closer to Maryport the road narrowed to single lane and became busier especially as a few areas were undergoing roadworks. It was interesting to note that there were no speed restrictions passing road work gangs unless there were traffic lights controlling the traffic flow.
Once in Maryport we unloaded the van, set the bikes up and put them in storage at our accommodation, The Golden Lion, and deposited our bags in the rooms. Lots of little narrow stairs to get to the top rooms.
With raincoats on or to the ready we ventured out to explore Maryport and find lunch. No sooner had we ventured towards the harbour and the promenade and it started to blow and sprinkle. We walked to the end of the first pier, noticing the low tide and a number of timber beams sticking out of this side of the inlet. We were later to discover that on this side of the harbour they use to launch ships sideways into the port as the river Ellen was too narrow to launch rear on.
We made our way over to the Marina Cafe for lunch, Paula & Ken had fish and chips (well to be exact Paula had some of Ken's fish and a salad) John & Geri and Paul & Beth had toasted sandwiches.
We took the advice of a woman working in the Marina and walked up the promenade to the zig zag steps. She mentioned that LS Lowry, a famous English artist, had painted the steps and was astonished we didn't know who he was. We did 'google' him later and found a picture of his 'interpretation' of the steps.
After walking the 119 steps we continued up to the Senhouse Roman museum for a look around. John and Ken stayed and went through the museum whilst the others continued to look around town. We met again and had a coffee and looked at the route for tomorrow's ride to Bowness on Solway - 60 kilometres. Following the Hadrian Cycle Way 72 signs seems to be the best idea and to stay together.
Dinner was booked in the hotel for 7.00pm with the panniers to be collected at 6.00pm.
John missed dinner as he wasn't well and was still asleep. All meals we had more than filled the plate, almost too much to eat! After dinner Paula & Ken went for a walk to the old lighthouse.
It was then time to sort gear and pack the panniers for the ride.
Tuesday September 12
Hadrian's Cycleway - Day 1
Our day began collecting the bikes, checking that everything worked, making adjustments as necessary then attaching the panniers. A quick ride around the car park and we were ready to head off. Just as we started it began to sprinkle but this didn't last long. We headed around to the old lighthouse, found an access point to the beach went down and dipped the rear wheel in the water and collected a west coast pebble to leave on the east coast.
From here we made our way around to the beginning section of the Hadrian Cycleway in Maryport. It wasn't long before we stopped as Paul and Ken found the Maryport Golf course, a links course. They stopped on the 17th hole and pretended to play shots. The Cycleway goes right through the course, separating the front nine from the back. It would be interesting riding through here on a competition day!
The weather was warmer than we had anticipated but you still needed jackets. It was more trying to decide whether to keep the water proof one or not. We stopped a number of times for attire adjustments, with John at one stage almost going 'Monty'.
Unfortunately the Roman Milefortlet 21 wasn't well signposted and we missed getting to see it but had a stop and laugh in Allonby - a hotel was called Baywatch Hotel and a bar was Jack's Surf Bar. Ironic because to see the bay properly you would need binoculars and to get any surf you would have to paddle half way to Scotland the tide was that far out!
The sun appeared on regular intervals as we rode and the weather seemed to be heading away from us. We travelled through a variety of small villages and dairy farm buildings with the 'agricultural smell' sometimes quite overpowering. For most of the ride the prevailing wind was behind us and when it wasn't the hedge lined narrow roads and tracks provided a wind break. The only real headwind we had all day was doing the scenic route into Bowness on Solway when we were exposed to the Solway Firth.
Our lunch break was timed for Silloth which is a lovely place. We arrived there just on 12 noon and were pointed in the direction of Mrs Wilson's coffee and eatery house by a local. It was well worth following their advice. Lunch was delicious and John made comment that it was the best coffee he had experienced on the trip so far.
We had a minor mishap on our way out (Beth clipped a gutter with her front wheel and slammed her right hand into a wall) - it was bleeding heavily so Geri thought we needed to take her to a clinic as a precaution. When Beth was ready we headed off again to finish the day's ride. We had covered 30 kms and had 30 kms to go. We could also see that bad weather was starting to close in.
We had one stop at a 900 year old Church and Holme Cultram Abbey for photos and another short break at a lovely little village called Newton Arlosh.
On this half of the ride we also had to ride on a number of main arterial roads - we needed to be careful as there wasn't much passing room, it is good to see in England that most drivers are more patient with cyclists than in Australia.
We arrived at our accommodation, Shore Gate B&B, just before the rain started.
Our hosts are extremely friendly and helpful.
After we all had refreshing showers plans were made for dinner at the Kings Arms, the local pub. This was timed for 7.15pm and the meals were plentiful. Our walk up and back were both in the rain. The bad weather had settled for the night and we are just hopeful it blows through before we head off in the morning.
Wednesday September 13
Hadrian's Cycleway - Day 2
The Shore Gate House B&B accommodation was excellent. Our hosts, Allen and Theresa, were very friendly and helpful, with Allen doing some maintenance on the bikes for us before we left. Breakfast was very filling and thankfully kept us going until dinner as we didn't find anywhere to have lunch.
We left in cool but clear weather, signs of the recent night's storm evident on the road. The road was glistening in the early morning sunshine. The section along the Solway, through cows grazing and with Scotland close on our left was soon over as we moved back into the more agricultural and residential areas around Drumburgh and Burgh by Sands. In Burgh by Sands we chatted to a walking group then Paula, John & Geri stopped to take photos of St Michael's church. At Monkhill we took a detour off the Cycleway to St Mary's at Beaumont, a very old church built on the site of a Roman fort and built from the stones from Hadrian's Wall.
We continued into Carlisle through some narrow backstreets until we had to take the first of two diversions because of flood damage to the Hadrian's Cycleway path. The first we managed successfully even though it lead us through the main part of the city and we arrived at Carlisle Castle in time for morning tea. The cafe area was extremely small so rather than try and find a place to sit Geri & Paula explored the castle. The others had coffee and cake then explored. John and Ken got a lot from their time in the castle, both believing it was one of the best, almost still intact castles they had been in.
After leaving Carlisle Castle we had trouble with the second diversion. At one stage while we were almost going in circles John's front wheel slipped on the wet surface in the park and he fell, thankfully only a little skin off his shoulder and a sore hand.
We finally sorted out the correct way to go and made up for lost time with some good quick sections through quite narrow, hedge lined minor roads. Perhaps it was also the threat of a few dark clouds around us that convinced us to keep moving quickly. Our only other major stop, except for waiting at a very busy corner near Warrick Bridge was at the Garden of Eden Golf course. It was spectacular, Paul and Ken couldn't believe a golf course could look so immaculate!
We quickly settled in to the Crown Hotel, our accommodation in Wetheral, a very up market establishment for cycle groups, showered and washed gear before dinner in the Walton's Bar at 6.30pm.
After dinner we walked down to the Wetheral train station and across the Viaduct over the Eden River, something we intend revisiting tomorrow before we leave.
We are hopeful of venturing down the 99 steps to see it from the river.
Everyone was back in the rooms by 9.00pm, we must be getting old!
Thursday September 14
Hadrian's Cycleway - Day 3
Today was by far the hardest in regards to climbing, especially at Greenhead and Banks with some parts having gradients of 13 - 15 percent, a hard grind! Some of us down to walking just to keep going! But the effort was worth it.
Our day started out with breakfast at the Crown Inn, with the very incarnation of Manuel from Faulty Towers being our waiter, it was very amusing for us all and quite difficult not to actual call him Manuel!
We took some time before we left on the bikes to climb the 99 steps down to the River Eden, which was flowing quite quickly, to look back up at the railway Viaduct then walked around to the Benedictine Priory in Wetheral, a very old building and still a working farm.
After collecting the bikes we walked them over the rail bridge at the Wetheral Station then over the Viaduct then continuing to ride into Great Corby. The morning ride was through some beautiful agricultural country, slightly different and not as wet as the country near the coast. We passed through a number of picturesque villages all within close proximity to each other, such as Fenton, How and Hayton before getting to Brampton for an early lunch at 'Off the Wall'.
We left with the weather threatening but as has happened all 3 days so far it seemed to go around us as we travelled. After Brampton we were in Hadrian Wall territory with a number of sites selected to visit for a longer period. Our first major stop was the Augustinian Lanercost Priory. As Beth and Paul had opted not to purchase a 16 day pass to visit any and all English Heritage sites throughout England only John & Geri and Paula & Ken went in. The Priory was magnificent, with huge rooms, old headstones and the living quarters and conditions of the monks on display. The east end of the noble 13th-century church survives to its full height, housing within its dramatic triple tier of arches some fine monuments, including a working bell.
When leaving we went through the ornate archway that leads into the priory grounds.
From here it was Hadrian Wall attractions but first was the Banks climb. 3/4 of the way up we came across some Australian walkers who recognised the Wagga Wagga name on our riding tops and stopped to chat. They had just come from the Banks East turret and encouraged us to keep going. The climb was worth it with the first full site of a substantial piece of the wall only heightening our desire to see more. After this John and Ken stopped at the Leahill and Piper Sike turrets to get more information about the building of the wall before meeting up with the others at the Birdoswald Roman fort. Again only John & Geri and Paula & Ken went in. This site was well worth the full cost of the 16 day Pass in itself. It was humbling to be walking around the living areas that the Romans used over 2000 years ago. The size of the fort and the activities that occurred here where extensive, but the best aspect was the amazing view over the back of the fort area that they got to see everyday.
After leaving the fort Beth and Paul made a decision to continue into Haltwhistle without anymore stops. The others continued on to Thirlwall Castle, a castle ruin with a checkered history. From here it was to complete the challenge of the Greenhead climb then to view what was probably the highlight of the day that being Hadrian's Wall at the Walltown Crags. It was truly amazing, perhaps the time of day we visited, the extra effort in riding in then walking up the steep hillside or maybe just the sheer beauty of what we were seeing. An astonishing achievement in building the wall were it was and the fact that so much of it was left for us to view.
It was hard to leave.
Our trip into Haltwhistle was made easier after we realised we didn't have to climb the final hill we had witnessed from the top of Greenhead but had a much more pleasant side hill then downhill run into town.
Our accommodation at the Grey Bull inn was sorted then dinner organised for the Black Bull which Beth and Paul had found earlier.
A topic of conversation over dinner was the Greenhead climb and the fact we have another, similar one on the ride tomorrow! Not sure how well we will all sleep with that knowledge.
More of Hadrian's Wall to explore on our way to Corbridge to stay overnight tomorrow.
Friday September 15
Hadrian's Cycleway - Day 4
Breakfast at 8.00am then ready to leave at 9.00am. It had rained during the night so the roads were wet but we started the ride in sunshine.
We did an easy 10 kilometres through beautiful countryside moving from the cows and diary farms we had been experiencing to more open paddocks with sheep and grain crops. Also lots of pockets of pine tree forests around Haltwhistle. This area seemed to be a little drier than the land around the coast.
The villages we passed through were very quiet and well presented. Lots of people walk dogs, do house maintenance, mow lawns or trim hedges - not sure who is actually working!
As we got closer to the Roman fort and ruins at Vindolanda the terrain became very steep and the riding a 'granny gear grind'.
The Vindolanda site is something special, not only because of the Roman ruins and what has been uncovered but the work being done. They believe they still have over 200 years of excavating to uncover it all! What they have already uncovered and have on display is magnificent, second only to what can be seen in Pompeii - it was a site we could have spent many more hours at.
We left with the weather looking threatening but again it seemed to go around and miss us. We didn't even have time to warm the legs before we had to climb again. This climb was even harder than Greenhead the day before with Geri the only to manage it all and make it to the highest point on the whole trip (260 metres above sea level) without walking.
Our next stop was going to be a Roman ruin of a fort and Bridge but it involved crossing and riding on a very busy main road. We made a group decision to enjoy the continuation of the downhill run we had experienced basically from the 260 metre marker into Hexham for a late lunch. But it wasn't all downhill as we had to negotiate a rather rough section of the track, that was uphill with a few impatient car drivers, which hasn't been the norm on most of the ride.
An interesting section of the track into Hexham had us riding between the Tyne River and the railway line with no more than about 5 metres between them both - rushing water one side and rushing trains on the other!
We also had to cross the rail tracks twice to get to Cafe Enna, a small Cafe attached to the Tynedale Golf Course.
Lunch was late, we didn't eat until around 1.30pm, but this wasn't a concern as our overnight stop was in Corbridge only about 4 1/2 miles away. We had decided to go to the accommodation then walk back to the Corbridge Roman ruins but this didn't eventuate for a couple of reasons the main one was Paul have a flat tyre then the spare also having a leak. He and Beth had left the other four in Hexham to get to the accommodation a little earlier whilst they were to go to look at the Hexham Abbey and have a Nero's Coffee.
There was a change to these plans as well as Paula and Geri weren't keen on navigating the traffic in Hexham to get to the abbey, so they left John and Ken and rode to Corbridge. John and Ken found the Abbey and Nero's having no issues with the traffic or getting to Corbridge.
Paul & Beth, Geri & Paula all had a tale about getting mis-directed on their way to Corbridge with Beth & Paul being rescued by some local bikers. The woman just happened to be a bike mechanic who knew where the local bike shop in Corbridge was - the man escorted Beth, Paula & Geri into Corbridge while the woman rode ahead collected her car and drove back and to pick Paul up, took him to the bike shop and had the flat tyre fixed. While Beth waited at the bike shop for Paul the man then offered to help Paula & Geri find their accommodation - he wasn't exactly sure where it was so they had a tour of Corbridge - all this time John and Ken where merrily making their way to the Norgate B&B not having a clue as to what had happened to the others.
Once everyone was settled in the accommodation a booking for dinner was made. The meals at the Italian restaurant, Il Picolo, were excellent.
There was a slightly drizzle on the way back from dinner so no-one went for a late night walk. Tomorrow was to be the final day of the C2C ride - dip our front tyre in the east coast ocean then throw our pebbles in.
Saturday September 16
Hadrian's Cycleway - Day 5
Today was a later start to normal as our B&B host wasn't able to have our breakfast ready until 8.30am. This suited us fine as the Corbridge Roman ruins, our first stop weren't going to be open until 10.00am. It also allowed us time to drop into the bike shop for a coffee and to thank Chris, the guy who fixed Paul's puncture yesterday, for his help.
The ruins were a little different to the one's we saw yesterday, they were more of an administrative establishment and a more settled supply village than a fort. They had more 'mod cons', like aqueducts for water, drainage for sewerage, heated floor areas, inside toilets and a very secure room for the money to pay the Roman soldiers. The soldiers were paid three times a year.
The weather was a little more fickle for us today. The day began with clear blue skies, whereas every other day it had been overcast and then cleared and rained all around us. Today it did the reverse. As we left the ruins it became cold, windy (thankfully mainly from the west and behind us) and threatening, it would only be a matter of time and we would be riding in the rain.
As today was more a matter of riding to get to Tynemouth than stopping and looking at the Roman ruins it wasn't really going to be a concern.
We travelled through some interesting little villagers passing a considerable number of Saturday bike riders and walkers on Hadrian's Cycleway. In some sections the path and the roadways used for the path were that narrow they had sign posted 'passing places' to allow riders and cars the chance to move over to allow others to pass.
It was suggested by a number of local riders that we came across to stop for lunch in Wylam. We did but just before the village we came across the original prototype bridge for the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It had been used as a rail bridge, called Hagg Bank Bridge but was now disused as a rail bridge and was a crossing point for Hadrian's Cycleway.
Lunch in Wylam was a chance for everyone to try scones, jam and clotted cream, something you only get in England.
It rained while we had lunch in the 'Coffee Tree' coffee house so it was rain jackets on seats wiped down (thanks Geri) and see how we go.
It wasn't long before it was sprinkling but as the Cycleway was quite sheltered in this area we didn't get too wet. We were riding along the Tyne River on the Northside for most of this section going past the Tyne Rowing Club with it raining intermittently.
As we got closer to Newcastle upon Tyne and the Riverside precinct the rain got heavier. It seemed to coincide with an increase in traffic volume as well as we had to negotiate a number of heavy intersections to get back down to the river and the Tyneside walkway and boulevard which was part of the Hadrian's Cycleway.
The rain was only intermittent which may have been to our advantage as there were fewer people out walking. We cycled under and near all the bridges that join the main section of Newcastle upon Tyne to Gateshead and passed the Old Town section which we had been at a week ago. It was time to contact our bicycle pick up people, which John did. We had about 12 miles to cycle from here. We stopped at the Cycle Hub, just at the end of the Tyneside walkway, initially to have a look but as it turned out to dodge a heavy downpour that had just started.
We stayed about 5 minutes to allow this to clear then it was through an industrial area before we were back on the Hadrian's Cycleway with the sun again shining on us.
It was to remain clear for the rest of our ride. We came to the end of the Hadrian's Cycleway about 3 miles from Tynemouth and took the necessary photos to say goodbye.
From here it was through the a beautiful park section of Tynemouth down to the coast and the North Sea.
We found a small beach area and pushed the bikes through the sand to put the front wheels into the water of the east coast and to toss our pebbles, collected from the beach in the west coast (a much more rugged and wind steeped environment than what we were now seeing, this area had people on the beach walking dogs and kids playing in the sand) into the water on the east coast.
We had made it!
Next was to find our pick up vehicle - he found us in the end. We loaded the bikes and he then drove us to the Grand Hotel, our accommodation, which was indeed grand, to unload our panniers.
We all settled in to the rooms had showers then looked for a place to have takeaway fish and chips. They were delicious!
After a walk of the Main Street of Tynemouth, which was originally settled as a sea side retreat for the 'well to do' of Newcastle upon Tyne, obvious from the beautiful Victorian buildings, it was into bed for a well deserved rest of some weary legs and to get ready for part 3 of our adventure.
Good sleep, 7.00am had been arranged for breakfast. We straggled in around 7.00am, not exactly on time but close.
John and Ken found time for a Nero's Coffee before going back to pack to catch the London Kings X train to Newcastle upon Tyne. Beth and Paul did their own thing before heading off early for the train and Geri and Paula did postcard and other shopping.
A stop at the bike shop was in order before making our way to the Grahamston Station, nothing of interest was found. The train was full with our reserved seats already occupied, Aberdeen were playing Edinburgh (Soccer) so it wasn't until after Edinburgh Waverley Station that all the reserved seats became vacant, although Paul and John convinced a few of the passengers in their reserved seats to move. Paula found a seat next to a lady who entertained her for the two hours of the trip and Geri also found a like minded passenger who told her of a few things to do on the road trip back from Newcastle upon Tyne to Ratho.
The train trip down the Cumberland coastline was very interesting, lots of fertile land with hay crops being harvested.
Newcastle upon Tyne is a very busy city and even more so this weekend as they are hosting the largest 1/2 marathon in the world. The hotels are full of runners.
We were able to get 2 of the 3 rooms so we had the chance to settle John & Geri and Paul & Beth with Ken & Paula leaving their luggage in Paul & Beth's room to come back and do laundry, which turned into a non-event, they had to hand wash everything and try and dry the washing in the rooms.
Lunch was had in the Jazz Cafe in Pink Lane, it had a very relaxing atmosphere.
At 3.00pm we returned as the 3rd room was available - Paul & Beth and Paula & Ken collected the washing and tried to find a coin operated laundromat. They were directed to a Dry Cleaner who told them there were no coin operated laundromats in the area. Back to the rooms to wash!
Everyone did their own couple reconnaissance before dinner at Roberto's Italian restaurant - not the best meal we have had.
Paula & Ken had an after dinner walk so Ken wouldn't bust, he had 3 courses while the rest headed for the rooms.
Later breakfast tomorrow as the runners will be eating 7.00am - 8.30am.
Sunday September 10
Sight seeing Newcastle upon Tyne.
Paula and Ken went to St Mary's Cathedral for 8.00am Mass and then met the others for breakfast before everyone headed in different directions to look at the things each couple were interested in.
Paula & Ken took a bus ride out to the Angel of the North monument, travelling through the area of Durham which was one of the old coal mining site around Newcastle upon Tyne. Many of the houses were the mining cottages from a bygone era. Rows and rows of narrow, crowded little houses, all looking exactly the same.
The monument was interesting and presented a good view over the surrounding countryside. Back in Newcastle upon Tyne they went to look at the Grainger Markets then down to the Markets along the Tyne River. From here they crossed the Millennium Bridge and walked through the Bristol Art Centre. It was different - the continual stairway was clever.
From here back to the main part of Newcastle upon Tyne to try and meet up with John & Geri at the Laing Art Gallery. No luck so they then ventured down to Chinatown to view the original Town Wall which was built in the 12 century and is still in good condition.
It was starting to sprinkle and getting late so it was back to the hotel to contact the others and organise a meeting time for dinner and hopefully hear their tales of the day's activities.
Dinner, after a bit of a walk and some general discussion, was Thai. Excellent meal.
Organisation for tomorrow was arranged, breakfast 8.00am - before that shower and pack. Transport to Maryport arrives at 9.30am.
Monday September 11
C2C ride begins.
Darren was our C2C transportation from Newcastle upon Tyne to Maryport. He arrived at 9.15am, we packed the van and were leaving the Hotel Indigo at 9.30am.
The trip out of Newcastle upon Tyne had us retracing some of the areas we had walked but we were soon on the A69 heading west. The road was dual carriageway with relatively little traffic. The most interesting aspect of this part of the trip was the number of old trucks on the road, some looked like 1960 vintage vehicles.
We had patches of rain around Haltwhistle, Paul's stepfather, Peter Slater, lived here when was working in England. Haltwhistle is also the geographic centre of the United Kingdom, the central point East to West as well as North to South. There are also lots of signs to the different Roman museums and sites associated with Hadrian's Wall. We were more than 3/4 of the way to Maryport when in time it was the same as travelling from Narrandera to Wagga.
Once we moved closer to Maryport the road narrowed to single lane and became busier especially as a few areas were undergoing roadworks. It was interesting to note that there were no speed restrictions passing road work gangs unless there were traffic lights controlling the traffic flow.
Once in Maryport we unloaded the van, set the bikes up and put them in storage at our accommodation, The Golden Lion, and deposited our bags in the rooms. Lots of little narrow stairs to get to the top rooms.
With raincoats on or to the ready we ventured out to explore Maryport and find lunch. No sooner had we ventured towards the harbour and the promenade and it started to blow and sprinkle. We walked to the end of the first pier, noticing the low tide and a number of timber beams sticking out of this side of the inlet. We were later to discover that on this side of the harbour they use to launch ships sideways into the port as the river Ellen was too narrow to launch rear on.
We made our way over to the Marina Cafe for lunch, Paula & Ken had fish and chips (well to be exact Paula had some of Ken's fish and a salad) John & Geri and Paul & Beth had toasted sandwiches.
We took the advice of a woman working in the Marina and walked up the promenade to the zig zag steps. She mentioned that LS Lowry, a famous English artist, had painted the steps and was astonished we didn't know who he was. We did 'google' him later and found a picture of his 'interpretation' of the steps.
After walking the 119 steps we continued up to the Senhouse Roman museum for a look around. John and Ken stayed and went through the museum whilst the others continued to look around town. We met again and had a coffee and looked at the route for tomorrow's ride to Bowness on Solway - 60 kilometres. Following the Hadrian Cycle Way 72 signs seems to be the best idea and to stay together.
Dinner was booked in the hotel for 7.00pm with the panniers to be collected at 6.00pm.
John missed dinner as he wasn't well and was still asleep. All meals we had more than filled the plate, almost too much to eat! After dinner Paula & Ken went for a walk to the old lighthouse.
It was then time to sort gear and pack the panniers for the ride.
Tuesday September 12
Hadrian's Cycleway - Day 1
Our day began collecting the bikes, checking that everything worked, making adjustments as necessary then attaching the panniers. A quick ride around the car park and we were ready to head off. Just as we started it began to sprinkle but this didn't last long. We headed around to the old lighthouse, found an access point to the beach went down and dipped the rear wheel in the water and collected a west coast pebble to leave on the east coast.
From here we made our way around to the beginning section of the Hadrian Cycleway in Maryport. It wasn't long before we stopped as Paul and Ken found the Maryport Golf course, a links course. They stopped on the 17th hole and pretended to play shots. The Cycleway goes right through the course, separating the front nine from the back. It would be interesting riding through here on a competition day!
The weather was warmer than we had anticipated but you still needed jackets. It was more trying to decide whether to keep the water proof one or not. We stopped a number of times for attire adjustments, with John at one stage almost going 'Monty'.
Unfortunately the Roman Milefortlet 21 wasn't well signposted and we missed getting to see it but had a stop and laugh in Allonby - a hotel was called Baywatch Hotel and a bar was Jack's Surf Bar. Ironic because to see the bay properly you would need binoculars and to get any surf you would have to paddle half way to Scotland the tide was that far out!
The sun appeared on regular intervals as we rode and the weather seemed to be heading away from us. We travelled through a variety of small villages and dairy farm buildings with the 'agricultural smell' sometimes quite overpowering. For most of the ride the prevailing wind was behind us and when it wasn't the hedge lined narrow roads and tracks provided a wind break. The only real headwind we had all day was doing the scenic route into Bowness on Solway when we were exposed to the Solway Firth.
Our lunch break was timed for Silloth which is a lovely place. We arrived there just on 12 noon and were pointed in the direction of Mrs Wilson's coffee and eatery house by a local. It was well worth following their advice. Lunch was delicious and John made comment that it was the best coffee he had experienced on the trip so far.
We had a minor mishap on our way out (Beth clipped a gutter with her front wheel and slammed her right hand into a wall) - it was bleeding heavily so Geri thought we needed to take her to a clinic as a precaution. When Beth was ready we headed off again to finish the day's ride. We had covered 30 kms and had 30 kms to go. We could also see that bad weather was starting to close in.
We had one stop at a 900 year old Church and Holme Cultram Abbey for photos and another short break at a lovely little village called Newton Arlosh.
On this half of the ride we also had to ride on a number of main arterial roads - we needed to be careful as there wasn't much passing room, it is good to see in England that most drivers are more patient with cyclists than in Australia.
We arrived at our accommodation, Shore Gate B&B, just before the rain started.
Our hosts are extremely friendly and helpful.
After we all had refreshing showers plans were made for dinner at the Kings Arms, the local pub. This was timed for 7.15pm and the meals were plentiful. Our walk up and back were both in the rain. The bad weather had settled for the night and we are just hopeful it blows through before we head off in the morning.
Wednesday September 13
Hadrian's Cycleway - Day 2
The Shore Gate House B&B accommodation was excellent. Our hosts, Allen and Theresa, were very friendly and helpful, with Allen doing some maintenance on the bikes for us before we left. Breakfast was very filling and thankfully kept us going until dinner as we didn't find anywhere to have lunch.
We left in cool but clear weather, signs of the recent night's storm evident on the road. The road was glistening in the early morning sunshine. The section along the Solway, through cows grazing and with Scotland close on our left was soon over as we moved back into the more agricultural and residential areas around Drumburgh and Burgh by Sands. In Burgh by Sands we chatted to a walking group then Paula, John & Geri stopped to take photos of St Michael's church. At Monkhill we took a detour off the Cycleway to St Mary's at Beaumont, a very old church built on the site of a Roman fort and built from the stones from Hadrian's Wall.
We continued into Carlisle through some narrow backstreets until we had to take the first of two diversions because of flood damage to the Hadrian's Cycleway path. The first we managed successfully even though it lead us through the main part of the city and we arrived at Carlisle Castle in time for morning tea. The cafe area was extremely small so rather than try and find a place to sit Geri & Paula explored the castle. The others had coffee and cake then explored. John and Ken got a lot from their time in the castle, both believing it was one of the best, almost still intact castles they had been in.
After leaving Carlisle Castle we had trouble with the second diversion. At one stage while we were almost going in circles John's front wheel slipped on the wet surface in the park and he fell, thankfully only a little skin off his shoulder and a sore hand.
We finally sorted out the correct way to go and made up for lost time with some good quick sections through quite narrow, hedge lined minor roads. Perhaps it was also the threat of a few dark clouds around us that convinced us to keep moving quickly. Our only other major stop, except for waiting at a very busy corner near Warrick Bridge was at the Garden of Eden Golf course. It was spectacular, Paul and Ken couldn't believe a golf course could look so immaculate!
We quickly settled in to the Crown Hotel, our accommodation in Wetheral, a very up market establishment for cycle groups, showered and washed gear before dinner in the Walton's Bar at 6.30pm.
After dinner we walked down to the Wetheral train station and across the Viaduct over the Eden River, something we intend revisiting tomorrow before we leave.
We are hopeful of venturing down the 99 steps to see it from the river.
Everyone was back in the rooms by 9.00pm, we must be getting old!
Thursday September 14
Hadrian's Cycleway - Day 3
Today was by far the hardest in regards to climbing, especially at Greenhead and Banks with some parts having gradients of 13 - 15 percent, a hard grind! Some of us down to walking just to keep going! But the effort was worth it.
Our day started out with breakfast at the Crown Inn, with the very incarnation of Manuel from Faulty Towers being our waiter, it was very amusing for us all and quite difficult not to actual call him Manuel!
We took some time before we left on the bikes to climb the 99 steps down to the River Eden, which was flowing quite quickly, to look back up at the railway Viaduct then walked around to the Benedictine Priory in Wetheral, a very old building and still a working farm.
After collecting the bikes we walked them over the rail bridge at the Wetheral Station then over the Viaduct then continuing to ride into Great Corby. The morning ride was through some beautiful agricultural country, slightly different and not as wet as the country near the coast. We passed through a number of picturesque villages all within close proximity to each other, such as Fenton, How and Hayton before getting to Brampton for an early lunch at 'Off the Wall'.
We left with the weather threatening but as has happened all 3 days so far it seemed to go around us as we travelled. After Brampton we were in Hadrian Wall territory with a number of sites selected to visit for a longer period. Our first major stop was the Augustinian Lanercost Priory. As Beth and Paul had opted not to purchase a 16 day pass to visit any and all English Heritage sites throughout England only John & Geri and Paula & Ken went in. The Priory was magnificent, with huge rooms, old headstones and the living quarters and conditions of the monks on display. The east end of the noble 13th-century church survives to its full height, housing within its dramatic triple tier of arches some fine monuments, including a working bell.
When leaving we went through the ornate archway that leads into the priory grounds.
From here it was Hadrian Wall attractions but first was the Banks climb. 3/4 of the way up we came across some Australian walkers who recognised the Wagga Wagga name on our riding tops and stopped to chat. They had just come from the Banks East turret and encouraged us to keep going. The climb was worth it with the first full site of a substantial piece of the wall only heightening our desire to see more. After this John and Ken stopped at the Leahill and Piper Sike turrets to get more information about the building of the wall before meeting up with the others at the Birdoswald Roman fort. Again only John & Geri and Paula & Ken went in. This site was well worth the full cost of the 16 day Pass in itself. It was humbling to be walking around the living areas that the Romans used over 2000 years ago. The size of the fort and the activities that occurred here where extensive, but the best aspect was the amazing view over the back of the fort area that they got to see everyday.
After leaving the fort Beth and Paul made a decision to continue into Haltwhistle without anymore stops. The others continued on to Thirlwall Castle, a castle ruin with a checkered history. From here it was to complete the challenge of the Greenhead climb then to view what was probably the highlight of the day that being Hadrian's Wall at the Walltown Crags. It was truly amazing, perhaps the time of day we visited, the extra effort in riding in then walking up the steep hillside or maybe just the sheer beauty of what we were seeing. An astonishing achievement in building the wall were it was and the fact that so much of it was left for us to view.
It was hard to leave.
Our trip into Haltwhistle was made easier after we realised we didn't have to climb the final hill we had witnessed from the top of Greenhead but had a much more pleasant side hill then downhill run into town.
Our accommodation at the Grey Bull inn was sorted then dinner organised for the Black Bull which Beth and Paul had found earlier.
A topic of conversation over dinner was the Greenhead climb and the fact we have another, similar one on the ride tomorrow! Not sure how well we will all sleep with that knowledge.
More of Hadrian's Wall to explore on our way to Corbridge to stay overnight tomorrow.
Friday September 15
Hadrian's Cycleway - Day 4
Breakfast at 8.00am then ready to leave at 9.00am. It had rained during the night so the roads were wet but we started the ride in sunshine.
We did an easy 10 kilometres through beautiful countryside moving from the cows and diary farms we had been experiencing to more open paddocks with sheep and grain crops. Also lots of pockets of pine tree forests around Haltwhistle. This area seemed to be a little drier than the land around the coast.
The villages we passed through were very quiet and well presented. Lots of people walk dogs, do house maintenance, mow lawns or trim hedges - not sure who is actually working!
As we got closer to the Roman fort and ruins at Vindolanda the terrain became very steep and the riding a 'granny gear grind'.
The Vindolanda site is something special, not only because of the Roman ruins and what has been uncovered but the work being done. They believe they still have over 200 years of excavating to uncover it all! What they have already uncovered and have on display is magnificent, second only to what can be seen in Pompeii - it was a site we could have spent many more hours at.
We left with the weather looking threatening but again it seemed to go around and miss us. We didn't even have time to warm the legs before we had to climb again. This climb was even harder than Greenhead the day before with Geri the only to manage it all and make it to the highest point on the whole trip (260 metres above sea level) without walking.
Our next stop was going to be a Roman ruin of a fort and Bridge but it involved crossing and riding on a very busy main road. We made a group decision to enjoy the continuation of the downhill run we had experienced basically from the 260 metre marker into Hexham for a late lunch. But it wasn't all downhill as we had to negotiate a rather rough section of the track, that was uphill with a few impatient car drivers, which hasn't been the norm on most of the ride.
An interesting section of the track into Hexham had us riding between the Tyne River and the railway line with no more than about 5 metres between them both - rushing water one side and rushing trains on the other!
We also had to cross the rail tracks twice to get to Cafe Enna, a small Cafe attached to the Tynedale Golf Course.
Lunch was late, we didn't eat until around 1.30pm, but this wasn't a concern as our overnight stop was in Corbridge only about 4 1/2 miles away. We had decided to go to the accommodation then walk back to the Corbridge Roman ruins but this didn't eventuate for a couple of reasons the main one was Paul have a flat tyre then the spare also having a leak. He and Beth had left the other four in Hexham to get to the accommodation a little earlier whilst they were to go to look at the Hexham Abbey and have a Nero's Coffee.
There was a change to these plans as well as Paula and Geri weren't keen on navigating the traffic in Hexham to get to the abbey, so they left John and Ken and rode to Corbridge. John and Ken found the Abbey and Nero's having no issues with the traffic or getting to Corbridge.
Paul & Beth, Geri & Paula all had a tale about getting mis-directed on their way to Corbridge with Beth & Paul being rescued by some local bikers. The woman just happened to be a bike mechanic who knew where the local bike shop in Corbridge was - the man escorted Beth, Paula & Geri into Corbridge while the woman rode ahead collected her car and drove back and to pick Paul up, took him to the bike shop and had the flat tyre fixed. While Beth waited at the bike shop for Paul the man then offered to help Paula & Geri find their accommodation - he wasn't exactly sure where it was so they had a tour of Corbridge - all this time John and Ken where merrily making their way to the Norgate B&B not having a clue as to what had happened to the others.
Once everyone was settled in the accommodation a booking for dinner was made. The meals at the Italian restaurant, Il Picolo, were excellent.
There was a slightly drizzle on the way back from dinner so no-one went for a late night walk. Tomorrow was to be the final day of the C2C ride - dip our front tyre in the east coast ocean then throw our pebbles in.
Saturday September 16
Hadrian's Cycleway - Day 5
Today was a later start to normal as our B&B host wasn't able to have our breakfast ready until 8.30am. This suited us fine as the Corbridge Roman ruins, our first stop weren't going to be open until 10.00am. It also allowed us time to drop into the bike shop for a coffee and to thank Chris, the guy who fixed Paul's puncture yesterday, for his help.
The ruins were a little different to the one's we saw yesterday, they were more of an administrative establishment and a more settled supply village than a fort. They had more 'mod cons', like aqueducts for water, drainage for sewerage, heated floor areas, inside toilets and a very secure room for the money to pay the Roman soldiers. The soldiers were paid three times a year.
The weather was a little more fickle for us today. The day began with clear blue skies, whereas every other day it had been overcast and then cleared and rained all around us. Today it did the reverse. As we left the ruins it became cold, windy (thankfully mainly from the west and behind us) and threatening, it would only be a matter of time and we would be riding in the rain.
As today was more a matter of riding to get to Tynemouth than stopping and looking at the Roman ruins it wasn't really going to be a concern.
We travelled through some interesting little villagers passing a considerable number of Saturday bike riders and walkers on Hadrian's Cycleway. In some sections the path and the roadways used for the path were that narrow they had sign posted 'passing places' to allow riders and cars the chance to move over to allow others to pass.
It was suggested by a number of local riders that we came across to stop for lunch in Wylam. We did but just before the village we came across the original prototype bridge for the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It had been used as a rail bridge, called Hagg Bank Bridge but was now disused as a rail bridge and was a crossing point for Hadrian's Cycleway.
Lunch in Wylam was a chance for everyone to try scones, jam and clotted cream, something you only get in England.
It rained while we had lunch in the 'Coffee Tree' coffee house so it was rain jackets on seats wiped down (thanks Geri) and see how we go.
It wasn't long before it was sprinkling but as the Cycleway was quite sheltered in this area we didn't get too wet. We were riding along the Tyne River on the Northside for most of this section going past the Tyne Rowing Club with it raining intermittently.
As we got closer to Newcastle upon Tyne and the Riverside precinct the rain got heavier. It seemed to coincide with an increase in traffic volume as well as we had to negotiate a number of heavy intersections to get back down to the river and the Tyneside walkway and boulevard which was part of the Hadrian's Cycleway.
The rain was only intermittent which may have been to our advantage as there were fewer people out walking. We cycled under and near all the bridges that join the main section of Newcastle upon Tyne to Gateshead and passed the Old Town section which we had been at a week ago. It was time to contact our bicycle pick up people, which John did. We had about 12 miles to cycle from here. We stopped at the Cycle Hub, just at the end of the Tyneside walkway, initially to have a look but as it turned out to dodge a heavy downpour that had just started.
We stayed about 5 minutes to allow this to clear then it was through an industrial area before we were back on the Hadrian's Cycleway with the sun again shining on us.
It was to remain clear for the rest of our ride. We came to the end of the Hadrian's Cycleway about 3 miles from Tynemouth and took the necessary photos to say goodbye.
From here it was through the a beautiful park section of Tynemouth down to the coast and the North Sea.
We found a small beach area and pushed the bikes through the sand to put the front wheels into the water of the east coast and to toss our pebbles, collected from the beach in the west coast (a much more rugged and wind steeped environment than what we were now seeing, this area had people on the beach walking dogs and kids playing in the sand) into the water on the east coast.
We had made it!
Next was to find our pick up vehicle - he found us in the end. We loaded the bikes and he then drove us to the Grand Hotel, our accommodation, which was indeed grand, to unload our panniers.
We all settled in to the rooms had showers then looked for a place to have takeaway fish and chips. They were delicious!
After a walk of the Main Street of Tynemouth, which was originally settled as a sea side retreat for the 'well to do' of Newcastle upon Tyne, obvious from the beautiful Victorian buildings, it was into bed for a well deserved rest of some weary legs and to get ready for part 3 of our adventure.