Hadrian's Cycleway

Ravenglass to Tynemouth in 4 Days Cycling Code: HC5

We have 2 options for Hadrian’s Cycleway. Our 4 day itinerary has daily distances ranging from 40 to 49 miles while our 5 day itinerary takes things a little easier with daily distances of 32 to 38 miles.

This is the more challenging itinerary, covering the route in just 4 days with daily distances ranging from 40 to 49 miles. You will require a good level of fitness for this itinerary.

Miles Km
Day 1 Travel to Ravenglass for your first nights accommodation
Day 2 Ravenglass to Allonby 40 64
Day 3 Allonby to Carlisle 45 72
Day 4 Carlisle to Hexham 49 79
Day 5 Hexham to Tynemouth 40 64
Day 6 Depart from Tynemouth after breakfast

Ravenglass to Allonby
The ride starts in the small port of Ravenglass, home of the Glannavanta Roman Bath House. It then follows the coastline through the old industrial coastal towns of Whitehaven, Workington and Maryport whilst admiring the views of the Lake District fells to the north.

Allonby to Carlisle
Here the route meets the Solway Coast, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it then takes you through some fantastic coastal scenery to Bowness-on-Solway, at the mouth of the Solway Firth estuary. You then head inland towards the historic city of Carlisle with its castle and cathedral.

Carlisle to Hexham
From Carlisle you cycle alongside rivers and quiet country lanes, through woodland and past places of interest such as Lanercost Priory, Birdoswald Roman Fort, Walltown Crags and Roman Army Museum, before descending into Haltwhistle.

Just after leaving Haltwhistle you will cycle past Twice Brewed where nearby is Vindolanda, an excavated Roman fort and museum, which is definitely worth a visit. Much of the old wall exists between Haltwhistle and Corbridge and it is certainly worth taking your time to look along some of the most spectacular sections of the wall.

Hexham to Tynemouth
The route then continues pleasantly through the picturesque and wild countryside of the Northumberland National Park which offers views of the North Pennines area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. You then follow the river Tyne onto Tynemouth and the end of this ride.

Easy to Moderate

Roads: The roads are generally good, suitable for touring or road bikes. Most of the route is on quiet roads.

How much up & down: A flat start along the coastal section and into Carlisle. After Carlisle the route starts to undulate with quite a few short steep climbs in the central part of the route. After Corbridge it flattens out all the way into Newcastle.

Signposting: The route is signposted.

Weather: You may be lucky enough to encounter warm, dry weather over the whole route and enjoy dry roads and tremendous views, but you must be prepared because the weather can change quickly. Good clothing and waterproofs are essential.


All Holidays

 

Accommodation Overnight Bed and Breakfast accommodation in selected hotels, farmhouses, village inns, guest houses and family B&Bs.

Full English or Continental breakfast.

Guidebook A detailed guidebook with route information, maps, photos and background information, including details of services to be found along the route. For example, cash points, banks, post offices, village shops, inns, cafes and telephones.
Maps The appropriate map(s) covering the entire route
Personal Itinerary A personal itinerary setting out each overnight stop, including large scale maps of each accommodation, to ensure you find it easily.
Emergency Telephone Support Should you get in to difficulties during your holiday.
12.5% discount at Cotswold Outdoors We will issue you with a 12.5% Discount Card valid at all Cotswold Outdoor stores for the whole year on confirmation of your booking.
Options
Luggage Transport We will transfer your luggage between each overnight stop – if you leave your luggage at the accommodation when you set off in the morning, it will be moved on to your next B&B. You only need to carry a small day sack with the clothes and provisions you require during the day’s cycling.

Packed Lunches
Provided for each day’s cycling if required.
Off Road Parking If you are travelling by car we can usually arrange off road parking for the duration of your trip. (There may be a small charge for this).
Arrangement of return transport We can also arrange your transfer back to your car, (or advise you when public transport is a better option).

Good accommodation and friendly hosts are an essential part of any holiday. We understand this and go out of our way to find the best. We put a great deal of effort into hand picking our accommodation and matching it to individual customer requirements. As well as visiting the accommodation ourselves, we ask all our customers to complete a short evaluation on each night’s accommodation, which then gives us an insight into the day-to-day operation and lets us spot any potential issues before they become a problem.

We use a variety of accommodation. Over the course of your trip you might stay in a village inn, a bed and breakfast in a converted barn, a Victorian guest house, or on a working farm. In selecting the accommodation we look for helpful, friendly hosts with good quality, characterful accommodation close to the trail. Occasionally we may use a chain hotel.

We always try to arrange en suite accommodation, i.e. rooms with their own bathrooms for each night of your stay. However, in some of the more remote locations accommodation is limited and occasionally we may have to book rooms with shared bathrooms for one or two nights of your holiday, (especially if the booking is made at short notice), but we will always let you know if this is likely to be the case.

We are happy to book single rooms on our holidays but cannot normally book more than two for any one group. Single room bookings include a supplement.

General travel information for Hadrian’s Cycleway will be in your holiday pack including train and bus timetables where available.

Detailed instructions on getting to your first night’s accommodation from the nearest train or bus station, will also be included in the holiday pack on individual accommodation maps.

To view train times please visit trainline where you can also purchase tickets in advance. For information on bus timetables please visit traveline

If you require secure car parking whilst walking this route, please contact us for detailed information.

Getting There:
By Air: Your nearest international airports are Manchester (MAN) and Newcastle (NCL) you can then take a train to Ravenglass.
By Public Transport: There is a train station in Ravenglass (RAV). Most train journeys will pass through Carlisle (CAR) where you will need to change for Ravenglass.
By Road: Ravenglass is on the Cumbrian coast approximately an hour and a quarter drive from junction 40 on the M6. From the M6 you follow the A66 then the A595.

Returning from Tynemouth

Take the Metro from Tynemouth to Newcastle Central Station (you will need some change for the ticket machine). Newcastle is on the East Coast Mainline and has a Metro link to Newcastle Airport (NCL).

Carlisle

Carlisle is an historic border city, complete with castle and cathedral. Tullie House Museum has a lot of Roman artefacts and is worth a visit. The cathedral was founded in 1122 and is open every day. The castle has dominated the city for 9 centuries, and also houses a military museum – there are guided tours daily. There are plenty of shops and lots of places to eat or have coffee.

Prices CAD ($)
Accommodation, map & guidebook only $1071
with Luggage Transport $1260
with Packed Lunches $1149
with Luggage & Lunches $1330

Other Options

Extra Nights (per night) $160
Single Supplement (per night) $98
Solo Luggage Supplement (per day) $47