Berwick cycling

durhamwasp

Hello all,

Theres a few of us gonna be staying in Haggerston Castle for a long weekend at the end of March and are looking to do a good route around the 100 miles mark.

Are there any sportives that go through Berwick and therefore a route we could copy, or does anybody recommend any particular roads or route? Just looking about we are thinking of doing a loop to Lauder and back with a lunch stop there, comes in at around 102 miles.

Thanks in advance!

barney69

By your name can I guess your start off point will be Durham?

durhamwasp

No, will be taking the camper van up to Haggerston Castle with family and doing a ride starting from there.

barney69

Right, gotcha.
You could do part of the Coast and Castles route which is really scenic. It goes Edinburgh - Innerleithan - Kelso - Berwick - Tynemouth - Newcastle - you could take your choice going north or south from 'Haggy'.
Regards

durhamwasp

cheers that not a bad idea, wonder where i'd get to on that route if we did 50 miles North? Around about Melrose i reckon. (then cycled same way back)

barney69

I'll see if I can dig out my map of it then work it out.

RonL

You have lots to choose from North & South of the border. Coast & castles route as previously mentioned is very scenic and varied. Berwick to Edinburgh or Melrose is also varied and interesting.

mikebikemike

I know the area well, if you're doing short family cycling then the coastal route is perfect but not so great for "serious" cycling.

From Haggerston I'd probably head south on the old Roman road near Lowick, towards Chatton but then turning West to Wooler for the lovely views of the Cheviots. Tea stop in Wooler then over the border via Yetholm or bypass Wooler and go a bit more North to cross to Scotland around Flodden battlefield if they're your thing.
In Scotland choices of B and C roads to perhaps Kelso or Jedburgh then North and East crossing over to England in Norham to Ancroft and back to Haggerston.
That would be my fantasy tour anyway. A1 is horrid for cyclists and the A697 is nearly as bad but ok for short stretches.

durhamwasp

Cheers Mikebikemike, how far do you reckon that is?

Thanks Barney69 that would be useful.

And thanks for backing up the C&C route RonL.

Tim Farr

You could buy the 1;50000 OS maps and work out your routes. The Coast and Castles is on the OS map.You could visit the Tourist Information Office in Berwick. Further inland at the Melrose TOI I've found plenty of cycling routes on leaflets which are free or pence at worst e.g.and going on memory there are leaflets for Melrose, Kelso, Selkirk, Eyemouth and the Four Abbeys route - Dryburgh, Melrose, Jedburgh and one more?? Perhaps there is one for Berwick.

By the way the A1 is not a lot of fun for a cyclist - The Coast and Castles manages to avoid it, and you could use that map to find your way to Lindisfarne, and also along the coast and cliffs to enter Berwick 'by the back door' thru Spittal.

Have a good ride.

mikebikemike

The rough route I outlined would have milage of at least late 60s but a lot more if you go far into Scotland.
It is such a lovely county that by keeping the milage lower on the C roads you'll better enjoy the views and wild life (This morning a stoat in winter camoflage popped out of a hedge on my commute)
Road signing can be misleading or absent on the back roads so a page ripped from a road atlas or an OS map is worth sticking in a pocket.

thecrofter

There was a thread on here last year about the roads on the ranges at Otterburn which are open for public use sometimes, might well be worth checking out. I'm sure there was a web site if you google "public acces at otterburn"

durhamwasp

Hmmm very interesting! i'll have a look....

kevinp

Hi

I live not far from Berwick and can recommend the 4 abbeys route - use back roads/Sustran No1 to Kelso then folow the signs. As said by some one else in here the Visit Scotland and Scottish Border Council web site have downloadable cycle route leaflets - last time I looked berwick tourist office also had them.

There are also regular group rides which start at the new Youth Hostel in Berwick try also Wilson's Bike shop on Bridge Street for extra routes

Enjoy

durhamwasp

Thanks Kevinp. Im guessing that route will come to around 100 miles, as it looks about 25 miles from Hag Castle to Kelso, then the 55 mile loop, and then 25 miles back to Hag.

durhamwasp

Ended up doing a loop to Melrose via Coldsteam and Kelso on the way there and Kelso and Norham on the way back. Glorious day and lovely cycling roads on the C&C route, very quiet. 87 miles done in total. Thanks for the help!