The 62 kms ride from Durham to Tynemouth was great – a healthy climb out of Durham, interesting twists and turns along cycle routes and rail beds, and a seven minute ferry ride near the mouth of the River Tyne at South Shields. After the ferry we turned east to the coast to take a look at the ruins of the Tynemouth Priory and Castle.
The site has a commanding view high over the North Sea and the mouth of the River Tyne, with its long breakwaters and lovely beaches. Plundered and destroyed by Henry VIII’s dissolution, enough is left of the castle and priory to imagine the scale and beauty of this site as it evolved through the centuries. Restoration continues.
As an aside, this site is managed by the English Heritage organization. If you’re ever travelling around England, it may be worth your while to invest in at least one of National Trust, English Heritage or Historic Houses passes. Admission to sites like this are expensive – about 25 pounds each – but free with the passes. They payback quite quickly.
The city of Newcastle, about 20 kms upstream, was a major target of the Luftwaffe in WWII because of its naval yards, coal shipping, and industrial plants. The Tynemouth Castle site thus became a defensive outpost with several large cannons. One remains on its turret emplacement.
Surrounding the Castle hill are lovely villages supporting the fishing trade and the thousands of summer tourists renting beach houses and gobbling up fish & chips.
About halfway along the 20kms ride into Newcastle-Upon-Tyne we encountered signs telling us we had entered the beginning of Hadrian’s Wall, built by the Romans in the second century AD to defend against the invading Scots. The bike route, labelled ‘Hadrian’s Cycleway’ followed the River Tyne. Eventually the bridges that make Newcastle famous appeared. More of that in the next post.
Here’s a (boring) movie of riding along the north shore of the River Tyne towards the Tynemouth Priory and Castle. Really, nothing happens, but grab the video with your mouse and look around if you like.
