A Wee Trip over the Border

THE GUIDED LEISURE RIDE "A WEE TRIP OVER THE BORDER" DUE TO TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY 28 JULY HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO SATURDAY 4 AUGUST BECAUSE OF EXPECTED BAD WEATHER IN THE BORDERLANDS

A guided leisure ride from Wooler to Keslo in Scotland and back along quiet roads, with stops to explore places of interest and to allow slower riders to catch up.

The ride starts and ends at the Wooler Milk Bar & Cafe in Wooler (http://doddingtonmilkbar.co.uk/).  The Milk Bar will be open at 07:00 serving breakfasts, snacks, and Pumphreys of Newcastle coffees (and Doddington Dairy ice-creams if you want them). It closes at 17:00.  Toilets are available for customers. 

This ride demonstrates that Wooler is a well positioned gateway to the best of Scotland, in addition to being the gateway to the Cheviots. It takes a scenic route from Wooler to the ancient market town of Kelso in the Scottish Borders. 

From Wooler the route heads north past the gliding club to Milfield and then on to the Flodden Battlefield (1513) where King James IV of Scotland was killed.  The route then takes us to the beautiful River Tweed and we follow the road along the south bank of the river to Carham. This year is the 1000th anniversary of the Battle of Carham between Northumbrians and Scots which is significant because its outcome (a victory for the Scots) defined the eastern border between Scotland and England. 

After Carham we cross the border and continue to follow the Tweed valley, eventually crossing the river along the elegant 5 arch Rennie Bridge built in 1803, to enter Kelso. We will have lunch in Kelso and stroll around its lovely cobbled market square and visit the impressive ruins of the 12th century abbey.

From Kelso we return to Wooler via Mindrum through attractive rolling countryside which yields spectacular views of the Scottish Southern Uplands and the north Cheviots.  We follow the valleys of the Bowmont Water and the River Glen, going through Kilham and Kirknewton and along the northern boundary of the National Park to the A697 and then on to Wooler

The ride is all on road.  Distance: 45 miles.  There are several climbs along the route.  Overall difficulty is moderate. Duration of ride is expected to be around 6-7 hours including stops.

Toilets:  Toilets for public use are at Wooler, Kelso and Kirknewton.  Toilets at pubs and cafes are generally for customers only. 

The ride is operated by the Wooler Cycle Hub on behalf of Northumberland National Park Authority.

The route, route profile, and gpx download (and direct downloads to compatible Garmin devices) are available on Garmin Connect at https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/17927081