Hexhamshire Common

I’ve ridden this route before but it was very dry then and hadn’t been raining for a while unlike today. It had been raining for about 5 day’s non-stop so I expected to get a bit wet. Started off from Whitley Chapel, a small village just outside of Hexham, at the time I got there most people were going to church so parking was a bit tricky but managed to find a spot. The first section is all road for a couple of miles, which is good because it gets you warmed up for the first off road section. This part was very wet and was more like riding up a stream than a bridleway. Once up the hill I was constancy dive bombed by birds that must have had their nests close by. Across the moor towards Sinderhope and a really fast downhill on farm track first then tarmac, you can easily get 40 mph at this part. Before I reached the downhill section I took a bit of a tumble, front wheel getting stuck in the mud and going straight over the bars, luckily I landed on my face, so no damaged done.

Once down on the road you simply follow it for about 3 miles until you reach the bridleway sign at Fell View. It’s a push up the hill unless you’re super fit. I stopped halfway up to have something to eat then continued to the top where I found a group of walkers sitting down taking a break, said hello but they never replied! From here it’s a mixture of that yellow dolomite stuff and single track pete, again very wet; had another fall here, bike wanted to go one way and I wanted to go the other. This section is mostly downhill and after the push up to the top I was pleased of it.

From here I could see the road back to Whitley Chapel and a few people gathered at the bottom on horses so I slowed down, once pasted the horses it was a fast ride back to the car.