Northumberland - Reivers Trails

This new holiday winds its way through England’s largest forest taking in parts of the vast network of forest trails and nearby moorland bridleways, byways and quiet backroads. The rolling hills of Reivers’ country open up spectacular vistas across the forest landscape taking in Kielder Water – Europe’s largest man-made lake – and its artwork, cultural and wildlife attractions. The area is also a magnet for stargazers, with Northumberland’s International Dark Sky Park being the largest in the UK.

Our riding begins at Hadrian’s Wall and we soon escape any traffic and make the most of being in England’s most sparsely populated county to get away from it all. This journey will take in ancient drove roads and tranquil byways and the extensive network of gravel roads built to service forest operations. No visit to the home of the Border Reivers would be complete without a raid across the border, so via a visit to the historically contested “Debatable Lands” of the Northumberland, Cumbria and Borders region, we will make our way to Newcastleton in Liddesdale, for an overnight stop in Scotland. We’ll return to Northumberland via the ancient Bloody Bush drove road before spending three nights in Bellingham, a historic market town in the heart of the North Tyne valley and a perfect base to make the most of the myriad of trails on our doorstep. Two loop rides from here include parts of the Border County Ride, Kielder Forest Drive and the Lakeside Trail, with some hills (and exhilarating descents) to tackle.

Our final day’s riding will take us from Bellingham, through remote forest back-country to the Roman Wall before a transfer back to Newcastle. With wide open spaces and miles of great trails, it's no surprise that this is a growing destination for UK gravel biking with a burgeoning network of Reivers Trails and home to the Dirty Reiver endurance gravel challenge event.

This holiday is aimed at those who have enjoyed Skedaddle road cycling or mountain bike trips and want to have a taste of gravel riding in a remote area, as well as gravel bikers wanting to experience the best of the growing network of trails hand picked by expert local riders.

Highlights

• Miles and miles of traffic-free gravel trails to explore
• A raid across the Scottish Border and a night in Newcastleton, Liddesdale
• A chance to spot ospreys which have nested in Kielder since 2008
• A visit to the Skyspace installation designed by artist James Turrell
• Fabulous vistas across Europe’s largest man-made lake
• The flowing contours and switchbacks of Kielder’s Lakeside Trail
• A delicious local pint from First and Last’s Bellingham-based brewery

With a very strong emphasis on off-road riding this gravel biking tour will make the most of the region’s extensive network of forestry roads which range from hardpack to chunky loose gravel in places, with everything in between. While occasionally a bit muddy, depending on the weather, it’s not uncommon even in these parts of Northumberland and the Borders for things to get dusty in the warmer months of summer.

The moorland byways and bridleways feature a range of surfaces including grassy bridleways, occasionally stony or rutted farm tracks and narrower single-track sections. Even the tarmac sections we take in on little-used minor roads tend to be gravelly!