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Cycling from Bellingham to Elsdon (cycling into Redesdale on route 68)

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Bellingham As ‘outsiders’ at this time with the covid restrictions just lifting we weren’t sure where we were welcome to sit (some pub benches still had ‘do not sit here’ signs) but we had to stock up on energy before leaving Bellingham. The first climb out of Bellingham is shared not only with the Pennine Way but also with motor traffic on a fairly steep and curvy road that is busy by virtue of being an important link route. When you lose the houses and pavements either side and pass the caravan park, this becomes a section of the cycle route to just plug on with and not relax or drift about. The good news is there is no navigation to do. Spoil heaps from the old mining days mark the peak of the hill and give a pleasing platform for grazing sheep.  After this short slog up the hill (80 metres gain) you’re on fairly narrow roads with a massively abundant hedge on one side (especially full of pink wild roses) while the first soft views of the watershed to
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Bardon Mill to Bellingham (part 1 of the cycle route to Redesdale)

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Living as we do by the South Tyne, it is inevitable that you have to go uphill before you can get to any other landscape than our own river. So up to Hadrian’s Wall to begin: the high point being Steel Rigg (a climb of 200 metres, to 288).   [view back South from Steel Rigg] Then it's a nice long freshening cycle downhill, with the gorgeous Winshield crags on your left, first exposed and geometric, then the even more nicely wooded Cawfield crags. On the right meanwhile, the open valleys of the feeder burns into Haltwhistle have farms dotted at equal distances around their low rolling fields. It’s a nice area, used to have a Roman aqueduct through it, and at the junction near Caw gap you turn right, and north. When we returned this way 2 days later, we had forgotten all about this section and it felt new again: it is minor roads, good surface, a little up and a little down as you cross Caw Burn then Pont Gallon Burn, and go up a little rightward at Edges Green
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