Kielder Water Ride Out
215 miles. 5hrs 30mins. August 2010
I got the weather and the traffic just right when I did this run. It was dry and the traffic was very light and the roads around Kielder had had their potholes filled in from when I was last there earlier in the year.
I normally do this run on a Sunday but this time it was on a Thursday which might have something to do with the lack of other vehicles. The route took me through Carlisle and then along the A69 to Greenhead where I picked up the Roman road which is also known as the military road but if you look on a map it is the B6318. This road is very straight, which you would expect from a Roman road, but the scenery is very good and the 'severe' dips, though signposted, are very interesting, it also makes overtaking very easy. There's always loads of people walking along the route of Hadrian's Wall no matter what time of year you go. Anyway, I stay on this road until I come to a right turn which is signposted Bellingham. From here on in you start to enjoy yourself as the road gets bendy. and it stays like this for quite a while. Like I said previous there was very little traffic on the road but overtaking on these roads can be a little bit frustrating specially if you are in a group of riders. Once you hit Kielder Water the road widens and the bends are long and sweeping and it is a very fast road.
I pull in at the Village of Kielder and park up outside the Anglers Arms and have lunch here. If this had been the weekend there would have been plenty of bikers to have a chat with but the place was empty so there was no waiting for the food. I switched my mobile on but there wasn't a signal. I had a little sit on the benches outside and noticed bbq equipment in the corner, apparently, they serve bbq every now and then.
Setting off again fully refreshed and ready for some more bendy roads and really good scenery. I am not disappointed and the sheep behave themselves (not like them suicide buggers on the Tan Hill run). I pick up the B6357 which is also an entertaining road which takes you through Newcastleton to the A7 and then onto Carlisle where instead of going through the city I go down the M6 and turn off at Penrith and head for Keswick where I get there just as the food wagon (The Tram Roll) was shutting up shop. Again no bikers to talk to so have a walk around Keswick market and then head for home.
The mileage is probably more than it needed to be and the time could have been a lot shorter but I did make a detour to Keswick and had a walk around the market.
Enjoyed the roads that much I didn't stop to take photo's but I did take one of the pub.