Cycling in Derwentside

Blanchland Circuit

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REFRESHMENTS
Parkhead Station
White Monk Tearoom (Blanchland)
The Hemmel (Allenheads)
Cowshill Hotel

Pubs at
Edmondbyers
Blanchland
Rookhope
Allenheads
Nenthead
Cowshill
St John's Chapel

PUBLIC TOILETS
Dales Centre
Blanchland
Allenheads
Nenthead
Wearhead*
St John's Chapel *

* Open Easter-Oct

CYCLE SHOPS
Nenthead
Corbridge

ACCOMMODATION

For further information contact
Dales Centre 01388 527650

Ask for a North Pennines Discovery Guide 01388 528801

Request a County Durham Holiday Guide 0191 3833354

TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRES

Barnard Castle
01833 690909

Stanhope
01388 527650

Middleton in Teesdale
01833 641001

Alston
 01434 382244

Hexham
01434 652220

Corbridge
01434 632815

         
Blanchland & Blanchland Abbey

Starting from Stanhope the ride begins with the steep long climb of Crawleyside Bank and over the grouse moors to the small beautiful village of Edmundbyers,  past Derwent Reservoir to the haunted village of Blanchland and it's Abbey. Blanchland got its name from the white robed  French Canons of Premontre who settled here in 1843. A tale about the canons has been passed down by generations of Blanchland folk. The story recounts how Scottish raiders looking for Blanchland got lost in thick mist on the fells; the sound of bells carrying across the dank moorland located the village, and the Scots duly sacked it. The white clad ghosts of the canons are said to walk the village at night. The route takes a  steady climb out of Blanchland to the pretty village of Hunstanworth with its decorative roofs and on to Lintzgarth. (Lintzgarth arch).  The road then climbs gradually for 5 miles to the head of the Rookhope Valley over Wolfcleugh Common with its views of the disused Lead Mines. After crossing the county border and the descent into Allenheads (The Hemmel) the route climbs Stag Hill and Shivery Hill over the moors to Coalcleugh an old lead mining village, and on to join the climb of Killhope Moor descending past the Killhope Wheel (Killhope Museum). A return ride down the Wear Valley on the small local roads through Brotherlee and back to Stanhope.

at 10.0 mph 4 hrs 30.39 mins.
at 13.0 mph 3 hrs 28.00 mins.
at 16.0 mph 2 hrs 49.00 mins.
at 19.0 mph 2 hrs 22.31 mins.
at 22.0 mph 2 hrs 2.90 mins.

Cycle route 4

4:1 Leaving the Dales Centre turn RIGHT onto A689
4:2 After 0.5 mile turn (2) RIGHT on B6278 to (Crawleyside Bank) and Edmundbyers
4:3 After approx 2 miles bear RIGHT to Edmondbyers
4:4 At Edmondbyers (3) turn LEFT on B6306 and continue through Ruffside (4) past (Derwent Water) and on to Blanchland (Blanchland Abbey).
4:5 Leave Blanchland (5) on local roads to climb (Bale Hill) into Hunstanworth (6) and on to (Mill Bank) past Town Field and over (St Cuthbert's Hill)  towards Rookhope
4:6 At T junction at Lintzgarth (Lintzgarth Arch) (7) turn RIGHT to Allenheads (The Hemmel) over (Wolfcleugh Common)
4:7 Leaving Allenheads on the B6295 towards Allendale turn LEFT after half mile on local road towards Nenthead (8) climb (Stag Hill) and (Shivery Hill) follow the road to Coalcleugh  (9).
4:8 Continue through Coalcleugh to the summit of (Black Hill) and continue to Junction of A689 at Killhope (Killhope Cross) (Killhope Museum) (10)
4:8 Turn LEFT to Cowshill
4:9 At Cowshill (11) continue on A689 until Daddry Shield
4:10 At Daddry Shield (12) turn RIGHT on local roads To Brotherlee (13)
4:11 Continue on local roads to T Junction (14)
4:12 Turn LEFT to Stanhope
4:13 At junction with A689 turn RIGHT to Stanhope Dales Centre

To view this route in Google Maps click button

Elevation profile: Blanchland & Hunstanworth total gain 5908 ft

The Hills

Crawleyside Bank
Height: 1597 ft
Length:  3.8 miles
Steepest Section: 1 in 5
From the main A689 in Stanhope the climb stars abruptly from the first corner. The steepest section is through the outskirts of the town. Leaving Stanhope the climb goes on for over 3 miles over the moors to the turn for Edmundbyers. Crawleyside is the last major climb on the C2C route.

Bale Hill, Mill Bank and Cuthbert's Hill
Height: 1666 ft
Length:  3.2 miles
Steepest Section: 1 in 5
This is really three climbs all rolled into one. A short steep section on (Bale Hill) out of Baybridge up to Hunstanworth. On to Townfield and (Mill Bank) then the long drag over (St Cuthbert's Hill) to the summit

Wolfcleugh Common
Height: 1745 ft
Length:  5 miles
Steepest Section: 1 in 7
Starting from the arch at Lintzgarth the hill climbs gradually up past the redundant lead mine on Wolfcleugh Common.
A long climb but not difficult wonderful views of the Rookhope valley. Nice climb if you have a tail wind!

Stag Hill, Shivery Hill & Black Hill
Height: 2000 ft
Length: approx 3 miles
Steepest Section: 1 in 7
The climb out of Allendale (Stag Hill) leads on over (Shivery Hill) and the moor to the summit of (Black Hill) This road is in the opposite direction to the C2C route.

Killhope Cross
Height: 2056 ft
Length: 0.5 mile
Steepest Section: 1 in 5
The highest climb on a classified road (A689) in England
This section of the climb starts part way up the main climb and goes up in stages with several false summits to its peak at Killhope Cross.

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