This week I've been staying in Morecambe, watching the sea and touring around by car. I have my bike, and with the help of my lovely wife, yesterday rode to Hartlepool.
I'm staying near Bare Lane station in the east of the town. From there it's a short hop to the promenade, and I began by riding round to the stone pier where the cyclepath through Lancaster and beyond begins:
The quality of the cycle paths serving the Lancaster area is astonishing, and I was able to ride through the city on decent tarmac with few interruptions to progress, all completely off-road. Naturally the paths were being well used, and strangely, cyclists seem to ignore each other completely. I was of course hoping to find someone to ride beside for a while and tell them where I was going, but sadly it didn't happen!
From the centre, the route heads out along the river Lune with several lovely views of the rapids through the autumnal trees. Near Halton there's a big bend in the river and a double crossing on the old railway line, and the view of the hills begins to open up:
Soon afterwards the path comes to an end and there's no alternative to the A-road for a while. I was intrigued by the cable car at the brick works in Claughton. A few miles later I took the B6480 which roughly follows the river Wenning to the Benthams, and then I cut northwards to Ingleton.
For a while, the route needs little introduction, as I'm sure the next bit has been ridden on multiple occasions by a large number of members. After grinding out of Ingleton, I was fortunate to find the wind being funnelled up the valley past White Scar, before an unexpectly tough ramp over to Ribbehead:
A much more relaxing climb follows, reaching the spine of the country at Newby Head. I was pleased to see a pass sign, even if it isn't quite in the right place:
The descent that follows must be one of the best there is. Again, I'm sure it needs no introduction. The roads were wonderfully quiet.
I cut the corner at the bottom, avoiding Hawes and taking the valley road via Hardraw. The sun was bright now, and I know I shouldn't complain, but as the main road still looked quiet I decided to cross back at Bainbridge, getting the benefit of views across the valley with the sun behind:
Around Aysgarth the road becomes more testing and it was with some relief that I reached the bridge at Wensley to begin the day's last serious climb through Leyburn and Bellerby. The sky was now looking more threatening, but it made for a dramatic final view of the hills:
There was another splendid descent to Catterick Garrison, after which I hurried along the unlpeasant A6136 to Catterick Bridge, ignoring the appalling apology for a cycle track, which as always was on the wrong side. Just one display of petualance from a driver whom I hadn't inconvenienced in the slightest.
Across the Swale, and then and almost completely flat section to the Tees through a spell of steady rain. So little to separate them here, yet bound for the sea on opposite sides of the North York Moors. This is the Tees at Neasham:
I'd picked out a route which bisected Darlington and Teeside and would eventually head into Hartlepool from the north. I found the countryside here fairly nondescript (I hope I'm not offending anyone!) with villages persistently sited on the tops of the hills. I'd seen a possible off-road option, called the Castle Eden Walkway, but the photographs I'd found suggested it would be pretty muddy in November.
The major town in the area is Sedgefield, which looked quite posh. My route made it's final turn towards the sea at Trimdon, which seemed anything but, but was redeemed by the first glorious sight of the North Sea.
The very busy A179 wasn't too terrifying, and part of it is avoidable by going through the village of Hart. I was a bit perplexed by the extraordinary railway embankment along the shore, seemingly built to deny a sea view to anyone living in the coastal suburb called, ironically enough, West View.
At the Headland, the agreed meeting place, the obligatory views in what was now seriously fading light:
Just as welcoming was the sight of my wife and car. Rather a lot of credits were used yesterday!
A single-day Coast to Coast in a manageable 111.08 miles.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1953842733
Although that was not the original intention...
. Bet the tail wind on the way back to Ipswich was fun 'though.
