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Sunderland City Council

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Sunderland City Council
Civic Centre
Burdon Road
Sunderland
SR2 7DN

Tel. (0191) 520 5555
Calls may be recorded for quality and training purposes
Like the Two Rivers Cycleway, this ride also forms part of National Cycle Route 1 from John O'Groats and Edinburgh to London and Dover.  image: country cyclepath on the Sunderland-Hartepool-Middlesbrough route

Sunderland to Silksworth: 
From the City Centre, the cycleway connects to the University Metro Station and Chester Road Campus and uses the Durham Road cycle link to Eden Vale, before joining the Stephenson Trail.  The Stephenson Trail follows the line of the world's first railway designed for steam locomotives, built in 1822.  This entire section is tarmac and off-road, and connects to The Barnes P.H.

image: National Route 1 at Barnes
Along National Route 1 at Barnes

Silksworth to Ryhope: 
The cycleway enters Silksworth Recreation Centre, whose facilities include a ski slope and the Puma Tennis Centre, as well as athletics, astro-turf, fishing and children's play facilities.  The cycleway follows another mineral railway, that once linked Silksworth and Ryhope Collieries, and passes beside the impressive Tunstall Hills SSSI - a former coral reef!  This section is entirely off-road.
image: A-frame access point
 'A' frame gateway at Ryhope Village

Ryhope to Seaton and beyond: 
The cycle route passes through the village of Ryhope and follows yet another former mineral railway.  A linear park has been created here, leading up the 1:42 gradient into County Durham, where there are further cycle links to Hetton, Seaham and the south.  It is worth visiting the woodland and wetland feature at Pesspool, near Haswell (the cycleway crosses over it on a boardwalk!).  For the more energetic, you can continue cycling all the way off-road to either Hart Station (by Hartlepool) or to Thorpe Thewles Visitor Centre (or beyond!).  

 

Route mileage from Ryhope Village (one way):

Pesspool, by Haswell 8 miles
Castle Eden Village 13 miles
Hart Station 17 miles
Thorpe Thewles Visitor Centre 21 miles

More leisure cycling routes

 

last updated 15/11/07