May 8, 2024
Whitley Bay to Newbiggin
up the coast
When I was in this hotel with Dave two years ago, my hamstring was torn and getting down the stairs was a very slow, painful experience. This morning, it's just my leg muscles that are aching a bit.
The bike is stored in the same place next to reception - a large room that's still undergoing renovation - and after a buffet breakfast, it gets wheeled out into sunshine and I take in the view of the large beach across the road for a minute before making my way up the street into the centre of town.
As in 2022, I pop into a few charity shops, then find the bike path that initially takes me through a park before going along what looks like a disused railway line. There are dogwalkers and joggers around on this sunny Wednesday morning, but the sun disappears behind clouds as soon as I get my camera out for a self-timed shot. Typical.
The path leads me north and I eventually get onto the A190, which takes me east, back towards the coast. It's nice that there's a cycle path running along it and it's only a few minutes to reach the grandoise Seaton Delaval Hall. This stately place has a tea room and the intention is to pop in for a snack and a drink, but when I get to its entrance there's a hefty fee so I get back on the road's cycle path and keep riding towards the coast, which is only another few minutes' cycling away.
When I look in my Cateye mirror, I can see about a dozen other people on bikes trailing me. We part ways at the coastal cycle path as I check on cafes on Google Maps. There's bound to be a place selling coffee near the beach somewhere not too far away.
The path weaves a route beside the house-high dunes, which block off sight of the beach and sea. The sand is soft and deep, with course grass holding it in place. It's tempting to trek to the beach, but pushing a bike across the soft sand is too much like hard work.
The seaside town of Blyth soon comes into view and I pause at a corner shop and get a cold drink and a snack before turning off into the nearby port area. It's a brief excursion and my curiosity is rewarded with a rustic, wooden jetty that pokes far into the sea.
There are a few WII gun batteries that still aim out to sea as I get to the edge of Blyth and then I pause to take a snap of some pristine beach huts. A minute or two later The Breeze cafe gets my attention and my bike gets parked outside and I enjoy a light lunch and a decent coffee.
As I make my way into Blyth, I pass a lighthouse hidden down a back alley before finding a few charity shops in the centre. One of them has a light fleece top and I buy it just in case it gets chilly. It costs a fiver. Bargain.
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5 months ago
There are signs for a cycle path out of Blyth, but I miss one of them and end up in an industrial area. Google Maps tells me the turning is not far back and it turns out to be hidden in a hedge. The path hugs the shoreline and takes me under a high railway bridge just as a long line of containers is getting towed across.
There's a foot bridge that takes me across the River Blyth. I didn't know about it and thought I would have to go on the busy road bridge. The path then hugs the river's north bank and after a small parking area, it drops a little and becomes sandy. I fear the worse and return and speak to a dogwalker, who tells me the path is sandy, but only for 50 metres or so. I return and give it another go, pushing my bike across the dry sand.
A short while after, I meet another dogwalker who tells me to just keep going through a large caravan park, making my way towards the coastal path. My luck must be in, as I manage to find it, even though it's just a grassy trail with a steep drop down from the top of the cliff.
My energy is pretty low and it's nice to see Newbiggin come into view. My entrance is via the promenade and I get onto the town's main street and soon stand outside the Queens Head. It's one of the few places that I saw planning the trip that offers rooms.
The woman behind the bar phones her boss when I ask about a room and I hear her tell him I'm on a bike. I'm not sure if that's important. When he turns up, he tells me he asked her if I had a scouse accent, so he must have had some negative experiences from people from Liverpool. My room is £80 and my bike gets wheeled into the yard at the back.
There's an Indian restaurant just along the street and after a curry I pop into a pub called The Cresswell Arms, which is a bit further along to have a pint. The Queens Head is closed tonight as there's a function on and once in bed music thuds away till midnight, which is annoying when you're dog tired and want to sleep.
Today's ride: 36 km (22 miles)
Total: 276 km (171 miles)
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