First off for 2006 is Tony Backhouse who heartily recommends Greystoke Cycle Cafe:
I would like to recommend Annie at Greystoke Cycle Cafe. When I arrived in Greystoke to stay at Orchard Cottage I got changed and headed for the pub at 6.30. Upon arriving at said pub I was told they were fully booked and rather rude they were at that!

I wandered past the cycle cafe desperate for food and although she was closed Annie managed to find me soup, bread and pudding in the barn!!

People like Annie are very rare these days and without her efforts my charity ride may have been less enjoyable as Greystoke has nothing else. My advice is skip the pub it was full of car driving twits anyway. Go to the cafe, especially before it closes!! Visit Greystoke Cycle Cafe's website



I have been contacted by a resident of Moor Row close to milemarker 4 regarding the confusing directions signage thereabouts - Tammy's comments are below:

I live in Moor Row, and every year, have to redirect cyclists from off the Coast to Coast walk back onto the C2C route. It gets a bit complicated in Moor Row because the walk is signposted as 'alternate route'. There are blue way markers for the cycle route, and you need to follow these for Cleator Moor and Rowrah. Ignore the c2c directions painted on the path in white paint, that's vandalism. Just follow the blue way markers for Cleator Moor and Rowrah. A quick left right if you will.
You could follow the coast to coast signs, but you'll end up a bit south of your destination, and do some serious off roading!Hope you all have fun out there. Enjoy.

Doug Ridgway has been in touch (thanks Doug) regarding the closure of the C2C, Reivers and Hadrian's Cycleway at the Fish Quay in North Shields:
All 3 cycle routes are currently CLOSED at the Fish Quay in North Shields (C2C mile 135.6 / Reivers mile 0.6) and building work for a new sea wall will obliterate the present cycle routes. At present no one has a clue where the routes will go although rest assured that Doug is on the case!

LATEST: Doug has been out and about signing a diversion and details can be found at Doug's Hadrian's Cycle Way Advice Centre page

Jacqui Wingfield has the following tips on accommodation:
The Old Vicarage in Rookhope - what a fantastic place to stay! We camped overnight in 2 old VW campers and a couple of tents for the kids. Colin and Pauline couldn't have been lovelier to us all! They welcomed us inside, let us warm up in the guest lounge before serving the most wonderful evening meal. Brilliant!
The Belmont Hotel, Sunderland - Pam was a wonderful hostess and really made a fuss of our tired cyclists. A great place to end up at after all those miles across the Pennines!



Andrew and Sarah Smith have the following tip after completing the route in April:
watch out for the frequent amounts of broken glass as you go through Consett and Sunderland - some people are obviously smashing bottles in the middle of the cycle path on purpose



Peter Walsh rode the route and has the following tips for you:
Just completed The Whitehaven/Tynemouth ride. Stayed at the Norcroft B&B in Penrith. Very welcoming,comfortable. I would recommend it. Also the Parkhead café out of Stanhope is a great place to refuel before that last gorgeous 40 miles to the coast. It really is all downhill from there. If you're planning to stop in Allenheads try to stay at the Allenheads Inn. Very friendly.


Neil Frier has the following info for you on the route at Stanley:
The route in Stanley at present is cut by utility works. The alternative is across a busy road and is very poorly signed , no dropped kerbs!. Also the section of track at Stanley doesn't appear to have been swept for some time and is covered in glass!



Doug on the Tyne has more route information for his patch of the route:
Red Kites:
There is a viewing platform and tent on the Nine Arches Viaduct at mile 118.8 to Tynemouth. Cyclists are asked to slow down when passing the viewing area.
For more info visit Doug's HCW site here

North Shields Fish Quay
This section of the C2C route again blocked and the only way through is via the car park and possibly some steps to negotiate.

Advance Notice
Part of the C2C & HCW will be subject to a detour from Aug 22nd to install another gas main, it will affect the section between Scotswood Bridge and Paradise - Miles 122.3 to 123.2.
The diversion may involve a flight of steps - I will post something nearer the time on HCW.
The detour will be signed.



Jamie Pearsall reccomends you save a couple of hours to visit the Museum and Winter Gardens in Sunderland:
It's right in the centre of the city, not too far from the National Glass Centre. It has a very good cafe in there, prices are reasonable, has spaces outside to lock bikes too. Quite an extensive museum and gardens, and has it's very own ice-cream vendor [fabulous for the heat we were riding in ;)



Diversion on Rookhope Moor
In accordance with Sustrans agreement with the owners who control Stanhope Common over which C2C runs the route will be closed on specific days from August through to October. From 12th August until further notice the C2C via Rookhope Incline will be closed on selected shooting days to all cyclists.
A Sustrans’ Steward will be at mile point 94 to advise on such days, when alternative signposted routes via Ramshaw or Stanhope must be used.
Cyclists ignoring this notice will be turned back by Sustrans Stewards or by the Estate Staff and they also jeopardise the future of this route and the goodwill of landowners whose co-operation is vital to the success of the National Cycle Network.



Eileen Finnegan has the following recommendation regarding Bridge View in Garrigill:
What a beautiful place to be and the accomodation is fantastic and so is the hostess beautiful rooms and the food is fab such beautiful clean accommodation definety would recommend and go back again.

Paul Durkin has paraise for the bike repairing services of Mark Fearns at Nenthead:
"he fixed my brakes with no notice - he was very friendly and helpful - what was a problem was made into a pleasant experience - can't recommend enough"


In late summer Pauline and Jonathan completed the C2C with a group of 15 cyclists and 3 support people, here are their tips 'n' advice:

1. We did not have a happy approach to Allenheads re the refreshment side, as we were doing this on a Monday afternoon. The Thortergill Tea Rooms are closed on Mondays, and in Nenthead the Overwater Lodge Restaurant does not open till the evening. The Heritage Centre also shuts on Mondays. The only other place for refreshments was the pub, which was shut for repairs to their fireplace. So we had to resort to the post office, which had just reopened at 2.30 and had a fairly motley selection of food.

2. As we neared the end of the trip, some of the more caffeine dependent among us were getting worried that there might be no refreshments before the end after having passed Rowlands Gill. However we came across a great Café called Bar Chico, between the 124 and 125 mile marks. Their website is www.barchicco.co.uk

3. As I am sure you are aware, the Sustrans map is hopelessly wrong about showing the steep ascent out of Rookhope to Stanhope – on both the route itself (no chevrons), and in the profile which should show this ascent and then the one out of Stanhope.