I wonder if this cunning plan will find favour with any of you. After staying just one night at Wooler, we could continue on NCR68 up to Berwick (47.63 km according to Mapometer), and then ride 24.06 km on NCR1 down to Holy Island. There are (in principle - I haven't checked availability yet) some B&Bs and a pub in a village called Lowick, which is very close to the island. Prices of singles and twins work out at £27, £30 or £35 pp, depending on the place. The next day's ride would be 75.04 km to Amble. This leaves all the distances at much the same as they are with a Woller-HI-Wooler return trip, ie at about 75 km or less. The island itself could be accessed at the end of the ride from Berwick (up till late evening, or sunset to be realistic! - we could have a drink or a meal there before going back to the mainland and turning in at our hostelry) or in the morning of 29 May (up till 11:00 according to the table). What do you think? I will make tentative enquiries at the Lowick places - it could be they are booked!
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I am happy to go with the majority on this. The only observation I would make is that the section of NCN1 just south of Berwick where it is sandwiched between the railway and the cliff edge is poor at the best of times and impassable after rain. This is also true of the section further south between Beachcomber House and the link road to the Island. These bits can be avoided if we have to although it does involve short sections of main road.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a plan! Happy for you to explore further
ReplyDeleteHappy to go with the majority.
ReplyDeleteClyde, have you looked at accommodation on Holy island itself? I believe there is plenty although it might be pricey.
ReplyDeleteMy son Tom and his wife stayed on the island when they were living in Durham, and he told me it isn't cheap. So far I have found beds from £50 each upwards, and then not all in the same place. There is one exception, altho I am still waiting to hear back from them. However, we will all have to temporarily convert to Christianity (if any of you are atheists, moslems, buddhists, etc). But as every French school pupil knows, the Protestant Henri of Navarre said "Paris is worth a mass" before converting to Catholicism and claiming the French crown! I say "Holy Island is worth a conversion!" What do you say? On the other hand, I have been told about 2 twin rooms and 2 singles all at £40 pp, in Beal, very close to the island. What do folks feel about £40? I think that would be my absolute max! I am also still waiting to hear from one B&B and one pub (another Black Bull), both in Lowick, altho the latter may have been knocked down!
ReplyDeleteIf you want to check these places out, they are: the Open Gate Christian Retreat House on HI; Brock Mill Farm House at Beal; the Old Drapery and the Black Bull Inn, both on Main St, Lowick. While I wait for your replies, and their replies, and because the Christian place might be a bit quirky (think barges on the Loire!), and because of birds in the hand, I thought it best to say yes to the Beal place, without sending any money yet. Beal BTW is as close as you can get to the island without being on the island! If places are available at Open Gate and I get an overwhelming response from you all, then I'll apologize to Beal and reserve our places in Heaven!
ReplyDeleteAmen and Hallelujah to that! If ever there was a place to convert to C,Lindisfarne fits the bill!
ReplyDeleteAs long as it is a one night christianity conversion and breakfast is more than bread and water, then ok!! Seriously, I will go along with whatever we can get.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice to say that we have overnighted on Lindisfarne (and great to be able to have a good meal/drink and NOT have to ride some 3 or 4 miles back to the digs. If they can accept us all at this Open Gate place and we do get a "normal" (ie high carb) breakfast then go for that, else Brock Mill. Once you have decided, Clyde, please tell me so that I can grovel to the Black Bull at Wooler.
ReplyDeleteJust heard that the Black Bull (Lowick) closed down 3 months ago, as I expected. I have secured the farmhouse at Beal. Please let me know if £40 is acceptable to all of you if the other place cannot help. I will phone Open Gate tomorrow to see what the details are (whether Maldwyn is right about breakfast, and so on!)
ReplyDeleteFirst preference Is Lindisfarne but I'm OK with Beale if any problems over Open Gate
ReplyDeleteI would expect the accommodation in the area to be a bit pricey so £40 is OK.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice to stay on Lindisfarne. I can put up with anything after two years at a Catholic boarding school.
ReplyDeleteSo you're all on board (the island)! Great! I phoned the retreat this morning but could only leave a voice message. I'll keep up the pressure throughout the day, as I don't want to lose the other place if these guys can't help.
ReplyDeleteAlas, the retreat has no accommodation for that night, and a quick check on some of the other establishments didn't yield any results. So I've confirmed the booking at the farmhouse in Beal.
ReplyDeleteOK. The Farm is actually marked on the 1:50,000 OS map at NU059 436. It is about a km off the road from Beal to HI which makes the trip to/from the farm about 8km each way. If we do have a meal on HI (which does sound appealing) I would be happy to return to the farm in daylight.
ReplyDeleteYes, it would be a bit worrying riding over the causeway by night! Fortunately, we will be close to the Solstice, with sunset at 21:33 and dusk at 22:16. Given that official safe time to get off the island is 22:35, and that we are told that we mustn't take this time as Gospel (there we go again!), we would do well to leave around 21:00.
ReplyDeleteHi all. I'm sorry that the price of the farmhouse is higher than we normally expect to pay for our overnight stays, but it seems that the cost of accommodation in that area follows an inverse square law with distance from the island. The owners are asking for the whole amount up front and I will pay this over the phone, maybe Monday. Peter, maybe it would be better not to cancel the second night at the Bull until these guys have confirmed all the details - just in case there has been some misunderstanding!
ReplyDeleteAll paid for: £240 for 1 night on 28 May 2015. 2 twins and 2 singles.
ReplyDeletePhew thats it done then! What a cunning plan can lead to! Thanks Clyde.
ReplyDeleteClyde's suggestion has meant that I had to call the Black Bull at Wooler to change the booking to the one night of Wed 27th. It is just as well I did because we had been allocated 2 twin rooms and 1 double. As the person making the booking I would have claimed one of the twin beds but two of you would have been less lucky. Phew!!
ReplyDeleteWhoops! BTW 22 comments on this post - is this a record? That's what a blog is supposed to look like!
ReplyDelete