Explore the wild borderlands between Hadrian’s Wall and the Scottish Borders on this Northumberland Reivers Trails holiday and follow the lawless territories that were raided by the Scottish and English between the 14th and 17th Centuries. The tour winds its way through England’s largest forest taking in parts of the vast network of forest trails and nearby moorland bridleways, byways and quiet backroads. The rolling hills of Reivers’ country open up spectacular vistas across the forest landscape taking in Kielder Water – Europe’s largest man-made lake – and its artwork, cultural and wildlife attractions. The area is also a magnet for stargazers, with Northumberland’s International Dark Sky Park being the largest in the UK.
The riding begins at Hadrian’s Wall and you'll soon escape any traffic and make the most of being in England’s most sparsely populated county to get away from it all. This journey will take in ancient drove roads and tranquil byways and the extensive network of gravel roads built to service forest operations. No visit to the home of the Border Reivers would be complete without a raid across the border, so via a visit to the historically contested “Debatable Lands” of the Northumberland, Cumbria and Borders region, you will make your way to Newcastleton in Liddesdale, for an overnight stop in Scotland. You’ll return to Northumberland via the ancient Bloody Bush drove road before spending three nights in Bellingham, a historic market town in the heart of the North Tyne valley and a perfect base to make the most of the myriad of trails on the doorstep. Two loop rides from here include parts of the Border County Ride, Kielder Forest Drive and the Lakeside Trail, with some hills (and exhilarating descents) to tackle.
The final day riding the Reivers Way cycle route will take you from Bellingham, through remote forest back-country to the Roman Wall before a transfer back to Newcastle. With wide open spaces and miles of great trails, it's no surprise that the Reivers cycle route is a growing destination for UK gravel biking with a burgeoning network of Reivers Trails and home to the Dirty Reiver endurance gravel challenge event. This holiday is aimed at those who have a taste of gravel riding in a remote area, as well as gravel bikers wanting to experience the best of the growing network of trails hand-picked by expert local riders.