Kirk Merrington Loop

We will be starting at Broompark Picnic Park and ride down to the Stonebridge Inn. Follow the back road and join the A690 to Langley Park for a quarter of a hill. We will ride up to Brandon via Brandon Lane Hill (a category 4 hill) and join the railway track from Brawn's Den Pub along to Brancepeth Village. From here we will rejoin the A690 for approximately half a mile to Whitworth Lane and climb Page Bank. Drop into Spennymoor for refreshments before joining Whitworth Road to Middlestone Moor and then onto Kirk Merrington. We will cycle along the valley edge with fabulous views on both sides down into Ferryhill. From here we will cycle back into Durham via Coxhoe, Bowburn and High Shincliffe.

In order for the ride to leave promptly, please be punctual so we can carry out bike checks, etc. prior to us setting off. I estimate that the cycle will take us roughly 4 hours plus the coffee stop, but as always, it is difficult to be precise about timing.

For any last minute participant cancellations on the day please text 07917651051 otherwise use the option to cancel when you log in to letsride.co.uk.

In the event this ride has to be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances (weather, personal reasons etc) I will leave a message on the LetsRide conversation tab and on the Durham Breeze C2C 2020 Facebook page no later than 8:30 on the day.

A chance to do a few extra miles with some challenging hills, namely Brandon Lane Hill, Page Park and Kirk Merrington.

The route is mainly on quiet roads, however we will have to join a couple of main roads for very short periods. You should be confident to ride on roads with traffic.

We will stop at Cafe No.3 in Spennymoor, so bring some cash for a cuppa and cake.

Please come prepared for unpredictable winter weather with plenty of clothes including gloves, waterproofs and bring a spare inner tube to fit your tyres. Also make sure you’ve got front and back lights in case light conditions are poor. Helmets should be worn at all times.

We never leave anyone behind