50p A GREAT BASE FOR CYCLING! CYCLE RIDES Haydon Bridge makes a great base for a cycling break in Northumberland. As well as the routes on this leaflet, the village AROUND HAYDON BRIDGE is close to Sustrans routes 72 and 68, which open up access to Hadrian’s Wall and Northumberland National Park, the Tyne Valley The Bridge Hexham, Hadrian and and the North Pennines. With good rail and road connections to the Tyne Valley both East and West coast routes, the village is easily reached and This Community Library, Visitor Information Centre and Internet ideally situated for exploring the area in any direction. Café is on Church Street next to the railway station. As well as Three cycle routes linking Haydon Bridge with Roman The village enjoys a peaceful riverside setting in the South Tyne providing library services and a focal point for the local community, Valley, and all the major attractions of the area are easily it offers visitors friendly advice and a range of leaflets and Vindolanda and historic Hexham, and exploring the accessible. With a good range of shops, welcoming pubs and information on local tourist attractions and facilities. lanes and tracks on both sides of the scenic Tyne Valley. restaurants and a variety of quality accommodation, it is a perfect place to relax after a day in the saddle. Add to this a friendly For more information: Northumberland welcome, and you need look no further when planning your stay. www.haydon-bridge.co.uk www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk THE ROUTES www.sustrans.org.uk These three routes, one of which offers two optional loops, give the www.cycle-routes.org/hadrianscycleway chance to explore the countryside and quieter roads in and around Haydon Bridge and the Tyne Valley. The ascents and descents of the valley sides offer cyclists some fairly challenging exercise which is Getting to Haydon Bridge rewarded by excellent panoramic views of the valley, Hadrian’s Wall By road and beyond. All the routes start at The Bridge Community Library A69 from A1 at Newcastle 28 miles and Visitor Information Point in the centre of Haydon Bridge, where A69 from M6 at Carlisle 31 miles cyclists can obtain further information prior to the ride. The routes By rail Newcastle – Carlisle service www.northernrail.org are chiefly on quiet country roads with some smooth off-road sections. For those with pure road bikes there are obvious By bus 685 service Newcastle – Carlisle www.arrivabus.co.uk alternatives on all routes. By air from Newcastle Airport www.newcastleairport.com Historic Hexham (20 miles) This route explores both the South A1 and North Tyne valleys, climbing from the start before descending Northumberland to a riverside approach to Hexham and a chance to see the town’s A68 National Park mediaeval Abbey and towers. Return is via the hills and woods of the valley’s southern slopes. Ponteland Hadrian’s WallHaydon Newcastle Pennine Panoramas (11.7 miles) Climb through the North to Carlisle Bridge A69 upon Tyne Pennine foothills to enjoy panoramic views from Stublick chimney, & M6 Haltwhistle Hexham a relic of the area’s industrial past, and return via woodland trails. Allendale Allen Banks and Roman Vindolanda (17.5 miles or 12.2 North Pennines A1(M) miles without Vindolanda loop) Travelling west, this route Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty A68 skirts the National Trust woodland of Allen Banks before climbing Alston the northern slopes of the valley. The longer loop takes in the unique Roman fort of Vindolanda with an alternative shorter route via a green lane with superb views to the south. Signposts Some sections of these routes follow existing long distance cycleways, such as Route 72 Hadrian’s GE C RID YC B LE N R O O Cycleway. Where this is the case, the signs to follow D U Y T A E H • • H are indicated in the map directions. Elsewhere, E A T Y U D O O R N E B please look for these directional signs at junctions L R C Leaflet published by Haydon Bridge Development Trust. Funding from Northumberland Uplands Local I Y D C G to help follow the route. E Action Group and made available through the Rural Development Programme for England. miles Vindolanda roman fort is the most Grindon Hill recent of a series of forts built on the 0 1 TR following signs site from the start of the Roman for Haydon Bridge occupation, when the Stanegate road 012 The c.12 Haydon Old formed Rome’s northern frontier. It is Church was once the now the site of extensive archaeological km main place of worship. excavations, and the site museum holds Much of it was countless fascinating finds from the At the end of the dismantled in c.18 to earlier occupation layers, including the straight TR, After 3km TR & build the current famous Vindolanda writing tablets. following the descend to a Once church in the village. metalled road Brewed P T-junction. TL At the crossroads TL towards New Alston Vindolanda Shortly after the line Cross the small At the farm bear R of pylons TR onto an bridge & continue & take the level unmetalled lane Thorngrafton straight uphill road to your R Haydon Old Church Chesterwood TR towards TL to join main Thorngrafton road & descend Vindolanda loop Bardon Mill into village HenshawGo uphill following signs At junction by Ridley & continue following R72 for Hall gates TL, signed HAYDON BRIDGE some 9km, past Vindolanda ‘Ridley, Beltingham’ Roman fort until the crossroads From The Bridge TL along at Grindon Hill Church St, cross the old P stone bridge & TR into Cross the footbridge Slippery surface on Shaftoe St and level crossing then Beltingham bridge head uphill & straight Allen At the Haydonian Club across the crossroads Banks TR signposted ‘Landends, Deanraw’ Allen Banks loop TR towards Beltingham Vindolanda extension Ridley Hall and Beltingham were originally Road in the ownership of the Ridley family of Unmetalled road/track Willimoteswyke, but eventually passed into Langley Castle Railway the ownership of the Bowes-Lyons, relatives of the Queen Mother. The spectacular Allen TR at T-junction Hazard – take care Banks woodlands are now in the care of the TR beside cottage Level crossing National Trust. It is worth a moment’s halt at (Plankey Ridley Bardon) Beltingham church to visit the ancient yew Steep gradient tree on the north side of the churchyard. Staward Gorge Places to eat Langley Copyright. All rights reserved. © Crown Licence number 100051631. You are now travelling on the Stanegate B6318 Roman road, the northern frontier before the TR & continue building of Hadrian’s Wall. St Peter’s Church at to follow R72. B6318 the foot of the hill stands on the site of a building which may have been one of the forts built to police this frontier. At green chapel TR & follow road TL and follow R72 Wall downhill to for 8.5km miles to Fourstones Hexham. Newbrough Fourstones A6079 Tyne South River The railway line you follow is the Newcastle to Chesterwood is an ancient farming community Carlisle line, finished in 1838 and the first cross- At end of straight country line completed. Look outAcomb on the left for containing several “Bastle” houses, fortified TL to follow the piers of the bridge carrying the former Border farmhouses designed to protect both family and unmetalled road Counties railway, which connected Hexham and livestock during the times of border raids. Warden the North Tyne with the Scottish Borders, but closed in 1956. B6319 A69 Take care crossing Bear L at junction then the railway line at R to Chesterwood & From ‘The Bridge’ the level crossing. At the x-roads in the open grassed follow road uphill & head south along area TR following along Tyne over x-roads. street & at T-junction Green Rd. At end of Tyne Green Rd A69 cross road into Alexander Place As road bends to and follow road uphill through Turn sharp left & From ‘The Bridge’ head the L, TR signed Gilesgate, to arrive in Hexham continue uphill south along street, cross old P HAYDON bridge & TR into Shaftoe St TL at the end of the wood. ‘Haydon Bridge, Market Place where there are cycle This leads to Elrington. Elrington’ parking facilities. After 1km TR to BRIDGE West Rattenraw TL onto A686 , proceed (Follow Langley route to next junction & TR to directions from there) Lowgate P return to Haydon Bridge TL towards TV mast. At Haydonian Club TR TR at farm & follow P (Route divides from (‘Landends, Deanraw’) At the top of the A69 road to foot of hill Allen Banks loop here). & follow tarmac road lane TL, then TR HEXHAM uphill for 2km onto the B6305 for To leave Hexham & continue, On the outskirts of 1km to Lowgate. Haydon Bridge note the retrace your route to the foot of Gilesgate & take first L between a plaque on the wall of the At Elrington cross old railway bridge, pub & a stone gable end. Follow farm cottage on the left. bear L & go straight across green to At the fork bear R this, bearing L then R through the track between farm & cottage B6305 TR at T-junction This is East Land Ends, through the gate to Glovers Place & into Cockshaw, the birthplace of the continue through with a stream to your left. Follow village’s most celebrated the woods The bridge crosses the old Hexham- this road until a RT into Millfield TR at cottage Langley son, the Victorian artist Allendale railway line, which closed Terrace. (Plankey Ridley Castle John Martin. in 1950. The buildings on the right are At end of Millfield Terrace TL & Bardon) the former Elrington station.