Wanting to show that we could still do it at 79 we planned to cycle to Cockermouth for the annual Solway CC dinner which we attend every year usually by car. Knowing that we would unlikely to make it all the way from Sunderland we left the car at Causey Hill caravan site Hexham. We left the car on Saturday morning at 9.30 in minus degree temperatures carrying saddle bags and panniers and in a bitterly cold wind rode via Langley – Bearsbridge – Whitfield to Alston where we had a break with a welcome bacon sandwich and coffee. By the time we reached Hartside we had a tail wind which made the long drag to the summit a lot easier than we had anticipated but at the summit it was -7 degrees, the café of course in burnt down but the road down the other side has been re-surfaced which was great but wewere wary of icy patches on the smooth surface. The café at Langwathby station is only open on evenings now and is up for sale so we had to stop at Melmerby to thaw out at the bakery for coffee and a fantastic ham and cheese quiche. We took the back road into Penrith, the centre of which was barred to traffic due to a festival then through Greystoke. The track from Threkeld is closed due to bridges being swept away in the recent floods and we were diverted towards the Stone Circle, however the banks leading to it are horrendous and not what you want at the end of a hard day. We arrived at the Derwent hill activities centre where we were staying at 4.30.
On Sunday it was bitterly cold again and there being no cooking facilities at our digs we left at 7am to ride by Bassenthwaite lake and village to Cockermouth where we had breakfast. The dinner was 12am for 12.30 so to use up the time we toured the local lanes which Noel had known from years ago when he worked nearby, our route was blocked by another bridge swept away in the floods and after a lengthy detour arrived at the venue at 12.15. Hundith Hall Hotel is a fantastic venue with a choice of thirteen courses starter, mains and sweet with coffee and biscuits the normal price is £16.75 but the club subsidised it by £1.50 out of our annual subs of £2, a lesson there I think! Afterwards we returned to Keswick via Winlater pass parts of which we had to walk.
Monday was, again, very cold. We left at 7am looking for somewhere for breakfast, the camp site café at Braithwaite did not open till after 8 so we pushed on not wanting to waste time, we bypassedthe A66 where possible helped by road works where we could ride protected by the closed road and crossed the head of Bassenthwaite lake to pass the Castle inn heading uphill to Uldale. The route was very hilly and from there it just got worse on reaching Caldbeck we found a café open for a bacon sandwich and coffee. Dalstone – Durdar – Wetherall – Warwick Bridge – Brampton were continuous climbs, we stopped at Lanercost for another coffee, before reaching Gilsland we went off course up more hills passing by the roman wall.By this time we were feeling tired and thought of getting the train, however the station at Gilsland was closed in 1960’s so we plodded on to Greenhead and Haltwhistle where we boarded a train for the last few miles to Hexham. There is a mile long un-ridable steep bank to the caravan site so a long weary day was capped with a difficult walk.We had a great weekend, tiring, exhausting and cold but all that was overcome with a sense of achievement and knowing that after all these years we could still cope with a difficult ride, in all we rode approx.150 miles. We travelled through wonderful scenery, had some good laughs and will certainly do it again next year all being well and hopefully be up for it in our 80th year.
Solway CC annual subscription £2 dinner subsidised by £1.50. Route: Hexham – Langley – Bearsbridge – Whitfield – Alston – Hartside – Penrith – Greystoke – Stone Circle Keswick.. Keswick – Cockermouth – circular route through the lanes to Hundith Hall – return to Keswickvia Winlater pass. Keswick – Brathwaite – Bassenthwaite – Uldale – Caldbeck – Dalstone – Durdar – Wetherall– Warwick Bridge – Brampton – Lanercost – Banks – Gilsland – Greenhead – Haltwhistle
Comments