Pity Me & Annfield Plain: feedback

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
Post Reply
User avatar
fausto copy
Posts: 2809
Joined: 14 Dec 2008, 6:51pm
Location: Pembrokeshire

Pity Me & Annfield Plain: feedback

Post by fausto copy »

Hi folks, trying to work out my next phase of our forthcoming trip, so hope some "locals" can help out here.

We'll be staying in the Pity Me area for a couple of days and want to visit Annfield Plain, where my Dad was born.
Having looked on Bikehike's OSM maps, I see that NCN route 14 heads from just south of Pity Me in a northwesterly direction.
I'd like to know what the condition of it is like, as it appears to be "off-road".
Suitable for touring bikes?

I thought we could come off at Lanchester and ride up to Annfield Plain from there.

Also, I see that NCN R7 passes through Annfield Plain.
Am I right in thinking that this is the Coast to Coast route?
Anyway, same query: condition of route please, as I thought we could take that out of AP heading east and come off near Chester le Street and pop back down to our base from there.

Here's hoping, fausto.
Last edited by fausto copy on 22 May 2014, 10:21pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Dean
Posts: 1036
Joined: 21 Apr 2008, 2:40pm
Location: Darlington

Re: Pity Me & Annfield Plain

Post by Dean »

Aye, NCN7 is the coast to coast.

Like a lot of the cycle routes around there, it's based on old colliery lines. All easily ridable on anything, really. Hard packed surfaces and only very brief dips where the bridges have been knocked down.

The Lanchester Valley line (NCN14) is probably the best in that it has the least annoying gates (we managed to clear all of them on a tandem trike), but they're all pretty good. From Pity Me you just need to nip south along the A167 and take the right turn for Ushaw College, then hop onto the path near Bear Park. You get to pass Diggerland, and Langley Park (home to both Prefab Sprout and Sir Bobby Robson).

A few years ago, the council released some very usable free maps showing the cycle routes in the county - I had a quick look at the Durham tourism and council websites to see if you can still order them, but I couldn't see anything obvious. If you give them a ring or drop them an e-mail they might be able to post them out to you. But if you can't find them I can send you the relevant map - it's based on the OS Landranger but has a bit more detail about the surfaces and a couple of town centre maps (not Annfield Plain, I don't think).

Enjoy! It's brilliant.
User avatar
fausto copy
Posts: 2809
Joined: 14 Dec 2008, 6:51pm
Location: Pembrokeshire

Re: Pity Me & Annfield Plain

Post by fausto copy »

Dean, thanks for your info, most helpful.
I've had a look at the "This is Durham" website and managed to find (deep, deep inside :wink: ) a set of cycle maps.
I've downloaded the Lanchester Valley Railway Path one and have also looked at one of the others close to Durham itself to try and link up, avoiding the A road.
We'll be staying in Finchale Abbey and it looks possible that we may be able to cycle (or walk if necessary) along the Weardale Way following the river south, to intercept Route 14.

If we use Route 7 to head east out of Annfield Plain, we should be able to take it to Chester-Le-Street and (following signs for the cricket ground) work our way over to Great Lumley and then pop south back to Finchale, by way of the old toll bridge over the river.

A doddle. :lol:

Cheers, fausto.
Mark1978
Posts: 4912
Joined: 17 Jul 2012, 8:47am
Location: Chester-le-Street, County Durham

Pity Me & Annfield Plain

Post by Mark1978 »

I live in Chester le Street so I know the area very well!

The answer is that the Lanchester Valley Path between Durham and Lancheter and the C2C between Birtley and Annfield Plain are both passable by road bikes. Lanchester Path is mostly good gravel. C2C is mostly tarmac.

However to go from Pity Me yo Annfield Plain I wouldn't use either.


From Pity Me head to the A691 there's a shared use path on the right hand side which will take you to Witton Gilbert. From there climb the narrow road up to Charlaw Fell then along Long Edge and through the Burnhope past the big transmitter. Then along the road for a few miles hang a right and you're in Annfield Plain. All nice quiet roads.

Coming back NCN7 is mostly tarmac apart from a couple of miles of good gravel around Beamish. Beyond Beamish it's brand new super nice tarmac (laid last December). To get back to Finchale follow the A167 south after the cycle path and into the centre of Chester-le-Street and the main shopping street (bicycles are allowed) keep following the road along to the roundabout and you'll pick up a shared path next to the A167 which goes all the way back to Pity Me.

If you have time for a longer ride try following NCN14 and NCN7 up to Parkhead.

PS. If you'd planned to go from Lanchester to Annfield Plain then you're doing Peth Bank which is 20%!
User avatar
fausto copy
Posts: 2809
Joined: 14 Dec 2008, 6:51pm
Location: Pembrokeshire

Re: Pity Me & Annfield Plain

Post by fausto copy »

Mark, thanks for your thoughts.
I can see your reasoning for your selected route, as it seems to be a bit more direct, with possibly more rural views.
Regarding the section from Lanchester to Annfield Plain, I thought we'd be going up Howden bank, but that 20%'er up Peth Bank sounds a bit more exciting!

We've just done a few of them in the Brecon Beacons area, so it has a certain appeal. :lol:

Cheers.
Mark1978
Posts: 4912
Joined: 17 Jul 2012, 8:47am
Location: Chester-le-Street, County Durham

Re: Pity Me & Annfield Plain

Post by Mark1978 »

Howden Bank is a bit busy with traffic for my tastes. But "The Peth" has a bit of a legendary status in local cycling.
cnb
Posts: 148
Joined: 10 Oct 2013, 8:57am

Re: Pity Me & Annfield Plain

Post by cnb »

If you are planning to use the old Lanchester valley line you could continue on till it meets the C2C just outside Consett..There's a good farm cafe near the Hounds gill viaduct and the ride from there to Anfield plain isn't too bad..Its a route that i ride now and again..Leaving Sunderland on the W2W as far as Stone Bridge just outside Durham,joining the Lanchester valley line to Consett, then C2C home..Mostly good paths...
User avatar
fausto copy
Posts: 2809
Joined: 14 Dec 2008, 6:51pm
Location: Pembrokeshire

Re: Pity Me & Annfield Plain

Post by fausto copy »

Now there's a dilemma......
ride on to Consett or tackle Peth Bank. :?
User avatar
fausto copy
Posts: 2809
Joined: 14 Dec 2008, 6:51pm
Location: Pembrokeshire

Re: Pity Me & Annfield Plain; Feedback

Post by fausto copy »

Just an update to let you know that we did manage to get to Annfield Plain alright.
The caravan park at Finchale Abbey is in a wonderful location and on arrival we scouted out the bridle path from the Prison down into Durham. We just about fathomed out how to get onto the cycle routes from the city centre, thanks to 6 guys who were doing the W to W and had found the route into Durham rather tortuous.
The next morning we rode back into Durham and had the hardest climb of our 3 week tour, up Redhill(?). I confess I got off and pushed - a typical Sustrans route if you ask me. :wink:
Anyway, we got onto the Lanchester Valley track (NCN route 14) and apart from one confusing section just before Langley Park, where the route is signed back onto the road, away from the track (and rejoins again a couple of hundred metres further on. :roll: ), rode all the way into Lanchester.
Enjoyed a nice light lunch in a very quaint café at the back of a gift shop, where it was lovely and quiet away from the booming music coming from a marquee, where there seemed to be a biker's convention going on!

Rode up the hill through Maiden law and straight into Annfield Plain, where the first house you see, straight opposite, is where my Dad and uncles grew up. Worked our way around to find St.Aidens Crescent, where we found the house my Dad was actually born in. (This was a pilgrimage for me, as my Dad died when I was only 18 months old and have, sadly no memory or recollection of him. But a very emotional experience as we arrived at the house. :cry: )

Within 10 metres of the house, where the old station used to be is now Tesco :roll: and from there we took the old railway line, now NCN route 7 over to Chester-le Street, where we looped around to Great Lumley and walked the bikes through Cocken Wood, back to the campsite at Finchale.

A day I'll never forget. Thanks for all your input chaps.

fausto.
DaleFTW
Posts: 318
Joined: 8 Jun 2013, 7:18pm

Re: Pity Me & Annfield Plain

Post by DaleFTW »

:D

That's my neck of the woods.
Mark1978
Posts: 4912
Joined: 17 Jul 2012, 8:47am
Location: Chester-le-Street, County Durham

Re: Pity Me & Annfield Plain: feedback

Post by Mark1978 »

Sounds like a lovely ride! How did you find the climb up to Maiden Law? Did you take the main road or did you do 'The Peth'? :D

Also please tell me which cafe it is in Lanchester as I do like a little cafe! We've recently found one in Langley Park too so we could walk between them!
User avatar
fausto copy
Posts: 2809
Joined: 14 Dec 2008, 6:51pm
Location: Pembrokeshire

Re: Pity Me & Annfield Plain: feedback

Post by fausto copy »

Hi Mark, we climbed up to Maiden Law on the main road and my only problem was the toasted bacon sandwich which had filled me up! Here's a photo of the cafe for you:
P1000513.JPG

It's the Gallery Coffee House, at the back of the Country House and Gifts shop.
Looked a bit posh and genteel for cyclists, but very friendly and lovely food at very good prices.
And here's my food:
p1000512 copy.jpg


Thanks again for your input. If we ever did it again, we'd definitely take your suggested route, as these old railway tracks do get a bit monotonous. Hope you enjoy the grub as well as the lovely countryside up there.
fausto.
User avatar
Dean
Posts: 1036
Joined: 21 Apr 2008, 2:40pm
Location: Darlington

Re: Pity Me & Annfield Plain: feedback

Post by Dean »

I really enjoyed your reports, FC. Ta for that.
Post Reply