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Grade
Moderate.
Some long steep hills especially across the Pennines. Some “off
road” options along the C2C you may find to be steep, or muddy. Most
cyclists of average ability should be able to complete the route easily
especially as the cycling days do not exceed 33 miles, giving stronger
cyclists the opportunity to explore around enroute.
Minimum
13 miles – Max 36 miles approx.
Season
April
to mid October.
Travel Information
Starting
point: Ulverston, Cumbria.
End
of tour: Sunderland (Newcastle is also
nearby).
Most
convenient major city with international airport:
Manchester.
Outward
journey from London to starting point: 5 hours by train from London
Euston or Kings Cross to Ulverston via Lancaster. Or 2 hours from
Manchester Airport.
Inward
journey to London at end of tour: Sunderland and Newcastle have good
rail links with the rest of the country, including transpennine rail
connections back to Manchester Airport. Can take up to 4 hours. London
Kings Cross from Sunderland, generally an hourly service, 3 hrs 38 mins,
changing at Newcastle.
The Bikes
These
are modern hybrids suitable for road and mild off -road use (compatible
with the off road variants of the C2C under normal conditions) with
eighteen to twenty-one gears. They are provided with saddle bag, lock and
tool kit, also a spare inner tube, tyre levers & basic kit. Cycle
hire fee is £140 paid locally. The reason for the high price is that
this includes the cost of returning your bikes back to Ulverston at the
end of your holiday. You
are of course welcome to bring your own bikes if you wish. Sherpa also
offers a service whereby you and your bikes can be transported back to
the start of the tour (or elsewhere along the route) in order to
rendezvous with your vehicle etc. Prices on application.
General Information
Breakfast:
in UK will generally consist of sausage, bacon, eggs etc, cereals and
fruit will also be available.
Special
Dietary Requirements: It is important for you to tell us if you
have any dietary requirements when you book your holiday so that we can
inform everyone that you are staying with.
Accommodation:
The
accommodation described are our usual choice, however if these are not
available then alternatives are used and if these are of a different
standard you will be informed at the time of booking.
Baths/showers:
Many rooms with ensuite/private facilities have a shower rather than a
bath, usually because of limited space. Some hotels/guesthouses may
however have a separate room in the house where a bath is available to
guests.
Single
Supplements: are
payable on most of our tours. The
single supplement guarantees the privacy of your own room, however,
rooms can at times be small and in some places may not enjoy the same
facilities as double/twin rooms.
Solo
Traveller Supplements:
are payable when the cost per bag of moving luggage increases.
Luggage:
At your accommodation, sometimes your
luggage will have been taken to your room awaiting your arrival. However
don’t be surprised if your luggage is waiting for you to take it up to
your room. Please politely ask someone if you need assistance.
Route
Notes: Please note that one set of route
notes per room booked is included in the cost of the holiday. If you
require more sets of notes then there is a charge of £25 per set
ordered.
Accommodation
Features
of our normal accommodation choices for the different locations are
mentioned below, due to room availability, we may have to use other
establishments.
q
Night 1: In Ulverston: Your first hotel is a
friendly, family run hotel in the heart of this attractive market town,
5 mins walk from the railway station. Proprietors Ken & Brenda run
this three crown rated hotel and have created a friendly atmosphere and
always extend a warm welcome to their guests. All rooms have ensuite
bathrooms and are equipped with T.V, and tea and coffee making
facilities, direct dial telephone.
q
Night 2:
In Grasmere: : Our small family run guesthouse is conveniently placed in the center of
this delightful village. Grasmere
is one of Lakeland’s most celebrated villages, and there is time
either this afternoon or tomorrow morning to look around and visit the
poet Wordsworth's home at Dove Cottage.
q
Night 3: In Keswick: the town that
nestles beneath giant Skiddaw by the shores of Derwentwater, we stay at
a 2 star hotel set right on the old market square close to all the towns
amenities.
q
Night 4: Near Langwathby: we stay at an
independently run hotel in the idyllic village of Edenhall. The Hotel
has 25 en-suite bedrooms, a fine dining restaurant, recently awarded
a rosette by the AA, a bar serving hearty meals and a comfortable
residents' lounge and conservatory.
Edenhall
is located within the forest of Inglewood in Cumbria, The hotel
stands on over an acre of well tendered garden - the perfect place for
an afternoon drink.
q
Night 5: At
Rockhope: You
stay at an old English pub or the old vicarage in the village.
q
Night
6: Near Chester le Street: A
very popular refurbished 14 bedroom family run hotel with one of
the best restaurants in the area. Close to local amenities with a large
car park and friendly staff.
q
Night 7: In Sunderland: Journey’s end.
You will stay at one of several possible guesthouses or hotels near to
the seafront.
PLEASE
NOTE: It is generally normal practice when staying in hotels that you
check-in on or after 2pm and checkout by 10am the following morning.
Guesthouses/bed & breakfast establishments are normally check-in on
or after 4pm and checkout by 10am. |
Itinerary Guide
DAY
1: Arrive Ulverston This is a very pleasant coastal market town,
with Market Cross, some nice old shops, the tiny Laurel and Hardy
Museum and the Barrow memorial, which is certainly worth a leg stretch
if you have time. You need to collect your bikes on the morning of Day
2.
DAY
2: Ulverston to Grasmere (26 miles) An attractive ride takes you
past several beauty spots including Lake Coniston, the place of
inspiration for “Swallows
and Amazons” and for Donald Campbell, who tragically died here
whilst trying to beak the World water speed record in 1967. The lake
and valley are very beautiful; you’ll be riding along the quiet road
on the eastern side of the Lake. You can, if you like, spend some time
in the village of Coniston, you will have a panorama of
Lakeland peaks in front of you including the Coniston Old Man (803m).
Coniston is a good place for a lunch or at least coffee break before
heading off towards Grasmere. The route gets quite hilly, and you
could take a short diversion to visit the village of Hawkshead on
Esthwaite Water. The hilly route towards Grasmere takes you past
Skelwith Force, quite an impressive waterfall, before rolling around
Grasmere (lake) to the town. This is quite a busy place especially in
Summer and one of the main attractions for the literary minded is Dove
Cottage, which was the home of the Wordsworths.
DAY
3: Grasmere to Keswick (14 miles) Today
the route takes you around Thirlmere, once again on quiet roads, but
later there are some busier sections heading into Keswick. Today you
hopefully will get good views of Helvellyn 950m from across the lake.
Thirlmere is certainly a beauty spot and it is a great place to view
birdlife, especially wild fowl, while you are picnicking in shady
woods nearby. Thirlmere was amalgamated from two lakes into a
reservoir in 1889 and is three miles long and over 150 feet deep in
places. Swimming in it is not allowed because they say it is too cold!
DAY
4: Keswick to Langwathby (28 Miles) This stage of the route in the
Vale of Eden is an easy ride of ever changing scenery. You will follow
minor roads, out of the centre of Keswick the road climbs steeply past
the Castlerigg Stone Circle and then passes through the village of
Threlkeld. You will need to go down some steps and cross the A66 to
continue on your way to Troutbeck, where you will need to cross the
A66 once more. Continue through Greystoke (Ancestral home of Tarzan?)
and the market town of Penrith, after crossing the River Eden you will
reach Langwathby. There is an alternative route along the Old Coach Road, which
leaves the main route at Castlerigg Stone Circle and follows a steep
rough track over Threlkeld Common to Matterdale End. This alternative
rejoins the main route at Greystoke.
DAY
5: Langwathby
to Rookhope (36 miles) The
most mountainous section of the entire route, this stage contains four
major hills within twenty miles. Climb steeply out of Langwathby to
reach the Little Meg Stone Circle, continue on minor roads and then
onto a stoney track, join the A686, a tarmac road and follow it to the
first and the steepest hill Hartside, which is also the watershed
between the Irish and North seas. After Hartside, continue through the
villages of Leadgate and Garrigill.
From the centre of Garrigill continue along the south side of
the River South Tyne, before crossing it by a ford. A steep uphill
track will take you to Priorsdale, from where the route descends
steeply through old lead mines to Nenthead. After Nenthead you reach
Black Hill, the highest point on the C2C. you then descend into the
valley of the River East Allen and the village of Allenheads. From
here there is yet another steady climb
out of Allenheads
until you reach the summit of the hill at
Currick. This is followed by a long descent into the Rookhope
valley. Scars (or hushes) from centuries of lead mining are evident in
the valley and at last your legs will be able to take a break from
their labours!
DAY
6: Rookhope
to Chester le Street area (30 miles approx) Marking
the end of the rough, hilly terrain of the Northern Pennines, this
stage marks the start of the industrial landscape of the North East.
The route leaves the road in Rookhope village and climbs steeply up
the old railway incline, from here the route follows rough tracks and
paths until it reaches Waskerley (this section of the route will be
closed occasionally during the shooting season, when alternative roads
must be used). Follow the Waskerley way, a reclaimed railway path, you
will cross the Hownsgill viaduct, and then continue on the Consett and
Sunderland Railway Path, passing through Consett, Leadgate, and
Annfield Plain, continuing to Chester le Street you will pass several
sculptures on the way. Our accommodation is normally just before the
town.
DAY
7: Chester le Street to Sunderland (13 miles) This
stage is perhaps the easiest on the C2C, with the exception of one
small climb at Cox Green it is all downhill or flat, allowing plenty
of time to enjoy the changing scenery, from the rolling hills of
Beamish to the industry of Sunderland. From Stanley continue along the
Consett and Sunderland Railway Path, past Beamish, Pelton and
Washington. Along the route there are access points at most road
crossings allowing the towns to be visited, to explore and use
facilities. There are several sculptures, part of a sculpture trail
stretching from Consett to Chester le Street. We would thoroughly
recommend a diversion to the beautiful city of Durham, with its
imposing cathedral and castle encrusted high upon a peninsular over
the River Wear. From Washington continue through James Steel Park and
cross the River Wear, there is then a steep climb on the way to Pallon.
In the final section you will follow the path alongside the River
Wear, past the marina to reach the North Sea at Roker.
DAY
8: Depart after breakfast
There are mainline rail services from Sunderland via Newcastle. We
can also take you back to the beginning if you have requested this
service in advance. (prices on application)
Included in price of tour
Bed
and breakfast accommodation with ensuite facilities where available.
Luggage transfers from Inn to Inn.
Route notes and map package.
Extend your stay
At
any overnight stop along the route. Please ask for details.
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Wainwright's
"Coast to Coast" walk has long been a classic, and it
was perhaps inevitable that cyclists would also look at
interesting ways of crossing beautiful, scenic northern England.
The original cycling route was thus developed by 'Sustrans' - a
charitable organization aiming at the development of sustainable
transport networks in the U.K. They took minor roads and rideable
'off road' bridleways that could be used to thread together small
towns and country areas across Cumbria, the Pennines, through the
River Wear watershed and onto the more urban parts of the North
East. The route so created is called the "C2C,"
literally "Sea to Sea," to differentiate it from the
"Coast to Coast" walk which covers an altogether
different route and embraces different scenery. The original 'C2C'
stretches from the lighthouse at Whitehaven on the Irish Sea to
the lighthouse at Sunderland on the shores of the North Sea. At
Sherpa we have tried to compliment the original route, with what
is arguably a better start; crossing the Lake District from South
to North on what is another cycle route: "The Cumbrian Cycle
Way Route" from the small Lakeland town of Ulverston. Both
rides intersect in Keswick and you then roll along the
"C2C" towards Sunderland. This hybrid route is 144 miles
long. It is a great way to see northern England and how the
landscape changes sometimes abruptly, sometimes more gently as you
cycle along. There is so much to see, the Lakes and fells, the
bleak Pennines, beautiful dales and towns and villages of all
sizes. Along the way you should find plenty of time to visit
teashops, pubs and interesting sites and little museums such as
the Laurel and Hardy Museum in Ulverston and Dove cottage in
Grasmere. The Keswick pencil museum, the Neolithic Castlerigg
Stone Circle, the Rookhope lead mine, and the excellent open air
museum at Beamish near Durham.