Due to a concatenation of circumstances, I am not sure if my ECE 400 from May is going to get validated, so to fill the gap in my first SR I decided to do a DIY trip to Wooler in Northumbria from Newby Bridge and back. Despite the fact that it is very hilly (I think it would get 5.something points if I had done it by GPS) I was pleasantly surprised about how good the roads were so decided to make a little ride report. Here it is, if you fancy using some or all of the route.
I set off about 11:00am on a Monday morning from Newby Bridge Garage (usually open 7am - 10pm but you're notsupposed to park there so leave car in Backbarrow/near Swan Hotel or if no coned restrictions outside Fell Foot). The road up the side of Windermere to Bownesss was nice and quiet, as was the next bit, the Kirkstone Pass. I think the main time to avoid this road is southbound at around 4 till 6pm.
From the south Kirkstone is a nice steady ascent often helped a little by the prevailing wind. The descent to Patterdale is excellent and is followed by an easy spin along the side of Ullswater to Penrith, the flattest bit of the route, (lots of control options in Penrith, some 24hr). You can use the dual carriage way for a short section as it has a 'side strip' and a cycle way through the roundabouts or take a B road route.
All lakes and fells so far - very scenic, but now for the moorlands with first up Hartside. This is also a steady climb with no really steep bits, a good road surface and not much traffic, leading to Alston which has a new Spar shop/garage open from 6:00am I think, plus a pretty well used cafe who will sign a brevet. I suppose the main time to avoid this part is when there are lots of motorbikes out. Those wanting a 'brew with a view' can stop at the Hartside Top cafe.
The road out of Alston is more of the same - not too busy and reasonably graded leading, via bleak moorlands, to a Co-op, Barclays ATM and a 5:00am till late-ish Mace/Newsagent in Haydon Bridge. The crossing of the moors to and from Alston is real wild Pennines stuff (in contrast to the Lake Districty first 40k) and is a brilliant descent!
Heading North East on minor roads leads to Chollingford and a very impressive crossing of the Tyne. From here, some fairly simple map reading is needed to find the most direct route to Rothbury via Scots Gap (weather proof bus shelter). This is undulating country (especially in and out of Rothbury!), typical border landscape with few field boundaries, lots of stock and crops but few settlements, so pack some bonk rations! Rothbury is a lovely spot, but when I passed through the chippy at the West end of town was shut , but there is a Co op and if you have taken a control in Haydon Bridge it is not really necessary here.
From Rothbury more undulations lead along a fairly obvious line of B roads to the main trunk road, which heads to Coldstream. This can be fast and unpleasant at busy times but at 10:00pm on a Monday night I had it to myself more or less. Plan you timing as you don't want to be jostling with heavy traffic on this road. There is a late garage/shop at Powburn which shuts at 10:00pm (possibly 10:30) if you have run out of food/energy. Wooler has a Barclays ATM, a chippy, a Coop (till 10:00pm) and pubs.
With my timings I then had a night ride back to control at the 5:00am newsagent in Haydon Bridge, having dallied in Wooler for well over an hour. Long, lonely sections here - which is nice if you like that sort of thing, but carry some provisions and spare clothes. The lights of the urban coast are in stark contrast to your immediate surroundings, with only Rothbury as a break. If the wind is in its normal direction the return leg can be a real test - no big name climbs but lots of up and down.
All the roads on this route have white lines, a safe surface and some sections have cats eyes.
Returning from the North, the moors leading to Alston are a much tougher prospect, especially against the wind and after picking up food and water in Alston you are straight into the long Hartside ascent with tired legs. Penrith awaits at the end of the fantastic descent with multiple opportunities to refuel/control (24hr supermarket and garage). The flat-ish spin to Brothers Water is a short break before the return trip up the Kirkstone, this is different proposition entirely to the outbound leg, with multiple 1:5 sections to be overcome with about 370k in the legs. But all hills must end and the reward is the glorious descent to Troutbeck, across the mini-roundabout at the bottom and down the undulating lake road to Newby Bridge. If you're on your last legs, Bowness has a Tesco's express till 11:00 and a few burger/kebab/chips places. The place up a little side street opposite the Village Inn is open till pretty late.
I hit some traffic going into Penrith for the start of the working day and picked up quite a lot of tourist traffic along Ullswater, but other than that, I got the benefit of mostly good A road surfaces and width without significant traffic. Out and back rides don't seem all that popular, but when some is in the dark and the ascents/descents are so varied in opposite directions I think this one was well worth it. My only regret is not snapping up the AAA points as I still have not sorted out 'onboard charging' for my Edge 500 which won't last this distance.
If you have not cycled some of these roads and you are within striking distance they are well worth a look. For what it's worth mapping software gave the route as exactly 400k, but the Garmin said 203k for the outward leg. Perhaps it is the difference between road miles and map miles.
