Workington to Sunderland - Summer 2002
Setting off from Workington at midday on Sunday, we left the car in torrential
rain, heading the wrong way! - Towards the Irish sea, in order to wet our tyres
in the briny on the western side of the C2C. Having taken the required photograph
- as if proof were needed, the rain had stopped and we set off in search of
traffic free paths and little blue signs marking our way to Sunderland.
Workington seemed devoid of such signs. We soon found ourselves heading
up the coast and having to resort to a more detailed map in order
to bring ourselves
back onto the official route, a disused railway track, at Seaton. From that
point it all became much more enjoyable. The sun peeped out occasionally, we
were on the right path, and everyone was smiling. Not too many hills to worry
about before Cockermouth, just rolling country lanes alongside the River Derwent.
Presumably the Irish Sea has retreated from this bustling market town, which
belies its name being located about 10 miles inland. In search of our first
stamping point on the route we asked locals "where is the Spa store in
Station Street?" Having been given excellent instructions, we then found
ourselves asking the same question of more locals, eventually being informed
that the Spa had closed down earlier this year. Our plan to get the first stamps
on our cards proving our right to buy official C2C paraphernalia thwarted.
We needed six stamps before Sunderland but there would be other opportunities.
 Lunch
beside the sparkling River Derwent beneath one of the town's bridges
was a chance to take on the energy to get us up the first of the
hills on our journey. Between Cockermouth and Keswick lies a not
insignificant hill, which we would cycle up in the late afternoon
sunshine - we hoped. From Cockermouth the trail follows paths way
marked by the blue C2C signs, then onto a minor road gradually climbing
up to Wythop Woods with Ling Fell and Kirk Fell to our right. As
we reached the end of the metalled road and onto farm tracks a sudden
squall blew in, forcing the donning of waterproofs. Almost at our
highest point for the first day the wind seemed to be coming from
every direction but mostly in front of us. The squall ended as quickly
as it had begun and we were at the top of a narrow descent through
the woods, made all the more treacherous by the recent rain. There
was barely time to look at the views across Basenthwaite Lake below
us as we concentrated on the single track descent. We all handled
this with our own combination of skill and determination, a real
thrill especially as our bikes were not encumbered by panniers on
this our first day.
Once on the valley floor we followed quiet country lanes through hamlets and
villages to Keswick. Here we were at last able to get the treasured stamps
on our C2C cards, and set off in search of the swimming pool. Not for a swim
but to find one of the jewels of the C2C. The disused railway line climbs between
Keswick and Threlkeld without you noticing the gradient. Following the course
of rivers rushing with white water, at one point on a boardwalk constructed
on the side of a gorge. A wonderful finish to our first day, arriving at Elly's
house just as the heavens opened again with a full on hailstorm. Elly had lent
us her house in Threlkeld so we had been able to stay there having driven up
from the South on the Saturday. And now on the Sunday arriving by bike ready
for hot showers, hot food and a bottle of red wine.
Day 2 dawned wet, and as the forecast didn't look any better we decided to
set off mid morning under grey skies and heavy drizzle. Our first mechanical
happened just before departure, and I was thankful to be able to mend the
chain on Alex's bike in the relative comfort of Elly's dry porch. Now fully
loaded with panniers the bikes handled very differently as we splashed down
to the main road and into the village of Threlkeld we realised what an advantage
it had been not to have them the previous day. There are many routes from
Threlkeld to Penrith and for interesting riding I wouldn't recommend our
choice to anyone. There is the old coach road, which has the highest climb,
and bumpy descent, a favourite with off roader's, best not attempted with
panniers. There are some pleasant country roads that take you through the
hamlets of Mungrisdale and Mosedale before skirting the Greystoke estate.
However we chose to take the direct route to Penrith, which followed the
route of the old A66. Although the old road is free of traffic it does not
escape the noise of the new road, and in places the route is a cycle path
beside the main road. Our reasoning was that we wanted to ensure a relatively
easy ride between our first day, and what would be a tough day between Penrith
and Alston. The rain eased shortly after leaving Threlkeld and although it
was windy at times it remained mostly dry for the rest of the ride. Leaving
the main road behind us at Witbarrow was a delight, and we cycled through
Greystoke on this Bank Holiday Monday. On a short off road section approaching
a tunnel under the M6 our second mechanical event occurred. On the most minor
of bumps one of the panniers bounced and the hooks that suspended the bag
on the rack broke off. By using bungee cords we managed to balance the bag
on top of the rack for the final couple of miles to our destination. As we
arrived at our B&B stop in Penrith the sun came out and having unloaded
our bags and bikes into the laundry room, we showered before spending a sunny
afternoon enjoying the sights of Penrith.
Day 3. After a hearty full English breakfast we loaded up the panniers again
and with judicial use of cable ties - carried on all trips and of much use
on this occasion, managed to fasten the broken pannier to it's rack. It was
an uphill start, the reward at the top was a view looking back across the
previous days ride. After a short flat section it was up again, and this
was the story of the day. Again we were rewarded for our efforts, this time
a longer descent into a beautiful valley just west of Langwathby.
 Crossing
the River Eden on a spectacular iron girder bridge we stopped for
coffee and cakes on the green at Langwathby. The road followed the
line of the Carlisle to Settle Railway for a couple of miles before
once again heading uphill. In the distance we could see the line
of the Pennines and we knew that somewhere on that ridge high above
us, was the road we would be ascending in a couple of hours. Heading
steadily up, with the occasional dive back down hill into a small
valley, we made good progress. On reaching a crossroads we had a
choice, off road and a more direct route, which would probably mean
steep ascent, or a more round about route on minor roads and (likely)
an easier gradient. The vote went in favour of the latter. We set
off and immediately found ourselves heading steeply down hill, normally
an exhilarating feeling, but we knew it meant even further to climb.
We descended to a river and stopped on the bridge to enjoy lunch
in the sunshine. Setting off we knew it would be uphill all the way
from here, we did our best to motivate one another on the long climb.
The road was probably the easier option, but the off road section
seemed to be in three parts, and from our view of it on the road
the first part looked
reasonable, the middle part extremely hard going on soft wet grass much of
the way. When we reached the top section we'd had enough of the road and moved
onto the steep broken surface, which gave our lungs the final test before the
café at Hartside summit.
This was one of those occasions when we could happily tuck into delicious
cakes without fear of extra pounds. The views from Hartside summit
(580 metres) are
splendid, though it would be our last sighting of Blencathra, which had dominated
the skyline for much of the ride so far. The café is a popular stop
for C2Cers and we talked to a few fellow cyclists before an easy downhill into
Alston. It was as we set off from the cafe that the second of our panniers
parted company with it's supporting clips. Jury rigged with bungy straps this
was now a worrying problem, were all the clips on the Hi-Gear panniers going
the same way?
Alston Youth Hostel was easy to find after our swift descent, and once we had
checked in it was time to tackle the problem of the panniers. There were two
options, one was to ditch them and aquire a couple of extra rucksacks that
we could rely on, or attempt to make do by fastening enough cable ties to hold
the panniers on to their racks. Finances dictated it had to be the latter,
and next morning our first stop was at a garage to purchase a dozen more cable
ties in the hope that this method would work.
Stopping off at the Cumberland hotel to collect yet another of the stamps on
our card and then at the bakery to purchase some tasty looking bacon and
egg pastries for lunch, it was 11:00 before we finally set off uphill out
of Alston. The ride flattened out after a while contouring round the side
of the hill above Garrigil and rejoining the route proper for a serious uphill
section. We'd considered a parallel off-road route, which the map described
as having a steep bumpy downhill into Nenthead, but with our pannier problems
we stuck to the minor road. Cycling up into the mist we met a couple of lads
riding the C2C in order to raise money for Cancer research, one of them had
just recovered from a brain tumour at the age of 21. They had a support vehicle
carrying their bags, so unencumbered by panniers were able to make faster
progress against the forces of gravity, it wasn't the last time we would
see them though. The reward for the slog uphill was not a view from the top,
the mist preventing this, so it was a speedy descent into Nenthead. After
devouring lunch, with time to play in the adventure playground, we set off
uphill again heading for Allenheads. This part of the route took us over
Blackhill the highest point on the C2C at 609 metres.
 Again
no view from the top just a chilly photo stop, and then on, first
down then up again, and down into Allenheads. At the outdoor centre
where renovations were well under way the builders had a bonfire
burning old window frames. We stopped for a chat and warmed ourselves
by the fire, reminding ourselves it was June!
Cycling on through the village we passed a large group on tandems cycling in
the other direction, the riders on the back were all blind. Now that calls
for trust in your co-rider, especially on these steep Pennine descents. Just
around the corner we discovered a teashop, where we could get our cards stamped
again, and drink hot chocolate before our last ascent of the day.
It was a beautiful ride out of Allenheads the mist was hanging in
the trees and as we climbed higher it seemed to be turning to drizzle.
At the summit
a sign informed us that we were entering County Durham. Ahead another fast
descent past the last working Lead mine, to our resting place for the night
at Rookhope. Arriving just slightly damp we were ready to take advantage of
the huge bath in the B&B and relaxing before going out to the local pub
for supper. This was the one time on the whole trip where we felt we got ripped
off. Our host offered to drive us to the local pub in the next village, great
we thought, pub meal and a couple of beers then give him a call and he'd drive
us back. The pub turned out to be an upmarket restaurant with upmarket prices.
While we could have denied ourselves a starter, or not enjoyed a bottle of
wine with what has to be said was excellent food. It was well over what we
had imagined we might spend at the local pub. Despite being used to southern
prices, then to find they did not take credit cards, I was cleaned out of cash.
We felt we should have been truthfully advised of the likely cost in advance./p>
After yet another full English breakfast on Thursday morning we set out for
what we expected to be our hardest challenge, to ride up the Boltslaw Incline.
This is a dirt track which follows the course of an old mining railway used
to haul ore out of the valley before sending it down the other side to factories.
Several groups of cyclists rode past as we prepared our bikes and picked
up supplies from the shop in Rookhope. Rather worryingly they were all ignoring
the route up the Boltslaw Incline and heading downhill to Stanhope. This
would give them an alternative route on road, but with an even bigger climb
up Crawley Side. We stuck to our plan and set off up the incline. It was
steep and rough at first but seemed to improve with more of a cinder surface
for much of the climb. Watching the milometre on my bike computer I was sure
we were making great progress and must be near the top. Once again the mist
prevented us from seeing anything, to the point that we were unsure whether
we had actually reached the top, and avoided loud congratulations just in
case disappointment loomed up out of the mist a few metres ahead. After a
few hundred metres we realised that yes we had definitely arrived on the
top and were now cycling along the Waskerley Way. This was the section that
we had been told was so rewarding with all the big climbs behind us, it was
lovely to be there, shame about the view!
Crossing the road that our fellow cyclists had been labouring, up
we parked our bikes outside a caravan that is the temporary home
for a café that
will soon move into a renovated station building. Hot drinks and cheese toasties
were very welcome as we discussed our experiences of the ride with other C2Cers.
Descending the very slight gradient of the Waskerley way we dropped out of
the clouds and approached what was once the industrial North-East.
 Much
work has been done to reclaim the land that was once steel plants
and other heavy industry. Along the route of the old railway line
we were following are numerous sculptures celebrating the industrial
heritage of the area. Beside the site where the Consett Steel works
once stood is an enormous stainless steel theodolite and alongside
it an engineers level.
Between here and the North Sea are many more works of art on a similarly grand
scale. If you're not in too much of a hurry these provide welcome stopping
points along he way.
Many of the C2C cyclists we spoke to on this our fifth day were going
to finish today. We had other plans, which meant our destination
was Beamish, or to be
precise the Coach House B&B at High Urpeth. We were made to feel very welcome,
and with the bikes safely locked in the shed, we relaxed with a soak in the
bath. Later, we headed into the village of Beamish on foot, to find an Italian
restaurant where we filled up on pizza's and enjoyed cokes and red wine.
Friday, day six of our expedition, and yet another big breakfast. For this
one we sat around a huge polished dinning table with other guests. However,
before setting off to Sunderland and the end of our ride, we cycled the mile
or so back to Beamish and spent the day at the marvellous open-air museum.
 At
about 3:30pm we climbed back on our bikes to complete the last 16
miles of our journey. We had a vague memory of having cycled in rain
earlier in the week. Now it poured, for most of the two hours it
took us to get to Roker Pier. The route was straightforward, at first
continuing along the disused railway line, but then taking many turns,
ups and downs, and circuits of industrial estates, and thankfully
there were plenty of the blue C2C signs pointing the way. It would
have taken us considerably longer to reach our destination had we
had to keep consulting the map, or worse still got lost in the rain!
As we approached journeys end there were some more fabulous sculptures, amongst
them, the huge Lambton Worm, King Coal and on the quayside at Sunderland the
spectacular Shadows in Another Light, which is half crane half tree. We passed
under the magnificent Wear bridge and below the Stadium of Light, complete
with steel figures recovering giant balls on the bank high above us. Then at
last we were cycling through the marina, past the Lifeboat, we could smell
the salt in the air, and we turned the last corner onto the promenade. There
in front of us was the grey mass of the North Sea, we rode our bikes down the
slipway onto the beach and only stopped when our front wheels were in the water.
We quickly located our good friend Stuart, who had very kindly agreed to pick
us up in his Landrover and transport a completely saturated family of cyclists
to his warm and dry home in Hexham. After taking a couple of photographs we
loaded bikes into a trailer and deposited wet bags, waterproofs and bodies
into the car. Fortunately he had plenty of plastic sheeting so his wet and
muddy passengers were prevented from completely trashing the car. We were enormously
grateful to see him in our bedraggled state, and even more grateful for the
hot showers and superb meal we were treated to later.
 The Horner family comprise Mum and Dad - Ruth and Mark, Alex age 13 and Charlotte
age 11. Mark was riding his 4-year-old Marin Pine Mountain. Ruth a brand new
Giant XTC Big Bear, with full suspension - this meant there was no room for
rack and panniers so she used a rucksack to carry her gear. Alex also rode
a Giant, his is a hard tail Terago so he was able to carry panniers. Charlotte
rode her Gary Fisher Hoo koo e koo. She carried our one pair of Karimor panniers
- the only ones to survive the trip. The panniers that caused us problems have
subsequently been replaced with Karimor bags in anticipation of our next challenge.
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