Dark skies & big castles
The new Northumberland 250 takes in some of the UK’s most impressive landmarks
Dramatic revelations assault your eyeballs time and time again on this newly-created meander around one of the UK’s most beautiful – and underplagued – biking playgrounds. Whether it’s verdant valleys opening up like a pop-up book out of tree shrouded tunnels, or brooding castles loitering like colonial bullies over the landscape – there’s barely an ordinary view to give your awe a breather.
I started the loop from Allenheads, and headed anti-clockwise, and almost immediately you’re subjected to dizzying climbs as you ride the single-track rollercoaster that deposits you in Blanchard before you arc over the top of Derwent Water (keep your eyes on the road), before grabbing the swooping A68 ahead of crossing the Tyne at Corbridge. Pick up the 68 again until you take a little cut to Otterburn and peel off towards the coast on the B6341 – a concentration-testing mix of fast and flowing with tight and nadgery. As you climb up on increasingly Roman-straight roads towards Alnwick the vista broadens to huge skies and wild open views. Just as your head touches the clouds you drop gradually down to Alnwick and its stunning castle (Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to anyone wanting to impress their kids). Wiggle on to Craster for your first sniff of the sea, before nosing North. The B1340 isn’t the most stunning road on the route, but the places it delivers you to are awe-inspiring. If your legs need a stretch, take a hike over to Dunstanburgh Castle ruins, but I’d shake off the cramp and keep going until Bamburgh Castle looms into view. There’s plenty of places to stop – lunch on the grass outside the Lord Crewe or Copper Kettle tea rooms is a good spot. Ever North, a short coastal hug drops you at Holy Island. Get the tides right and it’s well worth a stop to see the abbey ruins and Lindisfarne Castle before the short schlep up to Berwick. This is the most northerly point before heading westward back into the wilderness, crossing the border into Scotland and picking up the A68 again for a date at the famous Carter Bar for a photo opportunity with a big slab of territorially graffitied rock. The route continues South to a section of fire track toll road through the heart of Kielder, but unless you’re on an adventure bike I’d skip this and head North again for Chesters, then wiggle to Saughtree on the B6357, which starts tight then gets absolutely spectacular, then pick up the end of the Kielder road to re-join the route past Kielder Water. Keep plunging South until Chollerford, and then you’ll trace Hadrian’s Wall along a comically straight and undulating run to Greenhead before things get tight and technical again as you force your way back into the North Pennines for the final meander back into Allenheads. I did the whole route – including a few cock-ups and the tramp up from Stamford on the A1 – in one glorious 707-mile 16-hour extravaganza. But wherever you start from, the route deserves two days of your time to really soak up its charms.
‘BARELY AN ORDINARY VIEW TO GIVE YOUR AWE A BREATHER’