The Tandem Club - National Tandem Rally 2016

Kirkley Hall - Northumberland

Friday - Coastal Route Short – 36miles

OS Landranger map 81, 88

A route to the seaside at Newbiggin, with its beach, cafes, pubs and Maritime Centre, and to the Woodhorn Mining Museum. The route, which follows quiet lanes and cycle paths for most of its length, is mainly flat with a couple of short steep sections.

Point / Total Miles / Miles / Instructions
1 / 0 / 0 / At Kirkley Hall gates TL and TL again. SP Morpeth, Saltwick
2 / 0.6 / 0.6 / Kirkley Cycles Repairs and Café.
3 / 1.5 / 0.9 / TR SP Saltwick, Stannington
4 / 2.8 / 1.3 / Top of climb. TR SP Stannington
5 / 4.2 / 1.4 / TJ TR SP Stannington Road then bears left.
6 / 5.5 / 1.3 / Enter Stannington (PH in village)
7 / 5.8 / 0.3 / TJ TL SP A1 North and South
8 / 5.9 / 0.1 / RBT BL
9 / 6.2 / 0.3 / RBT TR SP Bedlington, Hepscott. Pass under A1.
10 / 6.3 / 0.1 / RBT SO SP Bedlington, Hepscott
11 / 7.3 / 1.0 / Pass petrol station/shop. Continue SO
12 / 7.4 / 0.1 / Cross to RHS of road to join CP.
13 / 8.0 / 0.6 / TR SP Clifton Lane
14 / 8.5 / 0.5 / Cross main line railway.
15 / 9.3 / 0.8 / TJ TL (Take care. Fast traffic)( There is a café ½ mile to RT)
16 / 9.6 / 0.3 / TR SP Hepscott (Take care. Fast traffic)
17 / 10.1 / 0.5 / SO
18 / 10.3 / 0.2 / Cross railway
19 / 11.0 / 0.7 / TR (Take care. Fast traffic)
20 / 11.1 / 0.1 / TL SP Bothal, Pegswood
21 / 11.6 / 0.5 / Caution. Steep descent with bends!
22 / 11.8 / 0.2 / Cross R. Wansbeck
23 / 11.9 / 0.1 / TJ TR No SP. (Bothal Castle on right)
24 / 12.1 / 0.2 / BOTHAL
25 / 12.3 / 0.2 / Rd climbs steeply
26 / 13.2 / 0.9 / TJ TR SP Newcastle
27 / 13.8 / 0.6 / TL SP Wansbeck Riverside Park
28 / 13.9 / 0.1 / TR SP Wansbeck Riverside Park
29 / 14.1 / 0.2 / (Play area on right) TL across car park to join riverside path.
Picnic areas on riverside.
30 / 14.6 / 0.5 / BL up steep path. At top of slope BR. Continue on path until it ends at car park.
31 / 15.0 / 0.4 / Join main road. TL.
32 / 15.1 / 0.1 / ASHINGTON
33 / 15.3 / 0.2 / Cross railway.
34 / 15.6 / 0.3 / RBT SO SP Newbiggin
35 / 15.8 / 0.2 / RBT SO SP Newbiggin
36 / 16.1 / 0.3 / RBT SO SP Newcastle, Newbiggin
37 / 16.3 / 0.2 / RBT SO SP Newcastle, Newbiggin. Join CP on LHS of road.
38 / 16.6 / 0.3 / Traffic Lights SO
39 / 16.8 / 0.2 / Join NCN 1 on cycle path before RBT. TL
(To go directly to Woodhorn Museum and Café, without visiting the coast at Newbiggin, follow NCN 1 signs from this point and join the return route at Point 46.)
40 / 17.1 / 0.3 / TL SP NCN (155) North Seaton, Newbiggin
TR through underpass.
41 / 17.4 / 0.3 / Cross road at lights. SP NCN (155) Newbiggin, Woodhorn.
42 / 17.6 / 0.2 / Join carriageway to town centre.
43 / 18.4 / 0.8 / TR into town square.
Newbiggin beach, cafes, shops, pubs, Maritime Centre, ‘The Couple’
Return route. From Town Square TL on main street.
44 / 18.7 / 0.3 / TR SP NCN 155 Ashington
45 / 18.9 / 0.2 / Play area on right.
46 / 19.7 / 0.8 / Cross A189 with care. BL SP NCN 155 Ashington then BR SP NCN 155.
(To visit Woodhorn Mining Museum and café TR NCN 1. Follow signs to Museum and retrace to this point to continue route.)
Follow CP NCN 155 on RHS of carriageway.
47 / 19.9 / 0.2 / ASHINGTON
48 / 20.2 / 0.3 / RBT continue on CP NCN 155. TR then TL SP Pegswood, Town Centre.
49 / 20.9 / 0.7 / RBT SO continue on CP NCN 155
50 / 21.0 / 0.1 / Cross carriageway NCN 155. Take care at busy RBT. SO SP Pegswood, Morpeth (TL for supermarket, town centre shops etc.)
51 / 21.3 / 0.3 / RBT BL then TR SP NCN 155 Pegswood.
52 / 21.6 / 0.3 / TL NCN 155 SP Pegswood, TR NCN 155 SP Pegswood.
53 / 21.7 / 0.1 / Cross road. Follow CP to left then right. Join carriageway. SP Pegswood NCN 155.
54 / 22.1 / 0.4 / At crossing join CP on LHS. NCN 155
55 / 22.3 / 0.2 / Cross carriageway to join CP on RHS. SP NCN 155 Pegswood.
Continue to RBT
56 / 24.0 / 1.7 / RBT ‘Robin of Pegswood’ TL SP Bothal
57 / 24.7 / 0.7 / TR No SP. Descends steeply.
58 / 24.8 / 0.1 / Cross R. Wansbeck. Road climbs steeply.
59 / 25.6 / 0.8 / TR SP Morpeth (Caution. Fast Traffic) TL SP Hepscott
60 / 26.3 / 0.7 / HEPSCOTT Cross railway
61 / 26.5 / 0.2 / SO
62 / 27.0 / 0.5 / TJ TL SP Cramlington (Caution. Fast traffic)
63 / 27.3 / 0.3 / TR (Caution!) SP Clifton Lane
64 / 28.1 / 0.8 / Cross main line railway.
65 / 28.6 / 0.5 / TL on CP alongside A1 dual carriageway.
66 / 29.1 / 0.5 / At end of CP BL to join carriageway.
67 / 29.3 / 0.2 / SO Cycle lane to Stannington.
68 / 30.2 / 0.9 / RBT SO SP Stannington. Pass under A1. RBT BL SP Stannington.
69 / 30.3 / 0.1 / STANNINGTON VILLAGE (PH in village)
70 / 30.6 / 0.3 / RBT BR SP Well Hill, Saltwick
TR SP Well Hill, Saltwick
71 / 32.2 / 1.6 / BR
72 / 32.3 / 0.1 / TL SP Saltwick
73 / 33.6 / 1.3 / TJ TL down hill.
74 / 34.9 / 1.3 / TJ TL SP Ponteland
75 / 36.4 / 1.5 / TR on bend. Caution! TR into Kirkley Hall gates.