Route 68 Cycling from Berwick-upon--Tweed to Buxton

Route 68 - The Pennine Cycleway

Our first post-retirement adventure, in June 2015, was cycling from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Buxton. We initially heard about this route whilst looking at a map of national cycle trails on the wall of the Peak District National Park cycle centre at Parsley Hay just near home. SUSTRANS Route 68 passes right by our door in Buxton but actually finishes in Derby; we plan to do the last leg of the journey sometime in the future. The whole route is 350 miles long and can be completed on road bikes. There are off-road sections, tow paths and the like but there are always alternatives on roads. The roads followed are very quiet and the route avoids main roads, often by going up and over hills; lots of hills....

Route 68 - a beautiful ride over, along & around the Pennines

We got a great route description and stage maps from Cycle Travel We split the ride into 7 days, cycling anything between 30 and 70 miles a day and completed 330 miles. We stopped at youth hostels, independent hostels and pubs along the way; all but one were on the route. We rode our mountain bikes with semi-slick tyres and were grateful for the disc brakes and the more comfortable riding position, compared to our road bikes. It also gave us greater flexibility on the exact choice of route that we followed.

Not all the '68' signs were as obvious as this

We caught the train from Buxton to Berwick and split the journey when buying tickets which meant the price was less than half what it would have been had we bought it all in one go. The tickets need to be bought in advance as bike numbers are restricted on the trains. We had to tie this in with booking accommodation; due to availability we had to do the route from north to south. This actually worked well, finishing at home. We did the route in June and on the hot days it was also pleasant to have a cooling headwind.

Following Route 1 for a while

 Day 1 Berwick to Wooler 41.6 miles

Easy riding along the coast of Northumberland

Berwick YHA is comfortable and modern and right in the town centre so not far to walk if you fancy a meal out, or to take in the sights. All rooms are en-suite and we had a double bed.

As we started our expedition we went off route slightly to enjoy the coast down to Bamburgh and followed Sustrans Route 1, not Route 68. This is a gentle, undulating, off-road route following the coast. At Bamburgh there are plenty of options for lunch; you might also choose to stop at Belford where there is a Co-op and tea rooms.

Bamburgh Castle, a good place for lunch

On the way to Belford there is also a hostel on the A1. From Bamburgh to Wooler the route follows quiet lanes, up and down hills with a final pull up into Wooler. Wooler is a small town which gets busy with the locals out at night over the weekend. We stayed at The Black Bull Hotel where we locked our bikes up outside, next to a side entrance to the hotel. The locals were obviously having a lovely night in the bar below our room but thankfully showed no interest in our bikes.

On the way to Wooler

Nearly at our first night's accommodation

Day 2 Wooler to Bellingham 48 miles

A moody, windy day...

The weather today was difficult, really difficult. We had winds gusting up to 70mph, mostly headwinds. We had 2 miles of tailwinds in the entire day and flew along at 18mph without pedalling! When they occasionally blew from the side I got blown off my bike, ending up in ditches and hedges beside the road. After being blown over twice and blown into the middle of the road I decided it was safer to walk my bike when the wind was blowing from the side. I didn't like the idea of landing on the barbed wire or crashing into dry stone walls. Every hill became an uphill in these conditions; pedalling was required to make headway on all of the downhills too. 

In the gutter again

The wind was so extreme that electric cables and pylons we passed sounded like jumbo jets preparing to take off. Although I live in the highest part, of the highest town, in England, where it is incredibly windy; the winds we experienced today were far worse than anything I have felt at home. They were really extreme, almost scary. I felt that the wind and weather were showing us what they can do to us when we upset the fine balance of the atmosphere. They can fight back, giving us a warning; making life difficult, unpleasant and a little frightening. We should take heed; pay more resoect to the environment and understand it is so much more powerful than man will ever be. We should stopping messing with it now. Anyway, rant over. 

Luckily the roads were quiet so we often rode on the wrong side of the road to get shelter from the hedges, bracing ourselves for each gap in the hedge, leaning our bikes into the wind. Dust was blowing off the fields like something you see in the plains of the US; branches were falling in the woods, an added worry.

18mph, tailwind & no pedalling

Thankfully we made it to Harbottle without major incident where we found a small Post Office and bought energy drinks to supplement our lunch which we ate in a sheltered courtyard outside the shop. As an added bonus there was an outside toilet too. We were exhausted; struggling to move even on the downhills takes its toll. After Harbottle we enjoyed the lower altitude and brief respite from the gales that this provided. However this was short lived and we climbed up again before dropping down into Elsdon with its castle and tearooms. We were looking forward to another stop at the tearoom at Elsdon but could find no sign of it. Nevermind, upward and onward...

From Elsdon the going got tough again, climbing up, (and down) all the way to Bellingham. After 9.5 hours, 48 miles and a moving average of only 6.8mph, we finally arrived at Demesne Farm Bunkhouse. What a welcome. We shared the Bunkhouse with a group of motor cyclists who had had a frustrating day inside; the conditions had been too dangerous for them to venture out on their bikes. We headed to the Co-op and bought a ready made meal and relaxed. There is a hotel in the town for food and also a bike shop.

Day 3 Bellingham to Dufton 70 miles

Kielder Forest

From Bellingham we climbed up onto the moors where there were a few isolated farms and sheep grazing. We followed the edge of the forest, then ventured through it. The route was undulating on rough, forestry tracks. On exiting the woods we had a long, gradual descent with fantastic views of Hadrian's Wall. Once we crossed the wall we had a fast descent down to Once Brewed where we enjoyed a hot drink,a cake and the toilets at the National Park visitor centre. There is also a YHA there but this wasn't open on our trip.

From here it was generally downhill; the route taking a number of detours to avoid the main road and more direct route to Haltwhistle. The minor roads run parrallel to the main road into Haltwhistle. The route also detours through the town but this is not necessary unless you want to stop there. From Haltwhistle the route follows a bridleway which varies from smooth to rocky, and tree-lined to open views. At Lambley we had to come off the bridleway to bypass the viaduct which is privately owned. This involved an up and downhill, rejoining the bridleway the other side. Annoying as this detour was, we did get to pass an innovative tramp living at the side of the road.

The bridleway

Having rejoined the bridleway, we followed this disused railway and then quiet lanes into Alston (YHA here). From here we had the notorious climb up to Hartside summit. The ride was steady and rideable all the way. Once at the top, the cafe was closed but we satisfied ourselves with the fantastic views of the Solway Firth, the north Lake District including Blencathra and the Howgills to the south. We mistakenly thought we were close to our YHA accommodation at Dufton, with just a short downhill ride left to go. This was not the case. 

We followed the route with a lovely long downhill to start, on a quiet lane. The route then has quite a lot of off-road, if you choose. Once back on the lanes there is a gentle, but long and undulating ride to Dufton. The route passes through some beautiful countryside and picturesque villages often bypassed if visiting the Lake District. Dufton is one of these beautiful villages with a village green and local pub; picturesque, friendly and peaceful. Dufton YHA is also a delight.

Pausing for a breather on the way to Hartside summit

A long way to Dufton

Day 4 Dufton to Ingleton 53.5 miles

Dufton to our first stop at Appleby was a long descent along quiet, country lanes. This was the Monday following the horse fair and the signs were everywhere; some of them lovely to see, others not. We saw traditional gypsy caravans being pulled along by horses; others still camped at the side of the road; however, as we approached the town itself the sights were not so good. Litter lay along the roadsides, verges were destroyed by vehicles and campers and in the town itself it was interesting to see the traditional caravans being driven away on the back of the latest, top of the range pick up trucks. 

We had a brief stop in Appleby to buy lunch and carried on towards Orton following undulating lanes once more. Again we passed picturesque hamlets and villages where the surprisingly tolerant locals cleared up horse manure, discarded tents and bags of litter whilst looking at grass burnt through from camp fires.

After Orton the lane crosses under the M6 and the railway and then follows the motorway south, ascending and then descending over a fairly large hill before crossing back under the motorway to head towards Sedbergh. The route again undulates gently as it heads along a valley before one final climb that leads to a mile long descent into Sedbergh. Here there are plenty of pubs and cafes. We chose a cafe soon after entering the town and really appreciated the soft sofa, so much so that we were reluctant to leave for the final stretch of today's journey into Ingleton.

Lovely, comfy seats

By now body parts are starting to complain. My legs felt like iron at the end of each day but with a good stretch each evening they were ready to go again by morning. My bottom was a different story. It ached so much even though I had splashed out on a new saddle for the journey. I realised that carrying our gear in rucksacks rather then panniers didn't help. So we finally pulled away, out of the comfy seats and rode on to Dent, a gentle but generally uphill ride mostly following a small river. The cobbled streets at Dent were not welcomed at all! After Dent there is a very steep ascent up over the White Shaw Moss pass after Deep Dale. We didn't manage to ride all of this and used the excuse that we had to get off the bikes to open the gates, maybe not 100 or so metres in advance though. 

Having crossed the watershed we enjoyed a fabulous descent nearly all the way to the door of the YHA hostel at Ingleton. My legs were so sore now that I couldn't shift my chair a few inches out of the sunlight without using my arms to push on the table to allow me to stand up fully, move the chair those few inches, then resting on the table again, lower myself back into my seat.

Day 5 Ingleton to Earby 34 miles

Again the route detoured to avoid the main roads but now as my legs ache, my bottom is sore and I am getting tired, I fail to see the point of climbing up and down over hills when I could have got to my destination along a short, flat section of main road. However I do appreciate the beauty and stillness of the route, it really is quite lovely. It is just a shame it has so many hills. So as you may have guessed the start of today's route goes up and over to arrive at our first stop in Settle. There are lots of shops, including a large bike shop, cafes and pubs in Settle and it is well worth a stop. We made the most of it as this would be a fairly short day, having cake and a hot drink. 

A flat but bumpy towpath

Leaving Settle we climbed for 3 miles but then had a beautiful 3 mile descent. As the route winds and bends along the country lanes I found myself always looking ahead, following the hedge or wall line looking to see when it stopped climbing uphill, desperate not to climb any further. We soon arrived in Gargrave, a fairly standard town where we unfortunately found a cafe with hard, wooden seats. It was funny to have such a short day, stopping in each town to stretch the day out. We almost wished for a longer day, to see more of the country again.

On leaving Gargrave we chose to follow the tow path at Bank Newton this was lovely until we crossed to the other side of the canal and the path became rough and bumpy, absolute hell for our bottoms. We tried to ride out of the seat but found this quite difficult for long stretches on the flat. Our bottoms could take it no longer and we came off Route 68 for a short while to follow the main road from Thropton in Craven to the YHA at Earby (now an independent hostel). We arrived at the hostel to find it was not yet open. We stashed some kit in the conservatory and went to buy some supplies. It was on the way back from the shop with a really heavy pack, that I realised the benefit that panniers would have for my bottom. The hostel was lovely; it is like staying in someone's house and it is staffed by volunteers who were lovely. We cooked our own dinner and then walked down the road for a pint. The pub was a real locals pub....

Day 6 Earby to Ripponden 30 miles

Another short day. At Foulridge there is a nice cafe beside the canal. Here the towpath ends and it is up onto the roads for a short while until a bridleway is picked up which goes through woods and a country park to Colne RFC. From here there is a steep downhill into town with views across to the route continuing on the opposite hillside. The route through town was a little confusing; it was tricky to find the signs. Up until now we had easily followed the little blue, 68 stickers all the way. We had little use for the maps from Cycle Travel but had used the route descriptions to help plan the route. We also tore the relevant pages out of an old road atlas to take with us.

Eventually we found our way out of Colne, (head towards the station), and took the lanes uphill ending up on the moors once again. We felt remote once more as we crossed the moors on gently undulating lanes. We arrived at the old coaching inn, The Packhorse Inn at Widdup just in time for lunch. After lunch we had a lovely downhill ride with the sun out and a gentle breeze all the way to Heptonstall. This is a lovely, olde-wolde village on a steep slope and yet more cobbles. We paused briefly for a look around before starting the very steep descent to Hebden Bridge. We were glad of our disc brakes here!

Heptonstall and the start of a very steep descent

It is worth a look around Hebden Bridge, it is a town full of artistic types and relaxed cafes. We stopped beside the river, listening, (and tipping), the busker whilst enjoying yet more hot drinks and cake. From here we rejoined a well maintained towpath all the way to Sowerby Bridge. We followed the route 68 signs which took us off the canal, over a white bridge and up a steep hill, only to drop back downhill into town on the road. I am sure this really is an unnecessary, hilly detour. I think you must be able to get off the towpath in town and avoid the hills.

Cafe stop in Hebden Bridge

In town the roads are busy and must be crossed before going under the railway and turning right to start the steep climb out of town. Eventually the gradient eases and the route traverses towards Barkisland. If you want a good pub stop you can turn right and slightly downhill is The Fleece pub with its large sun terraces. We went off route here, all the way down to our accommodation at The Butcher's Arms in Ripponden. This pub is unfortunately up a steep hill on the other side of town. Not only that but we decided to go there first before heading back down into town to the Co-op (and back up the hill to our very comfortable and reasonably priced apartment).

Lovely, flat towpath

Day 7 Ripponden to Buxton 53 miles

It took us 45 minutes or so to get back on route 68; downhill into town and then uphill past The Fleece and finally back on route. We unexpectedly managed to ride all of the uphill though. From here we mostly traversed to where our route crosses under the M62 but then the ups and downs began again, in a BIG way. Eventually we reached the descent into Holmfirth and the obligatory stop for cake. After each downhill comes an uphill. We climbed steeply out of Holmfirth for a long way but once at the top there is then a long descent to the Woodhead Pass. We are now getting into our local territory. 

 We went past Wascar Sailing Club and followed off-road tracks through beautiful countryside. We crossed the main road a couple of times and then followed the reservoirs into Hadfield. At some point we lost the trail but managed to find our way through Hadfield and back on it again. We ended up on the Trans-Pennine Trail through a lack of obvious signs. We ignored the signs to Broadbottom as this is an alternative and we vaguely knew where we were. We found ourselves at a road crossing with no signs and asked the locals. They pointed us in the right direction and we followed the road up to Charlesworth and then down, and then up to Higher Charlesworth. 

Where are we?

Eventually we picked up the bumpy bridleway to New Mills which I mistakenly thought would be on a flat towpath, around the valley. Instead we climbed up high to the golf club and enjoyed a descent on tarmac to New Mills. Now we really did know where we were. Obviously we would follow the tow path to Whaley Bridge, right? Wrong! Uphill, then more uphill on quiet, country lanes before finally dropping into Buxworth. This was quite an annoying route this late on in the day and the trip. Anyway we made the most if it with a pint at The Navigation Inn; the landlord could tell we were gasping just by looking at us. 

Off-road beside the Woodhead Pass

From here the route again ignored the lovely, flat towpath and instead followed the route up and downhill to Whaley Bridge. (Andy's OCD insisting we followed the actual route). From Whaley Bridge it is a long but gradual uphill to the White Hall Outdoor Education Centre followed by a bumpy descent into Buxton. Finally through Buxton and uphill to our house!! Yay!!

Nearly home

We did it! Yay!!

We kept our bags light by buying food each day; often cooking at our accommodation in the evening. We have learnt that panniers would be better for our bottoms. We also think that some days were too long and others too short. I think an average of 45 miles would work well, if the accommodation can be found.

A wonderful ride through some of the most picturesque countryside in England

I would recommend this ride and it can be split down even further or the days extended, depending on your fitness. The signposting is mostly excellent, especially the further north you are. However you need to learn when to expect and look for the little blue stickers. The route is mostly quiet in terms of traffic but again it was better the further north we were. Drivers were more courteous, happy to wait to overtake, rather than pushing past as they did further south in the route. We will be trying more of these Sustrans national cycle routes.

Gentle Rides in the Peak District - Book

If you enjoy non-technical, off-road rides, like to avoid the mud, don't mind joining the off-road bits with quiet country lanes and are thinking of cycling in  the Peak District, you might enjoy the rides in my book.