Berwick-upon-tweed to Bolton via Sandstone way & more

[fatbikerbill]

End of March I am doing this approx route https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising- ... ck-to-home
400km, 9000m, , hopefully over 4 days.

any comments gratefully appreciated.

first part is the Sandstone way - anyone know what that is like ?

Oh & If you want to sponsor me you can
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/berwick-to-home

[whitestone]

We did the Sandstone Way in the opposite direction. http://bobwightman.blogspot.co.uk/2015/ ... e-way.html It's generally easy going, I'd say borderline gravel/MTB terrain, very little trail centre style riding.

[fatbikerbill]

Cheers Whitestone,

That's good, I'm not after trail centre riding on this trip.

Still undecided between the fatty and the krampus.

That section sounds more krampus like.

[ericrobo]

Hiya Bill

If your route goes through the Dales, you could plot to get anyway near Kilnsey or Mastiles Lane, then take the BW to get to Weets Top (The Weets), excellent ST from there to Airton, then head for Gargrave...(there is a section of BW but not done it, but very quiet road)

From Gargrave take the canal as far as Barnoldswick (see Bob’s [Whitestone] account of the drudgery of the PBW from there to Long Preston)....

then onto the PBW which goes over Extwistle (excellent riding), and you meet the MTL (Mary Towneley Loop) and go either cw or acw (shortest is the anti-clockwise I think but quite a bit of climbing... come to think of it there is either way)...

When you get to Cowpe Lowe just drop down to Edenfield (all down down down), turn right on main road and after about 500 metres turn left, over the dual carriageway, then turn right and drop into Irwell Vale, climb out of it to pick up the track to Robin Hoods Well, then climb up to the gate and either go right over past the Maggott Farm (the half mile bog), or easier straight on to Peel Tower...

Nearly home then

[whitestone]

If your route goes through the Dales, you could plot to get anyway near Kilnsey or Mastiles Lane, then take the BW to get to Weets Top (The Weets), excellent ST from there to Airton, then head for Gargrave...(there is a section of BW but not done it, but very quiet road)

There's a BW between Airton and Bell Busk, a short bit (maybe 300 metres) of quiet road then there's Mark House Lane over to Gargrave.

The PBW through the Dales isn't that bad but at the Kirkby Stephen end I'd take the BW by the river as far as Pendragon Castle. You rejoin the PBW just along from here (Lady Ann's Highway). Follow the PBW to just before High Birkwith above Horton then rather than keeping on the PBW to Clapham and Feizor head about 1km east to pick up the track between Langstrothdale and Horton and follow it to the village. A bit of road to Helwith Bridge then cut left up Moor Head Lane and work your way over to Malham Tarn, onto Mastiles then Weets Top and down to Calton/Airton.

[ericrobo]

Bob

Do you know anything of the (looks like a) track right of the purple line :

And the BW left of the blue line ?

and above the redline is the lane you mentioned ?

Airton by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

[ericrobo]

And another option:

On reaching Helwith Bridge, turn right (quiet road) then turn left after about 1k to take the quieter qr to Stainforth.

From there it's quite good riding (on the PBW) from where you get onto the Gorbeck Road (excellent off-road here, after a bit of qr towards Langcliffe) ) then NE towards Malharm Tarn, then Street Gate, and onto Mastiles Lane, and turn right after 2.5k to get to Weets Top

(and if you're not tired enough 1k outside Horton take the little narrow road on your left to Dub Cote, then through a gate onto what may be a FP (but I always ride it... but down usually going the opposite way) then join the BW and turn right to swoosh down to Helwith Bridge...

[whitestone]

Bob

Do you know anything of the (looks like a) track right of the purple line :

And the BW left of the blue line ?

and above the redline is the lane you mentioned ?

Airton by Eric Robinson, on Flickr

The one to the right of the purple line is the BW I mentioned to Bell Busk. It's a farm track to just south of Kirk Syke (farm), actually to the barns at Well Head Laithe, then a line across fields.

The one above the red line is Mark House Lane.

The BW left of the blue line is across arable fields and isn't particularly interesting. It's quite hard work when they've mown the fields for hay and you pick up grass in your derailleur

[fatbikerbill]

Cheers all and hi Eric, we should meet up soon.

Airton to Colne sucks by almost any route especially the PBW. If I was going that way I'd just road that section.

I'm actually slightly east, coming down via Kettlewell and skipton and rejoin the PBW at widdop.

I'm reasonably familiar with that section to home ;-)

Pretty sure I'll take the krampus over the fatty if I can sort out the crunchy gears

[ericrobo]

Hi Bill

Are you going through Westmorland ? (ha ! I hope you remember that ?)

Alston, Appleby ? Any off-road options ?

Ps - Sundays - could be free April 15th it looks like (though I’m out a few times during the week (man of leisure )

Bob will know how PBW is from Barnoldswick to Wycoller, but from just east of the there (Forest of Trawden) across Extwistle is good, taking you to MTL

[fatbikerbill]

Eric, route here https://goo.gl/jLc4dC

[ericrobo]

Thanks Bill

It looks like you’re doing it in a light aircraft that

Lots of straight lines...

If you can send me a gpx