Holiday Highlights
- The vibrant city of Newcastle upon Tyne
- Cycling through the least populated county in England
- Pease pudding and stotties
- Wide open countryside with sweeping views of ‘the land of far horizons’
- Hadrian’s Wall, castles, forts, and hills galore!
Both days were absolutely fantastic. Unforgettable actually, particularly cycling above the mist on the Sunday morning. Just an overall big thank you to the whole team!
Itinerary
Participants wishing to travel by train can be picked up from Newcastle Central Station train station and should discuss timetables with the office before booking tickets to ensure that arrival times coincide with our pick-up and transfer schedules. The Skedaddle team will be on hand at our city centre hotel from late afternoon onwards, to meet those choosing to make their own way by car.
The hotel is situated on the Gateshead side of the River Tyne just minutes away from Newcastle Quayside, one the city’s main hotspots for entertainment and nightlife. Anyone planning to arrive earlier on Friday should let us know in advance as we may be able to arrange for an early check-in at the hotel.
The party will dine together, during which time the team will conduct an informal briefing and talk through the program for the weekend before retiring for the evening.

- Meals: Breakfast, lunch
- Ascent: 1,200 Metres Approx.
Newcastle is a very compact city and although we begin the day by crossing through its very centre, it’s a relaxed affair with relatively low levels of urban traffic to negotiate. We find ourselves on quieter, more rural, roads within a surprisingly short space of time.
Apart from a sharp little ramp very early into the ride as we move away from the riverside and into the city centre, the morning’s stage rolls very gently. By the time we’ve completed only seven miles we find ourselves bidding farewell to Newcastle’s suburbs as the vast green open space of the Northumberland countryside looms into view.
As we push on, although there are no enormous climbs to contend with, the terrain becomes progressively more challenging, and the scenery more rugged, until we reach Rothbury, a small but historically important agricultural trading town, originally established on a crossroads over a ford on the River Coquet
Rothbury will be our home for the evening, but our ride is far from over at this point as we end the day with a 25-mile loop-ride exploration of the remote settlements and villages in the surrounding hills. Once back in the town we’ll clean up, settle in for the evening and enjoy dinner together in a local pub.

- Meals: Breakfast, lunch
- Ascent: 850 Metres Approx.
Today, as we start our journey back to Newcastle, we move slightly further to the west to explore yet more of the beautiful countryside that lies on the northern side of the Tyne Valley.
The road undulates, generally upwards, but is only moderately challenging for the first the 10 miles or so. Two climbs, in quick succession, turn up the heat a little and take us up to the highest point of our weekend where we pass by Winter’s Gibbet. A long and glorious descent whisks us away from this bizarre and eerie remnant of a late 18th century Northumberland murder, as we head towards, and through, the villages of Hartington, Cambo and Wallington.
Later in the day we join a route that frequently features in the region’s primary National Road Race fixture, the Beaumont Trophy, where we have an opportunity to test our legs on the Ryals, a notorious but thankfully short climb which has been known to catch out even the most seasoned riders.
Beyond the Ryals we enjoy a relaxed and gently rolling jaunt back to Newcastle which, if all has gone to plan, we should reach by mid-afternoon in time to shower and change before heading home.

Gallery
The Cycling
Terrain
We leave, and return, to Newcastle city centre via a combination of roads and cycleways. Although we do encounter some light urban traffic at the very start and end of the tour, the vast majority of our time is spent on delightfully quiet rural lanes and secondary roads.
The terrain is generally rolling and doesn’t feature any enormous or very long climbs, however there is little that can be described as “flat” and there are some occasional steep sections, particularly during Sunday’s ride.
Road surfaces are generally good, however, as is the case in all rural and agricultural regions, it is not uncommon to encounter occasional gravelly sections and potholes in some areas. Cattle grids, wandering sheep and other livestock are frequent features and as such good bike handling skills, as well as a reasonable level of fitness are required.

Road Cycling Grade
Average distances around 70-90 km with occasional challenging climbs
A moderately difficult tour somewhere slightly tougher than a Grade 2, but not as difficult as Grade 3
Some long days and significant climbs
Our grading guidelines have been carefully created based on our many years of cycling experience, as well as customer feedback from our trips. Of course, if you're still struggling to figure out where you fit on the scale, do feel free to give us a quick call and we'll be more than happy to help!
For more information about our grading system click here.
Is this suitable for you?
You’re reasonably fit and ride frequently at weekends, sometimes staying on the bike for a number of hours at a time. You do enjoy an occasional challenge and quite happy climbing but you‘re unlikely to be found daydreaming about ticking off all the famous cols of the Tour de France. That said the prospect of tackling a semi-serious to serious mountain pass doesn’t fill you with dread. You enjoy the social aspect of cycling and look forward to the occasional coffee-stop as much as the riding itself. You have good control of your bike and feel confident in your skills to ascend and descend safely. Whilst you find a full day in the saddle fulfilling, you’re not obsessed and as much as you are looking forward to the riding on your holiday, you’re also looking forward to a little local culture and cuisine. Grade 2-3 would be a good option for you.
This was our first holiday with Skeddadle and you have set the bar very high, the overall service was faultless from initial contact to waving goodbye at the end of the tour.
Dates & Prices
Late Availability
We want you to know which holidays are coming up soon, so you don’t miss out! If a trip has this symbol beside it, it means you don’t have long to snap up your place.

Private Departures
Are you keen to only travel with your family or friends? Struggling to find the right date? Well, we can organise a private departure for this tour and tailor aspects to suit your group's specific needs. Contact our friendly team and we'll help you turn your dream into reality.
Whats Included 
A) Accommodation (shared twin / double en suite rooms)
B) Meals as per the itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
C) Full tour service, including Skedaddle guides
D) Unless stated, at least one leader qualified in first aid
E) Support vehicle and luggage transfers
F) Transfer on scheduled arrival day from Newcastle Central train station
G) Transfer on scheduled departure day to Newcastle Central train station
What's not Included 
A) Bike hire (available if required)
B) Train tickets and charges for travelling with your bike (if applicable)
C) Meals not stated in the itinerary
D) Single room (available if required)
E) Travel insurance
F) Personal clothing and equipment
G) Personal expenditure (souvenirs, bar bills, hotel facilities etc)
H) Entrance fees to museums and other attractions en route
I) Transfers on days other than the scheduled arrival / departure days
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Reviews
Elaine, HampshireA real pleasure!Thank you for a fabulous weekend. For me, the cycling was a little challenging – but I do love a challenge! The guides were amazing, the scenery was fantastic, the sun shone (thank you for arranging that too) and I made it to the top of each climb and down to the bottom of each descent. I came wanting to gain a little more confidence on my bike, push myself a bit and ride somewhere different and it was 10/10 on all three points.
It was a real pleasure to ride with our guide. His welcoming and friendly manner made me feel like we were a group of friends out for a few days’ ride. At the same time, he took charge where needed and I felt fully safe riding with him, especially through Newcastle, where he led with aplomb. Our other guide has been on three of our trips with Skedaddle. He is confident and experienced and always great company and he has certainly encouraged me to believe in my cycling abilities. Finally our other guide was also an absolute delight to cycle with. He kept me going up the hills as I started to tire on Saturday, providing support and plenty of interesting conversation. It was lovely to meet and cycle with him.
Ray, HampshireFaultless!This was our first holiday with Skeddadle and you have set the bar very high, the overall service was faultless from initial contact to waving goodbye at the end of the tour.
From the minute we arrived we were warmly welcomed by David and the team. Information about what was coming up either during the evening or days was passed and updates shared at every opportunity. Nothing was too much trouble and you felt that all the necessary Health & Safety aspects were addressed in a very efficient and professional manner.
Although Matt, Francis and Rob were the guides they morphed into the group with such ease it seemed like they were giving everyone their attention whilst seamlessly navigating and controlling the group.
From first contact with Skeddadle via email and the subsequent phone calls, texts and follow up emails the preamble from all the office staff made you feel like you were the only people they were dealing with. Having now been on the holiday and understanding the amount of tours that the office staff deal with per year this amount of feedback for such a short break in our minds was excellent.
Jonathan, WiganAbsolutely fantastic!Both days were absolutely fantastic. Unforgettable actually, particularly cycling above the mist on the Sunday morning.
I thought the holiday was really, really good value for money.
Just an overall big thank you to the whole team, from the moment I booked until the moment I left on Sunday afternoon the service and experience were fantastic.
Lynn, BrightonSo supportive!Tim and Alan were both very supportive without being patronising when I fell behind on the hills. They made it a very cheerful event.