Hartlepool

19/6/15

We set out on Sunderland's new promenade that swept past the long welcoming arms of the harbour. A newly developed riverside brought us to the bridge over the River Wear.

Civic art with a glass theme reflects the 1300 years of glassmaking and at the Glass Center there is an intriguing bike dock for repairs. I was going to make a minor adjustment but someone had nicked the wrench I needed!

After some tricky navigation through the high street, we were soon on good cycle ways and old railways that took us through old mining communities devastated by the 80's closures.

We completed 4000km today and settled into the classic sea side Marine Hotel with a sea view room and a 2 meals for £12 deal in the bar.

Figures:

Distance:- 49.3 km

Cycle Time:- 3 hours 51 minutes

Average speed:- 12.8 kph

Total Distance:- 4025 km

Sunderland

18/6/15

Where are you headed to? asked the elderly lady in a cafe in Blyth. Sunderland replied Sue. What is there to see? she replied.

The route from Newbiggin required some concentration, We had been warned of confused signage but it all worked really well in the end. Apart from one false lead after the River Wansbeck, the new river side path through Blyth was lovely.

Blyth park had a Sustrans local hero bench, Stan Laurel being the most notable.

The coast track passed St Mary's Island and grand frontage of Whitley Bay before arriving in Tynemouth.

It was reassuring to see a Sustrans NCN1 displayed on the door of the ferry and a few minutes journey brought us to South Shields.

We paid a visit to Souter Lighthouse (National Trust) and sue got a free cup of tea with her loyalty card! Several innovations made this lighthouse groundbreaking back in 1871, but it was nice to see an original 4.5 ton lamp sitting on mercury so that we could turn it with one finger.

Our accomodation put a smile on our faces, with two vintage railway carriages standing proud on the sea front sandwiched between two amusement arcades. The Pullman is a quirky place and has to be in the top 2 of all the places to stay so far, beaten only by West Usk lighthouse. We had steak and chips with a bottle of house red for £20 and breakfast served in a carriage from the Orient Express, what more could we want- there is plenty to see in Sunderland.

Figures:

Distance:- 46.0 km

Cycle Time:- 3 hours 33 minutes

Average speed:- 12.9 kph

Total Distance:- 3976 km

Newbiggin-by-the-sea

17/6/15

The Northumberland coast showed all it's glory today. Our route hugged the coast behind dunes with occasional vistas of wide sandy beaches and wave cut platforms.

An early flat tyre prompted our first roadside puncture repair but considering some of the rim crunching tracks we have followed this is not bad. We stopped in the pretty town of Alnmouth for some food. The onward track was partially blocked by TV filming vans so it's possibe that, in a future episode of Vera, you may see a couple of colourful, cyclists passing behind a detective as she contemplates a case!

After a quick tea stop in Cresswell and we were soon weaving past aluminium works and power stations before our B&B in Newbiggin.

Figures:

Distance:- 47.0 km

Cycle Time:- 3 hours 22 minutes

Average speed:- 13.9 kph

Total Distance:- 3930 km

Craster

16/6/15

The journey South on the east coast has had a different emphasis. We seem to have developed a desire to get to our destination rather than savour the ride. It maybe the intrinsic need to get home but is driven largely by the need to make up some of the days which we have slipped behind. Although our longest, today was not the hardest.

We left our B&B and rejoined the NCN 1 on a rough track that turned to little more than footpath with the promise of explosion or encarseration in quick sand if you stray from the route. We decided to make the 10km detour to Lindisfarne to add to this danger as it requires careful note of the tides. The road was due to be submerged beneath the sea at about 13:10 and we arrived at the start of the causeway at about 11am. This felt sufficient but we arrived at the Pilgrim's coffee shop just as a coach party had decended. The irritation of people's indecision about whether they want cappacino or latte is somehow amplified when you are on a bike and have to get back off the island very soon!

We had a rather brief tour of the village, it was packed and not the atmosphere for a monk to escape to for quiet contemplation. How wonderful it must be when all us tourists have left.

All worked out fine but we wondered how many people had to resort to the Refuge positioned strategically on the causeay

We continued to Bamburgh and yet another castle (quite big though). The first cafe had stopped serving food but the best in town was the Copper Kettle. They gave us great crab sandwiches and a free bowl of soup - we must have looked hungry.

We stopped briefly in Seahouses to shop for food then on to Craster. It was a nice novelty to pitch the tent and cook a meal. This was our first camping club site and the greeted us first with a refund because we were on bikes and second in a friendly manner more akin to a B&B host.

Dunstable Hill is a nice site, it is just that I am no longer sure how pleasant it is sharing the field with a town of white boxes.

Figures:

Distance:- 69.8 km

Cycle Time:- 4 hours 46 minutes

Average speed:- 14.6 kph

Total Distance:- 3883 km

Berwick-upon-Tweed

15/6/15

The NCN 1 took some devious routes around the cement works which, according to Lafarge Tarmac, puts £8 million into the local economy. The next landmark along this cost was Torness nuclear power station. It was outside this plant that our cycle track had to cross the A1, fortunately not rush hour.

The A1 hides some interesting secrets, there were Early Purple Orchids on the verges.

We took the slight detour to Eyemouth  that the Sustrans route encouraged. The first cafe was closed so we settled on a hot dog and coffee at the Beachcomber Amusement Arcade. This was less than sufficient and didn't leave us with a warm feeling about the town. Largely our fault however since, on continuing into the centre there appeared to be many cafés.

Some long climbs made a change from predominantly flat land of the last few days. The Northumberland coast and English border arrived and we left Scotland after 2 months and 2 days.

We opted for an early dinner in Berwick before heading off across the Tweed to the Old School House at Scremeston a few km south of Berwick.

Figures:

Distance:- 60.3 km

Cycle Time:- 4 hours 39 minutes

Average speed:- 12.9 kph

Total Distance:- 3814 km

Dunbar

14/6/15

Pollock Halls are right up against Arthur's Seat and Hollyrood Park so joining the NCN 1 was simple. The road was closed to cars and the park was a see of pink as a Race for Life was in full fling.

Efficient cycle tracks took us out of the city and we were soon skirting the race course at Musselburgh.

The twin chimneys of Cockenzie coal fired power station dominates the skyline, it was given the accolade of Britain's most polluting power plant and is now being decommissioned. There are some very nice banks of wild flowers bordering the road however!

We converted from NCN 1 to the 76 and headed inland on an old railway through Haddington where we stopped for tea and soup. Quiet lanes then brought us to the pretty town of East Linton.

We visited Preston Mill, one if the few working the water mills left in Scotland. It's Dutch tiled roof and twisted shape give it a very quirky appearance.

Dunbar was bathed in sunshine and gave us a last chance to look back at Fife and the Isle of May. Tomorrow we will be leaving Scotland.

Figures:

Distance:- 53.9 km

Cycle Time:- 3 hours 43 minutes

Average speed:- 14.4 kph

Total Distance:- 3753 km

Rest Day 14

13/6/15

After a huge buffet breakfast we set out for Old Town.

I had a hair cut then we stopped in a Tibetan cafe for a drink. All of a sudden we were transported back to Part 1 of our year away with soft chanting music and Buddha images all around. It felt like a carefree day in Kathmandu.

Maybe we had gone through a Portkey for at 3pm we were treated to an entertaining Harry Potter trail of the city. This included a visit to Tom Ridle's grave (Riddell in reality), the two cafés where JK wrote many of her books as well as streets that that gave her inspiration for the likes of Diagon Ally.

We had a nice evening meeting up with nephew Matt and his girlfriend Becky who had just returned from Skye.