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Red Squirrel Cycle Route

Explore Bellingham, Snadburgh, Greenhaugh and Thorneyburn Church on this North Tyne Circular Route. You’ll largely follow the existing National Cycle Network – Pennine Cycleway Route 68, Reivers Route 10 to Greenhaugh. There are hills to negotiate on all the routes, nothing too steep, but some long climbs.

Local Facilities: Bellingham – toilets, cafes, pubs, shops, accommodation and Heritage Centre with Tourist Information.

Start & Finish: Bellingham Square

Route – Moderate with some hill climbs
Distance – 16 miles
Type of Bike – Mountain / Hybrid
Time – 2 hours

Click here to explore our Red Squirrel Cycle Route on Ride with GPS.

Places of Interest

Bellingham

Said to be sited on a Roman station. St Cuthbert’s Church was consecrated in 1180 and is unique in having an arched stone roof built in response to the repeated burnings of its former wooden roof by border raiders. ‘Cuddy’s Well’ is thought to have been used by St Cuthbert for baptisms, and to retain miraculous healing powers. HARESHAW LINN – a waterfall hidden in ancient woodland, is a short walk from Bellingham.

Snadburgh

The farmhouse dates back to the late 15th century. The oldest central part may be a tower or bastle. The Bastle was a fortified farmhouse built to withstand the frequent cross border raids by the Border Reivers. The stout walls protected both the family and their livestock.

Greenhaugh

Situated in the Tarset Burn valley, the village is overlooked by Kielder Forest and the vast moorland expanses of Hareshaw and Troughend Common. The Holly Bush Inn dates back to the early 18th century.

Thorneyburn Church

St Aidan’s is an early 19th-century parish church, built by the Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital in 1818. A number of Churches and their associated vicarages were built following the Napoleonic Wars to give returning naval officers a ‘living’ after their services were no longer required by the Navy.

Getting there

By car

From the A1, take the A69 and then the A68 to reach Bellingham.