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squiz Member Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 2884 |
2nd July 2017 Mt. Biking: Around Berwick-Upon-Tweed Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: sunny periods but very windy! Max Speed: 25.30 (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 19.83 mile (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise) Sunday 2nd July – Bike **** Around Berwick-Upon-Tweed – sunny periods but very windy! 19.83 miles covered, out 5hrs 30 mins., 25.30 kt max speed Our second night in our lovely spot on the edge of Berwick-upon-Tweed harbour with top views down to Holy Island:) Sunny start with fluffy white clouds and fairly quiet especially for a Sunday, our plan was to walk into town then move on to Holy Island or perhaps into Scotland? So, after breakfast walked along a big section of the Elizabethan wall, then down into town, first to Iceland to buy some heathy stuff finishing off at Sports Direct to try and get some sandals as mine are on their last legs:(but didn’t have my size. We had seen some cyclists on a nice path heading out of Berwick along the Tweed and we thought that Holy Island would be busy on a Sunday so decided to head out on our bikes despite the fresh offshore wind! On the way back we noticed that the road we are parked on will be closed tomorrow so were not sure what to do? Mag packed a salad while I sorted out the bikes then a man that lives in a beautiful but very run-down house just up from us was out by his van, so we went and had a chat with him about the road closure. What a nice man he was and we got some colourful stories and he said that they are replacing the metal harbour ladders and the road will be open to locals so we should be alright:) Then we set off just before midday and went up onto the town wall along the Tweed to the bridges, under the big road bridge past the rowing club on a nice tarmac path, perfect for biking, shame it didn’t last long:( Under the massive railway via-duct with lots of Virgin trains going over regularly and stopping at a castle ruin again built to guard against those pesky Scots! Then just along the path was a large boat sculpture made completely out of driftwood which was perfect for a selfie pic. Then after about half a mile it started to go a bit wrong, the path forked, one way heading up a hill away from the river the other continuing along the water, a nice family whose daughter was lovely told us we could continue along the river. We came to our first obstacle, a narrow wooden footbridge which was a tight fit for bikes. That passed it was then a top section through a small wood as we rose up above the Tweed only a little muddy in places. At another fork, we turned left heading steeply down to the river over our first stile and I caught my leg drawing blood, not the first injury of the day! Over another little bridge into a marshy meadow by the river with sheep, swans and gulls. You could just make out a sheep path so followed that, stopping to pick up a gull’s skull and what looked like sheep’s teeth! We had taken our OS Map and regularly checked it to try and find a circular route back to the van but we think it just got us into more trouble as the footpaths are not suitable for biking, in fact it was difficult to even walk on them as they were so overgrown:( It get a little complicated now as we go under the A1 and Whiteadder Water, a tributary, branches off but the map shows footpaths to continue, but it is very over grown and we had to push our bikes taking more chucks out of my legs. We reach a big wooden footbridge over the river but decide against it and return through the farmers wheat field over a couple of stiles to the A1! We are only on the busy road a short way before turning left on a quieter road to Paxton House. We get to a bridge over the tributary and find a nice sheltered place for our picnic, a local couple of walkers direct us on a small detour to a weir where if we are lucky we might see some salmon leaping! We quickly find the spot which looks lovely as the sun comes out but sadly no salmon to be seen:( Back on the B road which is very up and down and hard going into a head wind. We spot the Tweed down to our left and a sign saying we are entering Scotland! That was a surprise, we had no idea we were that close! We then come to Paxton House accessed by a long drive way to parkland, Mag spots some impressive long horned cattle so we watch for a while before going to look at the house, a large red stone building overlooking the Tweed. We have no intention of going in but sit at one of their picnic benches for a snack. Its then mainly downhill to the oldest cable suspension bridge still used in the UK and we bike back into England. There is a section of disused railway track shown on our map leading back to Berwick and as we have had some great cycles along them in the past we were pleased to find it quite easily but it has been left to overgrow so continue along the road. We come to a ruined railway bridge which takes you up onto what was once the track and we thought we had cracked it, sadly not as it soon ran out and we had to walk out of yet another farmers field:( We were then soon back into Berwick over the old stone bridge and up onto the other section of town wall leading back to the van. One last thing, a quick but very windy trip out along the pier to the lighthouse then back to the van for a well-deserved cuppa and cream tea:) Yummy Iceland salmon risotto for tea and will move on tomorrow but will it be up to St Abs Head in Scotland or down to Holy Island, the world is our lobster:) Photo Gallery here |
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