You will be hard pressed to find a better adventure if you’re a walker or cyclist than the North of England — specifically the North Pennines. A great way to escape the city, the Pennines represents one of the UK’s greatest landscapes and was awarded the accolade of being an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1988.
Have we convinced you to take a trip to the Pennines but find yourself unsure just where to begin? Not to worry; simply reach for your hiking boots or mountain bikes depending on your preferred mode of exploration and follow this handy itinerary put together by Leisure Lakes Bikes:
What to expect when visiting the Pennines
You will never be bored when exploring the North Pennines, that’s for sure. With the stunning views that this heritage site provides, you will constantly be pushing yourself to find the most magnificent spot – although this could prove to be difficult as the entire area is breath-taking.
It’s keen to stress that there will be times when your trip across the Pennines will become a challenge. However, that seems to be the core reason as to why people keep returning regularly to head out and achieve more of their goals. The North Pennines specifically has heather moors, peatlands, dales, meadows, upland rivers and woodland areas too, meaning you have plenty to explore when you get there.
The ideal starting point
The Wear & Rockhope Valleys is up there with the better cycle routes found in the North Pennines, due to how much there is to see while getting from A to B. From the Burnhope Reservoir to Lintzgarth Arch, the beautiful scenes will encourage you to keep pedalling and complete this trail.
To begin this route, aim for the Durham Dales Centre in Stanhope as your starting point. This centre is home to a gift shop, craft shop and tea room, giving you the opportunity to have a warm drink before you set off on your journey.
Getting your journey underway
Once you’re ready to go exploring, leave the Durham Dales Centre and either ride or hike along the A689 heading towards Stanhope Town Hall.
Eventually, this road will lead you to a bridge which you will be required to cross. Proceed in the direction you’re currently going in, before taking your third right and following the road upwards. You will pass Greenfoot Hotel and Greenhead Farm before eventually reaching Rockhope. If you need to have a break in Rockhope, The Rockhope Inn would be the ideal place to stop. It has outdoor seating so you can grab a drink and freshen yourself up.
Shortly afterwards, you will pass Saint John’s Church. From here, keep going forward and you’ll eventually come into the town centre. Next you will want to take your second left, following the main road channelling the Rockhope Burn river where you will come to Allenheads. Once you’ve reached Allenheads, a stopping off point would be the Allenheads Inn as it a popular destination for cyclists and hikers alike.
After Allenheads, you’ll want to take a right and then remain on the B6295 road until Cowshill has been reached. In Cowshill, the only place you will be able to stop at will be the Cowshill Hotel. Fortunately, they are more than welcoming to cyclists who are stopping by for a well-deserved break. After this visit, follow the road downwards where you will come to the A689 road — remain on this road and continue to Ireshopeburn.
You will know you’re on the correct route here when you pass both St John’s Chapel and Daddry Shield. Just be sure to remain on Pleasant Road and not divert onto any other route. This area is full of different cafes and pubs, including Chatterbox Café, The Golden Lion and The Blue Bell Inn. You will then reach Brotherlee, where you need to remain on the road that you’re currently on and eventually you will pass Horsley Hall – a country hotel. Continue following this road and you will reach a bridge crossing the River Wear. Take the right onto the B6278 here and you will be back in Stanhope!
The final leg of the journey will involve you taking a right and then going back towards the Durham Dales Centre.
The expected duration of the route
The entire route detailed above covers 24.26 miles. If you’re completing this at a speed of 10mph, you should complete this in 2 hours, 26 minutes. For those who are a bit quicker, at 13mph you will reach the finish line in 1 hour, 52 minutes.
A time of 1 hour and 16 minutes will be clocked if you complete the route at 19mph. If you’re going 22mph, however, you will complete this cycle route in just 1 hour and 6 minutes.
Challenges that you will be faced with
Hills can prove difficult to many cyclists — especially when you’re up against testing weather conditions as well. Fortunately, we’ve listed these in advance so that you know what you’re in for:
‑ The Brandon Walls and Hill Top has a height of 1570ft and will take 2 miles to complete.
‑ Rookhope Head has a height of 1745ft and will only take 0.75 miles.
‑ Burtree Fell has a height of 1836ft and will take up 1.8 miles of your journey.
