Quite some 10 miles

I’ve ridden cycles  all my life from teenager to now. London to Brighton, London to Derby ( my pb for distance 115 miles in a day) Manchester to Blackpool and loads of miles in Derbyshire and beyond. Today we had a 10 mile run from the highest point of Hadrian’s wall into Hexam that was quite the best cycling or more to the point freewheeling ! 

Anyhow before that we cycled from our Twice brewed inn ( lovely) of last night to Steel Rigg to walk the wall to the “Sycamore gap tree” apparently the most photographed tree in the country. 

It was quite a hike to get these pictures, I’d love to come back and take some at night with a clear sky in the background …..

The accent and decent was steep…

The Twice brewed inn, a good place to stop 

After our cycling to Steel Rigg, then walking to the gap we rode to the largest Roman fort on the wall ( or just below it ) at Vindolanda. A very large uncovered fort showing all the buildings with a great museum (I am sure you didn’t know I am a published author on Roman architecture - isbn and all !! ) a lovely few hours of education and information. 

On leaving via a small lane we had to manhandle our bikes past a stand off  on a steep hill between a UK motor home ( downhill) and a German car coming uphill…. They could still be there ! 

Then it was a mean climb to the highest point on the trip and Hadrian’s wall 

But from this point on it was a magical 10 mile decent into Hexam with a 20 mile and hour westerly wind on our backs all the way…. Quite the best cycling I’ve done in many many years 

We were routed via the river and railway through and out of Hexam over the River Tyne and onto our destination for tonight in Corbridge….a lovely Roman  town that we explored after our evening meal.

A lovely day or exploring walking and cycling 

Twice brewed ….

 …is where we are staying tonight. Today was out longest distance day in miles and altitude terms. 

Yes the last couple of miles felt that steep 

Started out wet again so we were pleased to reach our first stop for coffee and cake and a look around Lanercost Priory. 

By the time we had set off again it had stopped raining so we made good progress to the Cumbria/Northumbria boarder where we crossed into Northumbria to cross back to a cafe in Cumbria. 

We were also cycling the wall now ….

Cumbria weather 

Northumbria weather 

Ok last of the weather stuff….after a soup lunch ( cycling don’t half burn some calories)  We then had a lovely ride in some isolated country until we came to a farmer who waved us down and asked us to wait for his cows ….

He was an interesting fella who we (I) chatted to for far too long. A chance meeting long to be remembered.

Then the route got a bit mean in altitude terms especially as on a few turns we were cycling into the wind and my panniers were like air brakes up the hills ( my excuse). Worth the views and soon we were getting a warm welcome in the Twice a brewed inn…. We have cycled up an appetite. 

Tomorrow we hit the summit  of Hadrian’s wall but we will sleep well tonight ! 

Heading to isolation, but not yet

We had a beautiful meal last night at our guest house. Yvette and Norman who run the Langley in Carlisle        are a lovely and interesting couple. Plenty of stories told and listen to. I do hope their plans to retire come soon, life doesn’t wait for you.

We delayed our leaving with a walk to the museum and castle ( visiting the former). Our hosts were happy to hold onto our bikes until our return.

Weather forecast checked we were off following the river Eden out of Carlisle on Sustrans route 72 … quite lovely as my sister would say. 

We had ordered a packed lunch which was large more like a picnic that Yvette had prepared for us. So at Linstock we stopped for our picnic in a bus shelter …. Then the unpromised rain came ! Lucky we had time to sit it out and set off in the dry following some quite roads and lanes  

The route swished and turned in some lovely Cumbrian farmland but we started to notice on certain switch  backs there was a large bank of cloud following us on the brisk westerly wind that was giving us a welcome push alone most of the roads. At Hayron it caught us up and we sought the protection of a lovely copper Beech tree to don waterproofs ….

By the time we had our waterproofs on the sun was out taking the micky! 

It was then a three incline ride up to Brampton to our lovely accommodation- the Scotch Arms Mews.

Meal then back to the honesty bar for a nightcap and this update.

  

Tomorrow is the longest day miles and climb wise 22 miles and 2200 feet of accent to Twice Brewed (nice name). It’s supposed to be quite isolated and where the Sycamore gap tree is. Hopefully get the drone up tomorrow.

I don’t think we’ll outrun that ….

 …and we didn’t. 

Started off on the east coast in Newcastle, or I think to be precise Gateshead as we were on the south side of the river Tyne. 

Our Skedaddle transport arrived promptly and loaded up the bikes and luggage and we were taken across country with a great deal of helpful information and local knowledge from our driver. Before we knew it we were at our start point … Bowness on Solway. I’ve never really considered this side of the estuary as before I’ve done the Annan side. It’s nice country. 

We had our obligatory start point photo and in a few spits of rain then set off …..

After just under a third of a mile we stopped for coffee and cake ! 

Maybe too smug as we started to cycle in earnest we were stalked by a familiar Cumbrian sight….

We were doing ok, I’m fact we took a risk and cycled on a the route that had road closed signs. This was good in that we had the road to ourselves and in true Brit “over H&S” style the bit of road where they were working was very much passible by us and other traffic.

Then we took a ‘wet gamble’ by taking an off piste route that added just under three miles to our travel and also pointed us into the very black cloud. 

We didn’t outrun it …. 

At least we can consider ourselves full season cyclo tourists ! It pinged down but there is something invigorating about being out in the weather, so we ploughed or rather surfed on to Carlisle where we took refuge in a cycle shop for a decent high vis waterproof jacket for Rachel and a handlebar mirror for me. 

Then a nice cycle through some parks in Carlisle to our B&B for the evening. A warm welcome from Yvette and Norman. More rain tomorrow but no more big towns until we get to Newcastle next Sunday.  

 

Side to side instead of end to end

This time last year I was riding my Royal Enfield from Lands End to John o’Groats, a great adventure. Today we ( Rachel is with me on this one) are doing the side to side equivalent by cycling from the west coast of England to the east coast following Hadrians wall.

Today was day one which was a transit day to get us to our end which is Newcastle Upon Tyne … well the end of the cycling trip is the North Sea at Tynemouth. Tomorrow we get taken all the way across country to Bowness on Solway where we start peddling back …..it’s a trip Rachel has often talked about and now we are doing it. Hopefully daily reports for the blog and my memory. 

The bikes just got into the Toyota…. Did I mention I have a fancy for a van 

The Tyne bridge welcomes us to Newcastle 

Sometimes you have to send a Ripple through the corporation pond

I've got a slight advantage over many who dwell in bricks and mortar. Power use on boats is a form of practical science  - a practice and understanding of which those that have a grasp have big advantages. Many many move onto boats and trash expensive battery banks due to poor knowledge.

Power use and cost is big news right now in the UK and I guess around the world - and that's a good thing as anything that is low cost is not regarded as important. Increase the cost and people pay attention to how it's consumed. I understand fuel poverty is a real thing and the government need to support those in such situations. However far too many have alternate priorities and feel poor if they haven't got a new car on the drive, a foreign holiday booked or three subscription TV services on the go..... stop reading now if you disagree or post a comment to add to my learning?

Anyhow we need to change how we do things and one area of this is generation of electricity and storage. We are pending a house battery that'll use cheap overnight electric to be used during the day when its expensive as gas power stations are cranked up to meet demand. Our demand will be met to a degree by the excess electric produced and stored in our batteries overnight.

We are planning on some solar for a part of the house that can be run independently, that'll be a Nev install just not sure what capacity and how to put it in.... I like the idea of the EcoFlow Delta but its expensive and an all in one unit but portable so we could bring 3.5kw  to the boat as and when and plug it in as a shore line within the boat ? As I've invested in Ripple (see below) renewable funds are low so I may go for a boat like install  - separate components for the home office /laundry space at the cottage .

Ripple is a company that sets up co-operatives and manages their wind turbines for them. We registered interest last year on a turbine build in southern Scotland Ayrshire to be precise. We've converted that interest into membership by shares in a co-operative now. So by Autumn 2023 half our annual electricity use will be  provided by this turbine ( yes I know it's not possible to identify individual electrons) We basically get the electricity at the same price as the big corporations get it, the profit and operating costs (some) are our savings. Not massive savings but it'll be a two to three times return on investment and that will depend on how electricity is priced over the next 25 years ! If that interest you read this ..... Click Me 

They call the company Ripple as it is sending a ripple in the cosy corporate pond of power producers... they have a type of monopoly I don't like. Time will tell if its been a good ethical and financial investment... we can only go on our research and gut instinct.  It's a invest to save type as well and change how things are done type investment. Like all investments we understand the risks.

So it raining and the slab laying is on hold, to make good use of my time I'm on to the solar project next! Let the sun shine 

Click me for info on Ripple 

If you want to join use my referral link and we both get £25 credit  

Link to join and save