Moors, Pennines & Northumberland

3 days · 3 driving roads · 55 miles of them · best May–September

Three days across the top of England. The B1257 through Bilsdale is the old TT road from Helmsley to Stokesley; then the B6278 over the High Pennines between Teesdale and Weardale; finish on the Northumberland coast from Alnmouth to Bamburgh with the castle on the sand. Stay in Helmsley the first night and Alnwick or Seahouses the second.

Worth knowing: The B6278 is a high moor road and closes in snow — there is nothing up there. Bilsdale has hidden dips and farm traffic. The coastal A-road is slow behind caravans in August; the driving is the views, not the bends. Fuel in Helmsley, Stanhope or Alnwick. Bamburgh castle car park is pay-and-display and busy by eleven.

The roads, in order

1. Helmsley to Stokesley (the 'Bilsdale TT') B1257 · Helmsley → Stokesley · 21 mi · 35 min ⚠ ⚠ A serious bike-accident blackspot — ride/drive it calm 📷 Newgate Bank · 🍽️ The Buck Inn · 📷 Clay Bank car park
2. High Pennines Moor Road B6278 · Eggleston → Stanhope · 12 mi · 25 min ⚠ Exposed — drifts shut it fast in snow 📷 Bollihope Common · ☕ Platform One cafe, Stanhope Station · ⛽ Weardale Motor Services
3. Northumberland Coastal Route B1339 / B1340 · Alnmouth → Bamburgh · 22 mi · 45 min 🍽️ The Jolly Fisherman · 🍽️ The Ship Inn · ⛽ Seahouses filling station · 📷 Bamburgh Castle

Drive it

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