Until recently, my knowledge of Northumberland has been limited. I have a preferred route across the Pennines to Gretna and then on to the west side of Scotland, typically stopping at Moffat.
Happily, recently I’ve needed to ride through and around Hexham a few times, and the warm summer evenings have uncovered a few new roads and a lazy, very picturesque route from Barnard Castle through to Moffat.
The Route
Naturally, the route works either way, but as planned, it begins at Barnard Castle and then winds its way northwards on the B6278 and B6295, joining up with the A686 at Bearsbridge, nine miles east of Alston.
After a short, but necessary run on the A69 from Haydon Bridge to just north of Hexham, pick up the A6079 for three miles before turning off onto the B6320 for the run through the Kielder Forest Park and past Kielder Water.
Kielder Coffee
At Waypoint 9, there is a right turn (if heading north) to the Kielder Waterside Café, or alternatively, there is fuel in Kielder and coffee at the nearby Kielder Castle (Waypoint 10).
Just north of Kielder, the road narrows a little, crossing the border with Scotland at Deadwater, and on to the stunning ride across the moors following the Liddel Water.
The views are nothing short of gobsmacking. You are sharing the road with grazing sheep and the associated farm traffic. Perhaps not the best route if it has been raining and the farm traffic has unavoidably brought some mud onto the road.
Border Forest Park
Continue following the road until it ends at a T junction with the B6357 at Saughtree. Turn left and look for the right turn onto Steele Road (Waypoint 11).
Initially fully single track, the tarmac is in good condition, and after a mile and a half, it meets the B6399, where you are turning right and skimming the west edge of the Border Forest Park towards Hawick.
The route, as planned, cuts south of Hawick, but if you are in need of fuel, food or refreshments, Hawick has an abundance of all three.
When you meet the A7, it is a short left–right flick to pick up the B711, crossing the Alemoor Reservoir on your way to the B709 at Tushelaw and then the A708 for the run into Moffat, passing Saint Mary’s Loch on the way.
Glen Cafe
Fifteen miles before arriving in Moffat, you’ll pass the excellent Glen Café, which, the last time I was there, served outstanding cakes and large mugs of tea, and has welcomed bikers from across Europe (Waypoint 15)
The finishing point of the 156-mile / 250-kilometre ride is the famous Buccleuch Arms Hotel, which has secure bike parking.
Bottom Line
This route has some epic roads, but it is also about tea, cake and stunning views. Other than that, download, ride and enjoy. After all, what could possibly go wrong?
When importing GPX files, your GPS or Phone navigation app will recalulate the route based on your navigation preferences. We add waypoints to hopefully minimise any differences, but it is always worth double-checking.
If you have a route that you would like to share, get in touch and with the Editor, and we will do our best to include it. Download, ride and enjoy. What could possibly go wrong? All the motorcycle touring routes are GPX 1.1 version files.
All of the motorcycle touring routes are provided “as is” without guarantee, liability or any assurances. The lawyers said we had to include that sentence. All we can tell you is that we had an excellent time planning and riding them.
Barnard Castle to Moffat
