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Chronicle Live

National

Daniel Hall

Northumberland coast named one of the UK's top cyclist-friendly locations

Northumberland Northumberland Coast Holy Island Newcastle Chronicle

An area of Northumberland has been named among the top cyclist-friendly locations in the United Kingdom.

The county is home to some fine cycle trails including Hadrian's Cycleway, the Reivers Route and the Coasts and Castles Route. And it's the Northumberland Coast AONB, where you'll find the latter route, that's made it into the top 20 cycle-friendly destinations in a study done using Google Trends data by staycation property marketplace Big-Cottages.com.

Home to 85 miles of the 192 mile Coasts and Castles route, which connects the Forth and Tyne estuaries in Edinburgh and Newcastle respectively, the Coasts and Castles route is also part of the world's longest international cycle route, the North Sea Cycle Route. It passes through seven countries along the North Sea: including Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Scotland.

However, many stick to short sections of that, and cyclists in Northumberland can stop off to admire stunning castles in Holy Island, Bamburgh, and Warkworth. Some who did so in 2021 have been famous faces, with Star Wars and Indiana Jones actor Harrison Ford and comedian David O'Doherty both exploring the county's coast by bike.

Being among the best in the country could be a boost to local businesses too, after a meeting was held in March to thrash out plans to capitalise on the increase in interest in cycling tourism and make Northumberland a premier destination for those holidaying with their bikes. One thing to come out of early meetings is the Northumberland Cycling Charter, which will allow businesses to demonstrate they have all the requirements of a 'Cycling Friendly' establishment.

View of Warkworth Castle from the path along the River Coquet (Newcastle Chronicle)

One business that calls itself 'cycling-friendly' is Norham Bike Yard, opened by Jim and Mary-Rose Blythe last year as a retirement project. The bed and breakfast has already proven popular with those on two wheels, due to its location on Routes 1 and 68 of the UK Cycling network, and its proximity to the coast.

Jim said: "Last year, when the pandemic was on, we were getting people coming out from London, Bristol, Sussex, Devon and a lot of them had never even been to Northumberland and honestly, they were absolutely taken aback by the scenery. It's a whole different world from the centre of London.

Where is your favourite place to cycle in Northumberland? Let us know in the comments below!

"The coast is one of the top places in the country to cycle because of the facilities - you've got the likes of Bamburgh Castle, Alnwick Castle and Dunstanburgh. You've got Holy Island too, which I 'd say around 80 percent of our guests come to. We had eight just last night who cycled to Holy Island and back again, so that's one of the main attractions."

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne, a popular destination for cyclists on the Northumberland Coast (Newcastle Chronicle)

As well as running Norham Bike Yard, Jim set up the Monday Morning Cycle Club, mostly made up of retirees in north Northumberland. He continued: "When the group first started, we only had 5 or 6 people then but now we have an email list of 50 and we regularly get between 10 and 17 out every week. We take turns in organising a route and a coffee stop, and sometimes that will be on the coast."

To compile the study, Big-Cottages took into account Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, number of cycling routes, local authority rates of road traffic, the square mileage for exploration and rates of bike theft. Northumberland ranked particularly highly when it came to analysing traffic data from the Department for Transport.

Businesses in landowners are hoping to capitalise on the increased interest of Northumberland as a cycling destination (Northumberland County Council)

The Shropshire Hills came out on top overall, while the Cotswolds took first place for being the largest area to explore, with the highest number of cycle routes, despite coming 13th overall.

Matthew Fox, CEO of Big-Cottages.com, said: "Cycling has long been a popular mode of transport. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, millions relied on their bikes to get to work, or simply to explore and enjoy the great outdoors.

"But with the cost of fuel skyrocketing, and awareness of our personal impact on the environment higher than ever before, more people are choosing to swap their vehicles for two wheels. As a result, the nation is developing a real love for cycling.

"We want to cater to all holidaymakers, including groups of cyclists, and are happy to offer a helping hand by shining a spotlight on the best locations for those exploring the UK by bicycle. The results were pleasantly surprising, highlighting areas of the UK that people may have previously only visited on four-wheels as opposed to two, and we hope this research encourages people to continue the bicycle boom!"