Pennine Cycleway Berwick to Derby

[apsykes]

In a couple of weeks I am doing the Pennine Cycleway north to south (against popular opinion that says it is best to do it south to north due to prevailing winds...). NCN route 68. I hear good things about the route and am going to be camping en route. I have family living in West Yorkshire so will be pausing for a few days in the Calder Valley. Any advice? Postings in other forums on here tell me that a hybrid bike will be fine. I am looking forward to revisiting places I haven't seen since I was a child growing up in Yorkshire and anticipate some cracking camping locations. Any suggestions as to campsites I really need to make use of? Or any other top tips for making the most of the route? Cheers. Andrew

[rapidfire72]

I did the Pennine Cycleway a few years, but only from Settle to Berwick, but I only B&B and YHA it. I can recommend the Pennine View Caravan & camping in Kirkby Stephen, very good and clean, in a lovely setting. Pub is about 5 minutes over the road and do bar-meals.

[apsykes]

Thanks for the recommendation - checked out the site on the Internet and I'll definitely be popping in. Does anyone have a recommendation for a campsite in or near Berwick?

[Richard Fairhurst]

No suggestions on campsites, I'm afraid - I stayed in B&Bs and Youth Hostels. But don't get too worried about the wind. We did it south-to-north and had some really rotten wind in Northumberland - "beasterly easterlies", I think they call them. Having to pedal down Hartside was really, really galling. If you have the same wind you'll be laughing...

[apsykes]

Thanks for this Richard - the plan is to set off next weekend - the 10-day forecast is not brilliant but I remain hopeful I don't mind what the elements throw at me but I do find the wind tiresome. Anyway, check out how I get on - I'll be updating my blog en route - http://www.puglia2010.com .
Cheers
Andrew

[Kevbcbga]

We camped here in 2001.
Marshall Meadows Farm

BERWICK-UPON-TWEED
Northumberland
TD151UT
Tel: 01289 307375

The site was basic with no shop, but does have toilets and showers. It also has the main rail line running past it, although we didn't find it kept kept us awake. It's situated off the A1 between Berwick and the Scottish border. The site has one really interesting feature. To get down to the beach, you went down a tunnel in the middle of the site, which bring you out halfway down the cliff. You then had to abseil the rest of the way down!

The only real downside was that there wasn't a pub close to hand.

[Edvardus]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a campsite in or near Berwick?

There is the Beachcomber Campsite - www.lindisfarne.org.uk/beachcomber/ - near Goswick to the south of Berwick. It's slap beside the Coast & Castles route. I passed it on the way north and it seemed ok but I can't vouch for the facilities there. A (small) mix of tents, caravans and motor homes were using it. Just west of Berwick is Ord House Country Park - www.ordhouse.co.uk Further south, I can recommend Dunstan Hill Camping & Caraven Site about 1km south of Embleton, good facilities and with tents well away from caravans etc., but a bit pricey at £9. Enjoy your trip!

[apsykes]

Thanks for that Edvardus. The Beachcomber site looks wonderfully wild! And is quite close to Lindisfarne Island which I may take a few hours to visit. Cheers.

[jonmonks]

I am intending to cycle from Tewkesbury to Lindisfarne this summer and have thought about doing part of this route from Derby. Has anybody tracked the route anywhere? If so I would grateful for a copy or link

Thanks.
Jonathan

[HebdenBiker]

I'd second the Beachcomber site near Berwick. It really is a rather special location. If you're looking for camp sites in Calderdale, try this http://www.hebdenbridgecamping.co.uk/ . You see the photo on the home page? See the row of cottages in the foreground? My wife's aunt lives in the rightmost one. It's a lovely site, at the back of a nice pub, and there are shops not far away in Blackshaw Head (uphill) or Heptonstall (downhill)

[martin113]

I've been trying to find the Beachcomber website and found a page saying that it is now closed: http://www.beachcomber-campsite.co.uk/. Sounds a nice site, so very sad news.

[Tin_Hat]

Last weekend I cycled the part of the PCW from Settle to Derby on a mountain bike with 1 and 1/2 inch semi-slick tyres and on this part at least I would say that a hybrid would be absolutely fine as long as you have a low enough range of gears. I was part of a group of 8 and we stayed in a pub at Sowerby Bridge and the Youth Hostel at Millers Dale in Derbyshire so can't really comment on campsites but the route itself was very enjoyable and tremendously scenic. Hope the weather stays kind and that you have a great time.