Two Get Lost Near Lanchester - 13th April 2009

Approximately 40 miles (in the end)

Just Jim and Dunk on the bikes today, as Chris was having a busy bank holiday in the pub and Ian's currently out of action at the moment with a spot of nut rub or something.
So, bikes loaded into the back of the rusty trusty Berlingo and off to Chester-le-Street.

We found a nice spot to park, (next to Coronation Street actually, which must be a fun address to give out over the phone) and headed off.


Within 20 yards we chanced upon this traction engine. Jim's eyes lit up, and he lurched into action with the camera. Notice how Dunk is on the pavement out of the way. Notice where the pictures are taken from, standing in the middle of the road. Jim failed to spot a white van sneaking up behind him, which could have resulted in the shortest bike ride in history.


Best have another shot of it.

So it trundled off down the road with a string of cars stuck behind it, (the traction engine, not Jim) and we headed the other way along the A167 for 5 miles or so on the nice cycle path, then turned off towards Bearpark, and onto the old Lanchester Railway.
Then we passed through Langley Park, and before long we were in Lanchester itself.
Without taking any photos along the way. Oops.



And here we are in Lanchester, posing like a couple of Edwardian gentlemen. Jim appears to have forgotten his pipe though, while Dunk seems to be indulging in a spot of light relief on the crossbar.



We got no further than 10 yards across the road before Dunk points out the dreaded word "Hill" and Jim decides to take a totally different route, back along the railway line instead.



Look at this dashing figure, glancing at the old station buildings in Lanchester.
It's barely changed judging by this old photo Jim took when he was a bit younger we've half-inched from the internet.

We kept going along the railway line as it headed towards Consett.



Doctor Doolittle spotted some lambs and decided to torment them. If it's not horses it's sheep.




Look at these "come to bed" eyes. The "Ahhh" factor as Jim calls it.

Once we'd managed to tear ourselves away from dinner, we decided to deviate from the railway path and head off into the wide blue yonder. Jim had brought a book of cycling routes, so after a quick glance we decided on a route and set off. Down the steep bank called Butsfield Lane, and then sadly, up the other side. That wasn't very clear on the map. This hidden hill problem would occur more than once in the next few hours.



Just past the green burial / organic cemetery thing on Millershill Lane, here goes Jim heading for the valley floor. Note the racing posture and the typical position on the wrong side of the road. He does get up some speed on the downhill bits though.


And there goes Dunk heading for the crossroads on the same stretch, hanging on for grim death. Must get some new brake blocks. You can perhaps see the hill up the other side of the valley. Just a gentle one that.
Onwards through Butsfield (perhaps the title of straight to DVD skin-flick), and then to Satley stopping only to collapse for air on the hill up from the valley floor between the two. And this was the gentle route without the really steep hills according to that pesky cycle map book.

Another killer climb after Satley, slogging along past the giant wind turbines that dot the hillside. The lungs didn't permit a stopping and taking photos break, more of a stopping and trying to breathe break instead.



Dunk pointing towards the hill that would have had to have been climbed if we'd carried on to the intended destination to see a friend of Jim's near East Hedley Hope.
Who may not have even been in.

We decided to give it a miss as it was getting on by this time and the legs weren't as fresh as when we'd set off. A quick consult of the map book and we settled on the flattest route back to the Lanchester railway line.

Cornsay Colliery and Quebec were cycled through and then there was a nice drop down the onto the valley floor and into Langley Park. Jim on his road bike and with the assistance of gravity built up quite a lead on this stretch.

And then finally back along the railway line and the A167 to the Berlingo.
And what better way to finish the bank holiday than to retire to the Black Horse later in the evening.

• View the route in Google Earth