Join me for a ride along a beautiful section of the National Cycle Network Route 7! 🚴♂️✨
Starting out from the Consett, I’m heading down towards Chester-le-Street on what is part of the famous coast-to-coast route. It began as a bit of a “strange weather day” with a thick mist (or a “fret” as we say!) making things feel pretty chilly, but the sun eventually started to break through.
In this video, I highlight the route, the signage, and some of the unique features you’ll see along the way, including:
The “Serpentine” Sculpture: A fun, winding section of the path that’s always a highlight.
Industrial Heritage: See the impressive sculptures (‘The Miner’ and ‘The Ironmaster’) commemorating the area’s steelworks history, including old boiler parts.
Scenic Views: Even with the mist, the views across the hills are fantastic (on a clear day, you can see for miles!).
Route Practicalities: I point out some of the trickier road crossings, shared paths with walkers and horses, and even where to grab a snack at the Tesco in Annfield Plain.
I also give a quick update on some recent bike maintenance—replacing a seized freehub and some very worn-down jockey wheels!
Whether you’re a keen cyclist or looking for a family-friendly day out, Route 7 is a brilliant, mostly smooth track that’s well worth exploring.
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5 Comments
Hi John, I was wondering about this cycle route and found your channel. I cant believe its 30+ years since I travelled that route, way back when I was in my mid 30s. It doesn't seem that long ago and the route looks the same. I used to cycle a lot with my friends and this was our main route, we weren't serious cyclists but we put the milage in and were fit, our round trip on that route was Sunderland to Stanhope, but occasionally we would go as far as Ireshopeburn, which ended up being a 100 mile round trip as we added a few miles on to achieve the magic 100 (by my speedo).
Going up Crawleyside bank was tough, i dont think we actually made it to the Waskerley way turn off ever without a walk. That road you said was busy could be just the same back then. We would stop off at Anfield Plain supermarket for a rest both ways, also what we called the kings head was a favourite rest point. I think theres another lambton worm path that winds around further down a bit straighter though, thats my recolection anyway. We only followed the path start and end as far as South Hylton as we turned off home at that point.
Nowadays I still pleasure ride a little bit once in a while, although im near the national speed limit in age now, lol.. Its no more than 15 miles, but where i live now is not the same, too much traffic, lots of wild dogs and very hot, some times 40c, too much to ride past 10am for any distance. I would love to come back and do that route again, cold or not.
Good morning John, your ride today takes me back, to 1992, myself and a friend set off from Consett and went to Sunderland, we had an hour riding around the town and headed for home. I'd only been cycling for a few months and I got my first ever puncture on the "serpentine", oddly enough, my cycling computer showed I'd done 1000 miles to that point. We covered 70 miles that day and I was overjoyed with my achievement. Sadly, my cycling friend died suddenly last July and to honour her, I'll be recreating the ride sometime this year. Alan.
Fantastic, really like the artwork along the trail 😁
Very nice scenic video and great to watch as usual, well done John
On a more recent ride on this route I have found a much easier and safer way to cross the busy road at Consett that I mention in the video. If you look at the video at this point https://youtu.be/Pb-9uFAoDcg?si=TlWWolHOGrxUxGsE&t=182 you can see I have just crossed a road and if you then go up that path ahead you come to some railings you need to go through. The path leads to the right but if you go straight ahead along the back road with the houses you come to a pelican crossing and its much easier and safer to cross there and you can then go up the path for a very short distance to re-join the route