Our Top 3 Long Distance Cycle Routes in Northern England

Distance: 137 miles/220 km
Duration: 5 Days
Route: Whitehaven, Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay, North Yorkshire
Recommended Direction: West to east, with the prevailing winds at your back
Max Ascent: 609 m/1998 ft

Best for: a classic challenge and a wonderfully varied ride through three national parks

Basic itinerary:
Day 1: Whitehaven to Keswick (37 miles/60 km)
Day 2: Keswick to Ravenstonedale (53 miles/85 km)
Day 3: Ravenstonedale to Masham (51 miles/82 km)
Day 4: Masham to Stokesley (47 miles/76 km)
Day 5: Stokesley to Robin Hood’s Bay (34 miles/55 km)

The official C2C route, the Sea to Sea, spans the breadth of northern England. A classic long distance trail, this is the most popular cycling route in England, and as such, it can get rather busy.

Our Coast to Coast deviates a little from the classic ride, choosing to finish at Robin Hood’s Bay rather than Tynemouth as we feel it provides a more picturesque ending.

Starting in Whitehaven, on the Irish Sea, you’ll ride deep into the fells of the Lake District. The start of your ride includes the iconic Buttermere Valley and a steep but impressive haul up Honister Pass. Dedicated cycleways and quiet roads let you discover more of the Lakes, including the Eden Valley.

Challenging climbs and thrilling descents follow as you cross the Pennines. Enjoy the views as you wind your way through the Yorkshire Dales on roads used in the Tour de France and World Cycling Championships.

Follow the vast, open North York Moors, where it’s a case of climb, descend, repeat as you pedal across the deep valleys that cross the moorland. A final push takes you to the coast and your end goal, the historic village of Robin Hood’s Bay. Here, dip a wheel in the North Sea to celebrate completing an epic ride.

Highlights

• Ride coast to coast across England, through some of the country’s most spectacular landscapes.
• Tackle the steep ascent (and descent) from Honister Pass, and soak up the vast views from the top.
• Explore Buttermere, Borrowdale and Derwent Water in the Lake District.
• Cruise the length of Yorkshire’s Swaledale Valley on roads used in the Tour de France.
• Drop in on traditional market towns and beautifully situated villages.
• Savour local hospitality and refuel in pubs, cycle cafes and award-winning restaurants.
• For cyclists who choose the Coast to Coast rather than the classic Sea to Sea route, you’ll have a quieter route shared with fewer cyclists and other people.

Bike this route yourself on a Self Guided+ journey traversing the width of England. Learn more below. 

View Trip

Distance: 184 miles/296 km
Days required: 6-7
Route: Sedbergh, Cumbria to Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland
Recommended direction: South to north
Max ascent: 580 m/1903 ft

Best for: a little-known route through the centre of England cycling through wonderful scenery.

Basic itinerary:
Day 1: Sedbergh to Appleby (27 miles/43 km)
Day 2: Appleby to Alston (34 miles/54 km)
Day 3: Alston to Haltwhistle (15 miles/24 km)
Day 4: Haltwhistle to Elsdon (42 miles/67 km)
Day 6: Elsdon to Wooler (35 miles/56 km)
Day 7: Wooler to Berwick-upon-Tweed (31 miles/50 km)

The Pennine Cycleway predominantly runs through the hauntingly beautiful Pennine Hills. The complete route journeys between Derby in the heart of England and Berwick-upon-Tweed on the Scottish border. Ride along the ‘backbone of England’, passing through four incredible national parks; the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland and the Lake District. This path is often considered one of the most challenging long distance rides in the UK. Tough though it may be, it is also one of the most spectacular.

Due to the route’s duration, the distance covered, and the cumulative height gain along the route, it offers a different type of challenge from the two coast-to-coast crossings featured above.

For a more reasonable distance, bike the Pennine Cycleway North, the most northern section of the route, which is 184 miles long. This route explores the dramatic North Pennine hills and the wild, wind-blown landscapes of Northumberland National Park.

Instead of traversing the country, you’ll journey up, travelling through unrelentingly wild and rural landscapes. Kicking off from Sedbergh, deep in the Yorkshire Dales, the ride skirts the edge of the Lake District on small country lanes. Drink in the exposed and empty moorland dotted with sheep and snaked with tiny lanes, cruising through the idyllic Eden Valley.

A steep haul up Hartside to the highest point of the route can be challenging, but you’ll be rewarded with some truly epic views and a long descent to Alston after. Once you’re in Northumberland, the route climbs to Hadrian’s Wall, tracing ancient ruins and historical monuments. It’s a mystical place to pause for a moment.

A gently undulating trail takes you to Elsdon with its castle and then into the borderlands. Nestled among the Cheviot Hills, you’ll spend the final night at Wooler. This leaves a final run to Berwick upon Tweed through the countryside that has borne witness to border battles and skirmishes before arriving at the end of the Pennine Cycleway. Cross the historic Union Bridge to ride into Scotland and at Berwick’s rail station, look out for the sign pointing back to Derby.

Highlights

• Ride along the spine of England through unremittingly rural and wild landscapes where you’ll encounter more sheep than people.
• Discover Westmoreland’s lovely villages, favourites of fellwalker and guidebook writer Alfred Wainwright.
• Pedal through the stunning beauty of Eden Valley. Tackle the steep ascent (and descent) to Hartside Top with views of dramatic hills and fells as your reward.
• Cruise the lovely railway path to Lambley and the popular market town of Haltwhistle.
• Explore the remote nature of Northumberland National Park and marvel at the Roman ruins, forts and milecastles that dot Hadrian’s Wall.
• Visit traditional market towns with historic castles, craft shops and plenty of pubs and tearooms.