Cycling UK Forum

have searched but not seeing an answer;
On the map there is a Track named as Fishers Back Road from Fenwick to the Causeway road over to Lindisfarne, 1:25.000 map has it designated as a cycle route but in brackets says it's a track. Does any one know what sort of standard of track, ie is it suitable for road bikes, if not what is the A1 crossing like at 'West Mains'


https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Hol ... d-1.800859

TIA

Fenwick to the A1 is normal minor road.
The A1 crossing is straight over with a pedestrian refuge. There's a path & service road to cope with the offset between the Fenwick road and the island road - you don't ride along the A1.
https://goo.gl/maps/EeZUE7aurpX8AL2x9

There's a cycle track along the island road - shared use pavement from the A1 as far as the cafe at Beal Barn, the field side of the hedge between there and the sea. I just used the road as there wasn't much traffic, but what I saw of the path looked like a normal gravelly cycle track.

I then followed the coastal track to Berwick. Mostly rideable OK (700x35 slicks), but there were a few short stretches of sand that needed a push

Remember to check the tides.

Jonathan

On the OS website, "Fishers Back Road" is marked as footpath (short green dash) and also with green diamonds...this means its part of a long distance path, in this case Northumberland Coast path or St Oswalds way. Cycle paths are marked with round symbols; either green or orange, either circles or filled-in blobs, I still don't know the meaning of all that.
Unless you are looking for adventure, I think I would stick to the tarmac, the A1 crossing doesn't look too bad on Google ...... https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.672052,-1.9171138,3a,75y,90h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sXNqXkYwSz4vfCVyI4GTxhg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
Edit...note to self...if in doubt, always read the thread....Andrew did a much better job than me on the A1 crossing, and his experience of the path to Berwick is similar to mine, which was a few years ago.

The A1 is easy enough to cross at designated points.

Island traffic is serious just now but there is a cycle path, at least to the start of the causeway. Don't be a tide casualty!

I was up there in August and rode from Seahouses to Lindisfarne via Belford then up the minor roads to Fenwick then West Mains.I found the A1 crossing quite easy as it's not that busy.I can't comment on the track you mean as I didn't ride it but I gave up trying to cross the causeway to the island as it was like a car park(it was August)!
The weather turned nasty on the way back so I rode straight down the A1 from West Mains to the turn off for Bamburgh.TBH that stretch of the A1 is,IMO,no better or worse than any other A-road and i would use it again for short stretches.

I'm local and wouldn't cycle along A1 if you paid me! And I'm a fairly fear-free cyclist.

Oldjohnw wrote:I'm local and wouldn't cycle along A1 if you paid me! And I'm a fairly fear-free cyclist.

I wouldn't cycle along the A1 down here where it's basically a Motorway but I found the stretch up there to be no different to any other A-road.In fact I'd rather cycle on that than some of the a-roads in the Lakes!

Cheers all, I did have a chance to use google street view after i posted and the track started off a cross a very wet muddy field! So think the road crossing will be the preferred option
We are up there next week so have already checked the tide tables and looks ok, just hope the weather plays ball also.

The causeway should be quieter by next week. I've never seen it like it has been in the 36 years I've been here. Sometimes, I"m told, the queue has been from the island, across the causeway and right up to the A1 with people leaving. It has meant some have not been able to leave until the next open crossing, several hours later.

Oldjohnw wrote:The causeway should be quieter by next week. I've never seen it like it has been in the 36 years I've been here. Sometimes, I"m told, the queue has been from the island, across the causeway and right up to the A1 with people leaving. It has meant some have not been able to leave until the next open crossing, several hours later.

Must admit never considered it might be so busy.... last time I went was an Easter tour in the mid 80s with virtually no one around...

Well we got there and back in one piece, despite riding at an interesting angle across the Causeway to combat the 40mph gusting sidewinds!!! Who needs to pay to go on fun fair rides for a scary experience!

Did you experience the solitude one seeks at such a holy place?

Cyril Haearn wrote:Did you experience the solitude one seeks at such a holy place?

In a normal year the island gets 700,000 visitors. This year, whilst probably less in total, has had a busier summer. A nightmare sometimes although most stick around the village. You can still walk reasonably alone.

Worth trying to time your visit and stay over when it gets cut off.

Cyril Haearn wrote:Did you experience the solitude one seeks at such a holy place?

Well we were inundated with Sparrows at our lunch table, and quite honestly after that, we could see some rather interesting weather blowing in so we did not hang around, luckily the rain storm hit just before we were to cycle over the most exposed part of the causeway (still by the dunes) and blew through very quickly..... Unfortunately both our cameras had bracket issues yesterday so we had to take them off the bikes....