Newcastle - Bridlington

[meejozzz]

At the end of this month I’ve got my bnb’s booked for my first post long covid cycling trip. A little (a lot) less distance than usual but you’ve got to start somewhere.

4 days and the route is roughly Newcastle - Seaton Carew - Robin Hoods Bay - Bridlington -York then train back to Newcastle. It’s only 50 miles a day so I’ll have plenty of time to stop. Mostly cycle paths and quiet roads.

Despite living in Newcastle I rarely head south as Northumberland is right on my doorstep so are there any points of interest down the east coast anyone can recommend? I’ve got the Tommy monument in Seaburn on my list and I’d hoped to use the Transporter bridge in Middlesbrough but it looks like it’s out of action. Any decent pubs to look out for?

[Paulatic]

Are you going down the cinder track from Whitby?
Hayburn Wyke is a good watering hole stop.

[meejozzz]

Yes, definitely fancy the Cinder Track. Hayburn Wyke is now in the list!

[Campag]

Looks like a good trip. A few suggestions:

There's a good quality track from Station Town to Thorpe Thewles. The NCN route from Seaham to Hartlepool has been upgraded and is very good in places however the section through Shotton is covered in broken glass and dog sh*t so best avoided.

If the transporter bridge is open it is a unique experience but means cycling through the busy urban environment of Middlesbrough

Alternatively take the track to Thorpe Thewles to keep West of the North York Moors down to Thirsk, minor roads across the Wolds and to Bridlington.

[Lookrider]

Try the gardens and cafe at wynyard hall just to the east of the NC1 track that passes along side
Nice short detour through a copse and a jolly around the nice houses and golf course
You can also have posh cakes in the hall itself if you wanted
Wynyard hall being the weekend retreat of lord Londonderry and now more recently sir john hall of NUFC fame/noteriarty...whichever colours you wear

[pal]

The North Beach Cafe in Seaham is nice (and the old church over the road -- St Mary's -- might be worth a quick look, if that's your cup of tea: the oldest bits date back to the 7th/8th century...).

If the weather's good and you have time for a detour or two, then the beach at Crimdon is great, imo (and there's a newish cafe there too, just south of the caravan park); Blackhall Rocks is also a very interesting (and quite spooky...) beach.

Further north: Latimer's in Whitburn (just north of Sunderland) does excellent fish sandwiches/soup/pasties: it's right on NCN1. There's the Souter Lighthouse up there too -- excellent NT cafe, even if lighthouse history isn't your thing!

[meejozzz]

Thanks to everyone who added a comment and apologies in advance for the lengthy post.

I did the ride over last weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. Basically, to cut a long story short, I’ve had long covid and this was a ride I didn’t think I was going to do, but thanks to an accidental cure I managed to do it.

The route, from my home north of Newcastle called in at establishments at Seaton Carew, Robin Hoods Bay, Bridlington then York. We got the train back to Newcastle from there. We tried where possible to stick to cycle paths and quiet roads. Hardly any of it was on busy roads.

Day 1 - glorious weather, through the pedestrian Tyne Tunnel, South Shields, Sunderland then fish n chips at Seaham next to the impressive Tommy statue. Then inland on NCN 1 and back out via NCN 14 with a great and slightly downhill section through the woods to Hartlepool, we stayed at the Staincliffe Hotel in Seaton Carew who kindly stored our bikes in their ballroom. To this point this was my longest ride of the year and my double leg cramp in the bar was most amusing to my mates, the bar staff and the other customers.
50 miles.

Day 2 - the glorious weather was no more. Enter monsoon conditions. Not to worry though I was kept perfectly dry with my Carradice Rain Cape, much to everyone’s amusement. I was dry, they were drenched. A nice green ride until the outskirts of Middlesbrough where it turned into the worst kind of industrial estate complete with smoke belching chimneys. We got a bit lost in ‘Boro although the sun came out so we headed out to Redcar past the huge former steel plant. Managed to have lunch at Saltburn-By-The-Sea and watched the splendid funicular railway in action. Then it got seriously hilly and the mechanical problems started. The rim on my mates wheel collapsed. Totally beyond repair. Thankfully Cycle Scene in Guisborough was only (!) a 12 mile round trip away and they provided a new wheel, tube and tyre on our arrival. We were seriously behind schedule and the hills just kept coming. Fast downhills followed by grinding uphills. The climb out of Skinningate was brutal. I could’ve picked blackberries on the way up, I was going that slow. Punctures started to occur. 3 with a couple of miles and it wouldn’t be long before it was dark. Whitby came and went but we had no time to stop. We eventually got the YHA at Robin Hoods Bay in pitch darkness via the fantastic Cinder Track after wading though a ford. The kitchen was almost closed for the night but thankfully they took pity on us and quickly rattled up some great home made pizzas. Basic accommodation made homely by some very friendly and helpful staff. Keycoded bike shed was great.
60 miles.

Day 3 - Back on the Cinder Track along the cliff tops to Scarborough. Fantastic. Definitely gravel bike terrain. We wanted to arrive in Bridlington a bit earlier so we just pushed on down NCN 1. We stayed in the Lobster Pot which is almost identical to Premier Inn. They let us keep our bikes in the rooms as there was plenty of space. Bridlington pubs on a Sunday night are a a delight. The record for a round of 4 pints was broken twice in consecutive pubs, the record now stands at £9.90.
35 miles.

Day 4 - Bridlington - York. Hill after hill after hill and some real whoppers too. We’d planned a quiet route thinking there’d by tea shops and country pubs all over. There were none. We kept asking locals who just looked at us as if we were mad. The downhill into York was well earned. Thankfully we were staying in a pub, The White Horse, they were brilliant. Allowing us to store our bikes in their cellar.
50 miles.

Total including the cycle to home from the station was just over 200 miles. If you’d said I could do that in July after 7 miserable months of long covid I’d have thought you were certifiable. A great trip and a great adventure right from our doorsteps. The off-road sections were superb and the on-road sections were very quiet. Quite wet and windy at times but we did go later in the season than usual. Accommodation all were welcoming of cyclists. Overall a grand few days.

[jois]

Thanks to everyone who added a comment and apologies in advance for the lengthy post.

I did the ride over last weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. Basically, to cut a long story short, I’ve had long covid and this was a ride I didn’t think I was going to do, but thanks to an accidental cure I managed to do it.

The route, from my home north of Newcastle called in at establishments at Seaton Carew, Robin Hoods Bay, Bridlington then York. We got the train back to Newcastle from there. We tried where possible to stick to cycle paths and quiet roads. Hardly any of it was on busy roads.

Day 1 - glorious weather, through the pedestrian Tyne Tunnel, South Shields, Sunderland then fish n chips at Seaham next to the impressive Tommy statue. Then inland on NCN 1 and back out via NCN 14 with a great and slightly downhill section through the woods to Hartlepool, we stayed at the Staincliffe Hotel in Seaton Carew who kindly stored our bikes in their ballroom. To this point this was my longest ride of the year and my double leg cramp in the bar was most amusing to my mates, the bar staff and the other customers.
50 miles.

Day 2 - the glorious weather was no more. Enter monsoon conditions. Not to worry though I was kept perfectly dry with my Carradice Rain Cape, much to everyone’s amusement. I was dry, they were drenched. A nice green ride until the outskirts of Middlesbrough where it turned into the worst kind of industrial estate complete with smoke belching chimneys. We got a bit lost in ‘Boro although the sun came out so we headed out to Redcar past the huge former steel plant. Managed to have lunch at Saltburn-By-The-Sea and watched the splendid funicular railway in action. Then it got seriously hilly and the mechanical problems started. The rim on my mates wheel collapsed. Totally beyond repair. Thankfully Cycle Scene in Guisborough was only (!) a 12 mile round trip away and they provided a new wheel, tube and tyre on our arrival. We were seriously behind schedule and the hills just kept coming. Fast downhills followed by grinding uphills. The climb out of Skinningate was brutal. I could’ve picked blackberries on the way up, I was going that slow. Punctures started to occur. 3 with a couple of miles and it wouldn’t be long before it was dark. Whitby came and went but we had no time to stop. We eventually got the YHA at Robin Hoods Bay in pitch darkness via the fantastic Cinder Track after wading though a ford. The kitchen was almost closed for the night but thankfully they took pity on us and quickly rattled up some great home made pizzas. Basic accommodation made homely by some very friendly and helpful staff. Keycoded bike shed was great.
60 miles.

Day 3 - Back on the Cinder Track along the cliff tops to Scarborough. Fantastic. Definitely gravel bike terrain. We wanted to arrive in Bridlington a bit earlier so we just pushed on down NCN 1. We stayed in the Lobster Pot which is almost identical to Premier Inn. They let us keep our bikes in the rooms as there was plenty of space. Bridlington pubs on a Sunday night are a a delight. The record for a round of 4 pints was broken twice in consecutive pubs, the record now stands at £9.90.
35 miles.

Day 4 - Bridlington - York. Hill after hill after hill and some real whoppers too. We’d planned a quiet route thinking there’d by tea shops and country pubs all over. There were none. We kept asking locals who just looked at us as if we were mad. The downhill into York was well earned. Thankfully we were staying in a pub, The White Horse, they were brilliant. Allowing us to store our bikes in their cellar.
50 miles.

Total including the cycle to home from the station was just over 200 miles. If you’d said I could do that in July after 7 miserable months of long covid I’d have thought you were certifiable. A great trip and a great adventure right from our doorsteps. The off-road sections were superb and the on-road sections were very quiet. Quite wet and windy at times but we did go later in the season than usual. Accommodation all were welcoming of cyclists. Overall a grand few days.

Sounds great fun, glad your over the worsed

[Paulatic]

Thanks for the report and a great effort.
I’ve looked a couple of times of making a tour coming down the Durham coast and into Yorkshire but it’s always getting through the Boro which puts it on the back burner.

[meejozzz]

Yes it’s a pity the Transporter Bridge was closed as that may have brightened it up a bit and cut off a few miles of chemical plant.

[PJ520]

I did something like that a few years ago and ended up going through Billingham, not recommended.

[PH]

Great report. Well done for getting back out there.