Windle
Über Member
- Location
- Burnthouses
Finally a report of a bigger ride (bigger for me, although tiny compared to some on here). For the past three weeks I've parked up in West Auckland after dropping the wife at work and done a ride round the local bike paths through Tindale, then past Shildon, through Redworth and on to Aycliffe before returning the same way. I realised a few weeks ago that some of my bikes have never done a double digit ride as I mainly ride local loops, so made a point to remedy that. This week, despite the over-biked scenario I took my Marlin 7 29er for a run. It's only a short road section out of West Auckland before you pick up the cycle path that runs alongside the bypass then through the as usual very busy Tindale retail park and up the other bypass past Shildon. This is a section that runs behind a few trees and bushes just before the roundabout into the west end of Shildon, most of this runs right alongside the main road but there's a couple of nice secluded sections like this.
The other bit of the bypass heading up to The Future Business Park, looking remarkably quiet. I see a couple of riders commuting on this path regularly when I'm going to work this way.
Heading down towards Redworth the bike path disappears behind some trees and bushes and ends up on what is I presume the original road, long since bypassed. This bridge is pretty wide to say it's only on a track, giving away it's past. Over the parapet is the culvert that runs under the newer road.
I took a detour up a bridleway just before Redworth which comes out on a minor road and then runs round the back into the village. A cracking view back over to The Future Business Park and Shildon behind.
The entrance to Redworth Hall hotel, a bit posh for an oik like me that came from a council estate in an ex pit village, I didn't go in
.
Another excellent cycle path running from Heighington down to Aycliffe Industrial Estate, which is one of the biggest in the country in terms of acreage. This path starts on the south side of the road then crosses over just down from here before going behind the line of trees in the distance, all the way down to the roundabout before the railway station. From the road you'd hardly know it existed.
I stopped for a brief rest and a cherry Bakewell square on the Darlington bound platform. I'd sat on the other side last week when the Univega was the steed of choice, but I only had a few squashed fly biscuits then. Heading back out of the station, the pub has long since closed. The mainly plain stone building to the right is apparently the oldest surviving railway building in the world (according to the information on the station board), being an original station building from Stockton & Darlington railway's first days.
The bike path alongside the railway, I'm heading back Shildon way, the train is for Darlington and eventually Saltburn.
Flying Scotsman is back at Locomotion again, although it was pretty quiet today.
I retraced my route along the cycle paths back to West Auckland with a detour into the maelstrom of the retail park to see the wife on her afternoon break. A decent ride out with just over 20 miles scored and nearly a thousand feet of climbing. The bike is perfect for such jaunts, being comfortable and pretty quick, although not exactly out of it's comfort zone.
The other bit of the bypass heading up to The Future Business Park, looking remarkably quiet. I see a couple of riders commuting on this path regularly when I'm going to work this way.
Heading down towards Redworth the bike path disappears behind some trees and bushes and ends up on what is I presume the original road, long since bypassed. This bridge is pretty wide to say it's only on a track, giving away it's past. Over the parapet is the culvert that runs under the newer road.
I took a detour up a bridleway just before Redworth which comes out on a minor road and then runs round the back into the village. A cracking view back over to The Future Business Park and Shildon behind.
The entrance to Redworth Hall hotel, a bit posh for an oik like me that came from a council estate in an ex pit village, I didn't go in
.
Another excellent cycle path running from Heighington down to Aycliffe Industrial Estate, which is one of the biggest in the country in terms of acreage. This path starts on the south side of the road then crosses over just down from here before going behind the line of trees in the distance, all the way down to the roundabout before the railway station. From the road you'd hardly know it existed.
I stopped for a brief rest and a cherry Bakewell square on the Darlington bound platform. I'd sat on the other side last week when the Univega was the steed of choice, but I only had a few squashed fly biscuits then. Heading back out of the station, the pub has long since closed. The mainly plain stone building to the right is apparently the oldest surviving railway building in the world (according to the information on the station board), being an original station building from Stockton & Darlington railway's first days.
The bike path alongside the railway, I'm heading back Shildon way, the train is for Darlington and eventually Saltburn.
Flying Scotsman is back at Locomotion again, although it was pretty quiet today.
I retraced my route along the cycle paths back to West Auckland with a detour into the maelstrom of the retail park to see the wife on her afternoon break. A decent ride out with just over 20 miles scored and nearly a thousand feet of climbing. The bike is perfect for such jaunts, being comfortable and pretty quick, although not exactly out of it's comfort zone.
Crofting is alive and well with stacks of peat drying. Theres a long descent into Golspie and the sea comes into view at the end of the valley. I used to do a circular ride- 24 miles to Golspie then 6 miles back along the A9 back to Brora....but i loathe the A9 so return the way i came. 
