Cycle Friendly Routes Northumberland

If you enjoy cycling, whether leisure cycling, family cycling, mountain biking or more strenuous road cycling, you could not pick a better destination for your UK cycling holiday than Northumberland. Our camping and glamping site Herding Hill Farm is the perfect destination to explore the many cycle friendly routes of Northumberland. Herding Hill Farm is also perfect for those who enjoy their UK cycling tours coast to coast.

We are a cycle-friendly campsite, with 5-star amenities with a sauna available for private hire, secure bike storage and a range of accommodation for cyclists, including tent pitches and our glamping pod Wigwam cabins, some of which have en-suite WC and private outdoor hot tubs.

With miles of stunning landscapes and wonderful scenery, from countryside to coastline, from Roman forts to castles and miles of deserted country roads there is a self-guided cycle-friendly route for everyone in Northumberland. In addition, a number of challenging long-distance cycle routes pass through the area including the Pennine Cycleway, England's longest cycle route or Hadrian's Cycleway which covers the length of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Hadrian’s Wall taking in Roman forts along the way. The Coast and Castles cycle route runs between Tynemouth and Berwick-upon-Tweed and is a great way to visit some of the most famous historical castles of Northumberland such as Holy Island and Bamburgh Castle. For those not wanting to do the whole route it is easy to carve out scenic day trips for cyclists in Northumberland.  

Mountain bikers are also well catered for with Kielder Water and Forest around an hour’s drive from Herding Hill Farm. As well as a 30-mile loop around the shoreline of Kielder Water there are a variety of mountain bike trails for mountain bikers of all abilities.   

Hadrian's Cycleway (NCN 72)

A coast to coast cycle route, between Ravenglass and Arbeia Roman Fort at South Shields, Tyneside. Stretching along the length of Hadrian’s Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this 150-mile cycle tour passes some of the finest roman heritage sites, forts and museums, as well as photogenic Northumberland countryside and iconic images such as Sycamore Gap. Many cyclists choose to cycle the shorter 100-mile route from Bowness-on-Solway. 

Coast and Castles Cycle Route Northumberland

At a total distance of 199 miles on the Inland Route or 173 miles on the Coastal Route, the Coast and Castles Cycle Route links the Forth and Tyne estuaries and follows the North East coastline from Tynemouth up to the Scottish border town of Berwick upon Tweed, before cutting inland along the Tweed Valley and over the moors to the Scottish capital city of Edinburgh. Alternatively, you can stay on the coast via Dunbar and North Berwick which shortens the cycle route by around 25 miles. This cycle-friendly route takes in stunning coastal scenery and historic Northumberland sites including Tynemouth Priory, Warkworth Castle, Dunstanburgh Castle, Bamburgh Castle and Lindisfarne Castle/Holy Island, as well as the fishing ports of Craster, Alnmouth and Seahouses. Most people cycle North as the wind is generally more favourable.  There are regular trains back to Newcastle from Edinburgh. The route also forms part of the North Sea Cycle Route (EuroVelo 12), the world's longest signed international cycle route, passing through seven countries around the North Sea. If you fancy extending your journey and tackling a longer cycling tour, Coast and Castles North continues on from Edinburgh to Aberdeen. 

The Pennine Cycleway

The Pennine Cycleway is an epic 350-mile trail from Peak District, Derby and is often considered to be the hardest long-distance cycle route in the UK, climbing a total of 7,490 metres through the Pennines, at one point tackling four peaks within 20 miles. The route allows cyclists to explore spectacular landscapes and unspoilt countryside, including the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, Eden Valley, North Pennines and the South Tyne Valley, as well as Hadrian's Wall and the Northumberland National Park. It starts at the northernmost town in England - Berwick upon Tweed and follows the River Tweed into the Northumberland National Park, before heading south to Bellingham, which is known as the gateway town to Kielder Water & Forest Park. The route then continues to Haltwhistle, home of Herding Hill Farm, making us an ideal accommodation stop for those cycling the Pennine Cycleway. The route then continues to Appleby and out of the region into the South Pennines. 

Cycling at Kielder Water and Forest Park

With over 600 Kilometres of forest and 27 miles of shoreline to choose from, Kielder Water and Forest Park is perfect for cycling, both for family leisure cycling and for the more adventurous off-road cycling and mountain biking. There is a detailed Trails Guide online. Kielder Water is around an hour’s drive from Herding Hill Farm. 

The Lakeside Way is a multi-user trail around the 27-mile Kielder Water shoreline, accessing the most scenic parts of the lake shore and visitor centres, as well as wildlife and scenic landscapes. There are also pieces of outdoor public art along the route. The multi-user track is suitable for walkers, cyclists, horse riders and wheelchair users. 

The Cross Border Trail is a mountain bike trail that passes from Kielder across the Scottish border and finishes at the 7stanes trail in Newcastleton. At Newcastleton, there are fantastic 7stanes blue and red grade mountain bike trails and for the more adventurous why not try out the North Shore timber trails at Newcastleton Forest's black grade trail? 

Family Friendly Cycle Routes Haltwhistle

As well as the longer trails described above there are plenty of family-friendly cycle paths in the area around and within a short drive of Herding Hill Farm. The South Tyne Trail (11 miles) passes from Haltwhistle railway station and is a great out and back flat route mostly on the old Haltwhistle - Alston railway line, finishing at the fabulous Lambley Viaduct which offers spectacular views.  

Alternatively cycle along the River Tyne on the old railway track from Wylam onto the Newcastle Quayside and on to North Shields, also known as Route 141 or the Keelmans Way.  

The Consett and Sunderland Railway Path has plenty of flat off-road cycling.