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Accommodation - Reivers
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- LinksThough I provide some basic mapping and there is some waymarking, you should take the official route map available from Footprint for £4.50 (01786 479866 or www.footprintmaps.co.uk), Sustrans (0117 929 0888) or Cordee Books & Maps (01162 543579 www.cordee. co.uk). OS Landranger maps (1:50,000) 88, 87, 80, 79, 86, 85, 90 & 89 (in sequence for east to west). If you don't mind bulk and cost, the new Landranger will furnish you with full route details (N.B. older ones will not have Route 10 marked on them).
INTRODUCTION
The Reivers Route opened in 1998 and is 173 miles long. It is also known as the `Return C2C' as it takes you from the end all the way back to the start of the C2C. But it is a great route in its own right - in some ways superior to the C2C. However it has not had as much attention and money spent on it, and is not a fully fledged Sustrans route, so is not given the mile-by-mile care of the C2C. Indeed some who live along the way are concerned that not enough is being done to push this beautiful and isolated stretch of northern wilderness.
Well, I have some news for you all: a cycle route management unit has been set up to work closely local authorities along its entire length. There will be full co-operation with Sustrans and a concerted effort to manage and market Reivers as part of the overall North East Cycle Tourism Strategy.
As with the C2C the gradients along Reivers work in the cyclist's favour. The route winds its way through some of the wildest and most untouched countryside in the UK from the mouth of the mighty River Tyne to the Cumbrian coast. Along the way riders will follow the shores of Kielder Water - Europe's largest man-made lake - before crossing the border for a brief foray into Scotland.
Emerging from the post-industrial and partially regenerated suburbs of Newcastle, the route quickly threads its way into the first gentle then rugged countryside of the Northumberland National Park. There are fine views across to the towering Cheviots before you become immersed in the forest tracks around Keilder, where there are many options suited to mountain bikers and day tripper alike. After the Borders, Carlisle then the Lake District.
This is truly isolated terrain. You could be up in the fastnesses of Sutherland or Ross. But unlike up there, you stumble across such gems as Hesket Newmarket, with its own excellent micro-brewery, Newcastleton just over the Scottish border, or Cockermouth and Bassenthwaite. There is a great deal of satisfaction to be had from such discoveries.
BLOOD & GUTS: THE HISTORY
As you will probably know, the word Reiver means plunderer. The route is named after the murdering bandits who ran a medieval equivalent of Cosa Nostra. This was the Chicago or Sicily of its time, when marauding clans terrorised the English and Scottish Borders for 350 years, until the 17th century. They lived by cattle rustling, kidnapping, extortion, arson and murder.
The route passes many fortified farmhouses revealing the defensive needs of the area as well as its rich heritage. Despite the cosy thematising perpetrated by tourism to give the past a false appeal, there is nothing remotely quaint or even honourable about Reiving; many of the families were happy to swing both ways, fighting for the English if the price was right, or vice versa. One family, the Grahams, were so infamous that their surnames were banned by law, so the Grahams changed them to Maharg (Graham backwards), which later also became McHarg.
Indeed, the word `blackmail' comes from the Reivers: a farmer paid `black-mail' - rent in the form of cattle instead of the legal `white-rent', which was paid in silver, to a powerful Reiver who would give him `protection' in return.
WAY MARKING
The route is way marked with a blue direction sign complete with the word REIVERS and the route number, 10. These are posted at junctions and other strategic spots. Occasionally the road surface is signed; sometimes there are just little plastic stickers stuck to gates and lamp-posts. Signage is not always brilliant, but with sharp eyes and the use of a map you should not get lost. Having said that, sections at the beginning and end are notorious for lack of signs; vandals like to trash them, and souvenir hunters snaffle them.
WHERE TO START AND HOW TO GET THERE
A) NEWCASTLE & TYNEMOUTH
You could start your holiday by leaving your car behind - there are frequent main line inter-city trains to and from Newcastle. If at all possible, please book accommodation, meals and packed lunches in advance, and do not arrive unannounced expecting beds and meals to be available. If you have to cancel a booking, please give the proprietor as much notice as you can so that the accommodation can be re-let. NB: Back-up vehicles are strongly advised to use main roads in order to keep the Reivers Cycle Route as traffic-free as possible.
RAIL
There are direct train services from most cities in Britain to Newcastle Central Station 0191 221 3156. It is served by Great North Eastern Railways (GNER), Virgin Cross Country and Regional Railways. It takes 2 hours 45 minutes from London, and 1 hour 20 minutes from Edinburgh.
To book train seats between Edinburgh and Newcastle, call: Virgin 08457 222333; GNER 08457 225225; or 08457 484950 for any other enquiries.
ROAD
Newcastle is easily accessible. The A1(M) goes through the middle of it. If you are coming by car, there is limited parking at Newcastle station, and the charge is £7 a day. There's also the 635-space Tyne Square Car Park nearby, which does special rates for five or seven day parking of around £5.50 a day 0191 243 8294. The Tourist Information Centre in Newcastle is 0191 277 8000.
AIR
Newcastle Airport is only 20 minutes from the city centre and there are regular and frequent links to many European cities, including Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris, along with international connections to the rest of the world. There are also direct flights to Aberdeen, Birmingham, Gatwick, Heathrow, Wick, Dublin and Belfast 0191 286 0966. W: www.newcastleairport.com
SEA
The International Ferry Terminal at Royal Quays is the North of England's main sea link with Scandinavia and Continental Europe and operates regular passenger services from Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands. Fjordline 0191 296 1313 DFDS Seaways 0191 293 6262
B) WHITEHAVEN
If you choose to start at Whitehaven, the wind is more likely to be in your favour. And you will have to read Part II of this book backwards. This Cumbrian port is accessible by train if you take the local First North Western line from Carlisle. The journey takes about an hour, following the dramatic and spectacular coastline. If opting for the train, remember to book your bike on in advance.
National Rail Enquiries: 08457 484950
First North Western: 08457 000125 (sales); 08456 001159 (customer services).
Virgin Trains (they run the west coast service): 08457 222333.
