Hadrian’s Cycleway and C2C Cycle tour

Coast to coast, twice over

The week traces a figure-of-eight across the north of England: out from South Shields along the entire Hadrian's Wall Cycle Way to Ravenglass on the Cumbrian coast, then back to Sunderland via the C2C route through the Lake District and the North Pennines. Two of Britain's best-known cycling lines, ridden back to back, with the obligatory wheel-dip in both the North Sea and the Irish Sea to mark the turn.

The route favours country lanes and National Cycle Network paths over main roads, and the pace is set for a fit and competent rider rather than a racer. Six days in the saddle in total.

What the riding actually looks like

Hadrian's Wall provides the through-line for the first half — the largest Roman archaeological site in the UK, threaded through farmland and moor. The western leg drops into Eskdale, one of the Lake District's quieter valleys, before the climb over Whinlatter Pass on the return swing. Then comes the North Pennines, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty where the miles get genuinely lonely and the landscape opens out into something properly wild. Tea-rooms feature heavily; sheep tend to outnumber people by a comfortable margin.

Two stretches of coastline bracket the week — Irish Sea on the west, North Sea on the east — and the operator politely declines to commit on which one is colder.

Accommodation, food and the bike

You're in twin-share rooms in local hotels chosen with rider recovery in mind: ensuite where possible, secure bike storage throughout, a few with local character. A single-room supplement is available. Breakfast is at the hotel; lunch is a picnic from the support van — sandwiches or wraps, fresh fruit, cakes, cereal bars, dried fruit and nuts, plus hot and cold drinks. Evening meals are at your own cost and usually eaten as a group, though you're free to peel off.

Bike transport is included if you can drop yours at the Sheffield office a day before departure; the van takes it to the start and returns it afterwards. Alternatively you can drive to Sunderland and leave the car at the hotel car park for the week. Pickups en route from Sheffield may also be possible depending on where you live — worth asking. Standard caveat: the operator takes reasonable care of bikes in transit but isn't liable for damage, so insure accordingly.

Dates and bookings

The 2026 trip runs 14–21 June at £1,395 per person, led by Lucy Burnett and Joanne Bowlt; spaces are still open and a £100 Spring Sale discount applies with the code SPRING26. The 2027 departure is 13–20 June at the same price. The single-room supplement listed against the dates is £350.

It's a serious week of riding rather than a cultural amble — two named long-distance routes back to back, in a part of England that quietly earns the cliché about not being grim up north. Best for cyclists who want the satisfaction of ticking off both lines in one go, with the logistics handled.