Wooler as a base for cycling

[Pebble]

@Nigel @oldJohn - can you place this road?

I think its here, https://www.google.com/maps/@55.5769034 ... 312!8i6656

( it is a regular ride of mine )


The decent riding continues north of the Tweed. It gets busy when the roads drop off into the Lothians. Further west the roads are fewer, and probably hillier, but still good cycling. Biggest downside is the draggy tarmac.

My ride yesterday was up the Ettrick from Selkirk, left at Tushielaws to Roberton, then Ashkirk, back over the ridge to the Ettrick valley before a couple of miles back to Selkirk. I wasn't counting, but could have seen as many cyclists as cars on that loop.


- Nigel

Yes, spot on - there is some great riding in that area, can easily do 20 mile without seeing another vehicle.

The Tushielaws route you mention is a favourite of mine too, park at Ashkirk, over the Woll to EB then round by Tushielaws Alemoor and then back over the single track from Roberton (didn't know it was a Drove road!) Haven't been round there since beginning of lockdown - could be tomorrows ride. Sometimes do it from Ancrum through Hawick to get it above 50 - but with all that ascent its near the edge of what I can do.

I take it by the 'draggy tarmac' you mean some of the coarse worn out road surfaces? was on a hideous bit the other day between BonchestBridge and Chesters, felt as though I needed some new hands wrists and elbows afterwards.

Some lovely tarmac on that high road between Hobkirk and the slit-rig road, also the the dead end into Craik - if only all road surfaces could be so goo.

[Nigel]

Yes, spot on - there is some great riding in that area, can easily do 20 mile without seeing another vehicle.

The Tushielaws route you mention is a favourite of mine too, park at Ashkirk, over the Woll to EB then round by Tushielaws Alemoor and then back over the single track from Roberton (didn't know it was a Drove road!) Haven't been round there since beginning of lockdown - could be tomorrows ride. Sometimes do it from Ancrum through Hawick to get it above 50 - but with all that ascent its near the edge of what I can do.

I take it by the 'draggy tarmac' you mean some of the coarse worn out road surfaces? was on a hideous bit the other day between BonchestBridge and Chesters, felt as though I needed some new hands wrists and elbows afterwards.

Some lovely tarmac on that high road between Hobkirk and the slit-rig road, also the the dead end into Craik - if only all road surfaces could be so goo.

The "drove road" is the label of the road from Ashkirk, over Woll, then descending to Ettrick valley; the first part of your route.

Draggy, I mean the grade of chipping used in the formation of the tarmac, resulting in a rough surface. Its a larger grade than used in East Anglia for example, and results in a slower road surface (or more effort for same speed). I agree there are some superb surfaces - they've resurfaced a long bit of the loop we're discussing with money from the forestry extraction work.
And, yes, I've met some truly awful stuff which gets painful.

Looks to be more wind tomorrow, so slow up to Tushielaws, then fast on the return half over the moor with a tailwind up the climb.

- Nigel

[Pebble]

Yes, spot on - there is some great riding in that area, can easily do 20 mile without seeing another vehicle.

The Tushielaws route you mention is a favourite of mine too, park at Ashkirk, over the Woll to EB then round by Tushielaws Alemoor and then back over the single track from Roberton (didn't know it was a Drove road!) Haven't been round there since beginning of lockdown - could be tomorrows ride. Sometimes do it from Ancrum through Hawick to get it above 50 - but with all that ascent its near the edge of what I can do.

I take it by the 'draggy tarmac' you mean some of the coarse worn out road surfaces? was on a hideous bit the other day between BonchestBridge and Chesters, felt as though I needed some new hands wrists and elbows afterwards.

Some lovely tarmac on that high road between Hobkirk and the slit-rig road, also the the dead end into Craik - if only all road surfaces could be so goo.

The "drove road" is the label of the road from Ashkirk, over Woll, then descending to Ettrick valley; the first part of your route.

Draggy, I mean the grade of chipping used in the formation of the tarmac, resulting in a rough surface. Its a larger grade than used in East Anglia for example, and results in a slower road surface (or more effort for same speed). I agree there are some superb surfaces - they've resurfaced a long bit of the loop we're discussing with money from the forestry extraction work.
And, yes, I've met some truly awful stuff which gets painful.

Looks to be more wind tomorrow, so slow up to Tushielaws, then fast on the return half over the moor with a tailwind up the climb.

- Nigel

did it clockwise to hide from the wind, lucky choice, think there had been a monsoon down the Ettrick, streams flowing down the road in places, bone dry on the roberton side.

what an buttock they have made of the road in the Ettrick, seem to have just sprayed the top with a thin layer of tarmac, could still see the original ines hrough the new tarmac - it's also already coming away in places

never mind though, it was still a cracking day out - only passed by two cars in 35 mile.

[iandusud]

Just wanted to say that we're enjoying ourselves out and about around Wooler. We arrived Sat morning and rode over to Lindisfarne and back. Yesterday it was Budle Bay and Bambrugh. Today we rode up to Norham via Ford and Etal, over to Coldstream with fish and chips and local beer in the Besom Inn, then back via Mindrum, Kilham, Kirknewton... Some lovely roads but the road from Mildrum to Kirknewton was particularly nice. Today's ride was a part of Northumberland that is totally unfamiliar to us and very nice it was too.

[Oldjohnw]

Glad you're enjoying your visit. I live just a couple of miles from Norham.

[Pebble]

Just wanted to say that we're enjoying ourselves out and about around Wooler. We arrived Sat morning and rode over to Lindisfarne and back. Yesterday it was Budle Bay and Bambrugh. Today we rode up to Norham via Ford and Etal, over to Coldstream with fish and chips and local beer in the Besom Inn, then back via Mindrum, Kilham, Kirknewton... Some lovely roads but the road from Mildrum to Kirknewton was particularly nice. Today's ride was a part of Northumberland that is totally unfamiliar to us and very nice it was too.

I was that road too late afternoon, the Kilham Mindrum bit, and yes it is a fantastic cycling area, I spend a lot of time in this area.

Which road did you use to get from Cornhill to Mindrum, was it a long straight slightly uphill? you had the wind today but so often it is into a gale force, it just sort of funnels down that road and becomes an endurance event.

glad you're enjoying this part of the world, but don't tell anyone, keep it a secret

[iandusud]

Just wanted to say that we're enjoying ourselves out and about around Wooler. We arrived Sat morning and rode over to Lindisfarne and back. Yesterday it was Budle Bay and Bambrugh. Today we rode up to Norham via Ford and Etal, over to Coldstream with fish and chips and local beer in the Besom Inn, then back via Mindrum, Kilham, Kirknewton... Some lovely roads but the road from Mildrum to Kirknewton was particularly nice. Today's ride was a part of Northumberland that is totally unfamiliar to us and very nice it was too.

I was that road too late afternoon, the Kilham Mindrum bit, and yes it is a fantastic cycling area, I spend a lot of time in this area.

Which road did you use to get from Cornhill to Mindrum, was it a long straight slightly uphill?

Yes that's the one. Crossed the river on the "closed bridge" about half a mile west of Kilham.

[Pebble]

Yes that's the one. Crossed the river on the "closed bridge" about half a mile west of Kilham.

if you enjoyed that bit from Kilham down to Akeld - then, if you had turned right after the closed bridge and went through kirk yetholm the down either the bowmont or kale valleys you may well be even more impressed. Enjo your time up here, some great cycling to be had

[Cyril Haearn]

'closed bridge'?

[iandusud]

Yes that's the one. Crossed the river on the "closed bridge" about half a mile west of Kilham.

if you enjoyed that bit from Kilham down to Akeld - then, if you had turned right after the closed bridge and went through kirk yetholm the down either the bowmont or kale valleys you may well be even more impressed. Enjo your time up here, some great cycling to be had

We're heading out that way tomorrow. In Berwick today.

[Nigel]

'closed bridge'?

Bridge closed many years ago to motor vehicles. It remains open to walkers, cyclists, etc.

As Pebble says, there are lots of really nice cycle routes over the border. Weather doesn't look brilliant today, a bit grey.

- Nigel

[Pebble]

'closed bridge'?

Bridge closed many years ago to motor vehicles. It remains open to walkers, cyclists, etc.

As Pebble says, there are lots of really nice cycle routes over the border. Weather doesn't look brilliant today, a bit grey.

- Nigel

aye, it wasn't the best day for touring and exploring. But what a lovely cool day to be out on the road, quite a relief after the last few days of heat and humidity, as it turned out I was down through Wooler. A lovely comfortable 42 mile

[iandusud]

We enjoyed our last day on the tandem out of Wooler today. Over to Kelso via Midrummill and back via the Yetholms. A great 50 miler which was probably the longest my wife has managed since we go the tandem a couple of years ago. A lovely ride. Particularly nice bits were the descent into Town Yetholm, where we got tea and cake at the village shop, and the run along the valley from thereon. All in all a great week's riding and the area is well suited to the tandem as the hills tended to be long and steady rather than short and steep (or long and steep!) and we hardly met any traffic apart from on the short stretch of the A697 between Wooler and Akeld. Thank you to all who encouraged us to come here.

[Campag]

Nice to hear that you had a good time. It is a lovely area for cycling. Good Youth Hostel at Wooler with an interesting history as a land army (forestry) base. Probably not open yet with the crooner virus, once things get better it is a good value place to stay.

[Nigel]

We enjoyed our last day on the tandem out of Wooler today. Over to Kelso via Midrummill and back via the Yetholms. A great 50 miler which was probably the longest my wife has managed since we go the tandem a couple of years ago. A lovely ride. Particularly nice bits were the descent into Town Yetholm, where we got tea and cake at the village shop, and the run along the valley from thereon. All in all a great week's riding and the area is well suited to the tandem as the hills tended to be long and steady rather than short and steep (or long and steep!) and we hardly met any traffic apart from on the short stretch of the A697 between Wooler and Akeld. Thank you to all who encouraged us to come here.

Glad you had a good time. You've a lot more potential exploring to do if you were to head further round into the Borders, or a fraction north, on another trip.