The start is Barnard Castle known locally as “Barny”. It is located at the lower end of Teesdale and is steeped in history, the town’s architecture is predominantly 16th and 17th century and the little market town has been recognised nationally as one of the 50 most historically and architecturally important towns in Britain.The remains of the Castle perched on a rocky crag was built in 1150 features a 14th century round tower.

The towns centre boasts all the qualities of a market town with a cobbled market place, the un-miss able “Market Cross” which was formerly the town gaol and any talk of “Barny” must also include the Chateau-like Bowes Museum built in 1869 which holds an internationally important collection of paintings, furniture and porcelain and should not be missed. You will see the sign post to it by the old market cross which now forms a small roundabout.


The castle.





The majestic and un-miss able Bowes museum.



We leave Barny by way of the B6277 for Middleton in Teesdale, crossing the river Tees over the single-track bridge with the castle on the right. Do not get mixed up with the B6278 also to Middleton, but on the north side of the town. This road begins at first to be a standard type B road, but after Cotherstone, it starts to twist and turn following, though not often seen, the river Tees. Care must be taken here, farmers spills, gravel and Sunday drivers very often await you. It passes through the villages of Romaldkirk and Mickleton before finally reaching Middleton in Teesdale the next largest Market Town and considered to be the main centre in the upper part of the Dale



In 1815 the Quaker owned London Lead Company established its northern headquarters here and the impact of this Victorian prosperity can be seen in the architecture of many buildings around the town. The company built houses, schools and libraries for its workers and became the first British company to introduce the five day working week.The drinking fountain in the centre celebrates this lead-mining history.

Perhaps considered to be boring to some, but the Blue Gentian, a delicate flower native to Upper Teesdale is found no where else in the world but here and in the Alps indeed this whole area of the north Pennines never ceases please me as it is a haven for wildlife such as the Curlew, Peregrine, Merlin and Golden Plover, if you are lucky enough you may also be able to catch sight of Deer, Otters, Badgers and Red Squirrel. Many species of flower can also be found such as the purple Mountain Pansy, and various Orchids.

The fields around the banks of the river Tees have to be seen in the spring as the farmers do not use any form of weed killer nor fertiliser and the fields are simply a mass of wild flowers.



A meadow in the spring - what a sight!

Go straight through the village following the signs for High Force. If this is your first visit stop at the Bowlees picnic area on the right hand side of the road and park up.

From the car park cross the stream by the foot bridge and follow the road for the well-marked path to Low Force, the little sister of High Force. Here the Tees is crossed by an iron suspension footbridge built in 1830 which replaced what was reputedly the earliest suspension bridge in Europe. Not far from Low Force the Tees is joined by Bowlees Beck, this runs by the side of the car park. When you have returned from Low Force follow the path and you find the Summerhill Force, where the stream flows over a band of limestone. This waterfall has partly undercut the limestone behind it to form a picturesque cavern known as Gibson's Cave. If you are lucky, you will also see majestic dragonflies patrolling the stream banks, quite a sight!

Back on the bike and on up to High Force, England's biggest waterfall. Good parking by the hotel to be found there and worth the walk down to the force. It is heavily commercialized and personally I hate it. A far better view can be had walking up to it from Low Force on the opposite side of the river, a walk of two miles. High Force is in fact two falls, each situated on either side of a massive central rock, but the smaller northern fall is only occasionally seen in action.

The flow of the river Tees is now controlled by a dam further up the valley at man made Cow green reservoir. Years ago the river used to flow as a torrent in times of heavy rain as the picture shows.

Back on the bike and the road begins slowly to climb and the vista changes to open moor land. To your left is Widdybank Fell, and in the distance running almost parallel with the road Great Dun Fell and Pennines highest point, Cross Fell, upon which the rivers Tees and South Tyne are born.


Summerhill Force at Bowlees.


Low Force.


A tamed High Force.

An un- tamed High Force.

At Langdon Beck you may turn off the road to visit the man made Cow Green reservoir and view Cauldron Snout just beyond the dam, the Tees here rushes in a series of cataracts over a 200 yard long rocky `stairway', but be warned it is a bit of a walk.

Onwards the road climbs further up to the open moors. A nice place to stop and relax is the little village of Garrigill signposted to the left, it is often overlooked but it is well equipped with resplendent cafe and a lovely quite village inn. The road finally begins to drop into Alston, a good place to stop for a break, but watch the parking as Alston is built on a very steep hill with cobbles on the main street.





Widdybank Fell..


The approach to Landon Beck.



Garrigill - Often overlooked..


Alston - watch the cobbles.



Map showing the route from Alston.



We leave Alston on the A686 for Penrith. The road climbs and twists to reach the top of Hartside Pass at a height of 1,904 ft. From here there are magnificent views across the Solway Firth into Scotland and from the viewpoint at the Hartside Top cafe car park you can see Helvellyn, Great Gable and Skiddaw. This is a very popular gathering place for motorcyclists, but beware as it also attracts those among us who delight in making excessive noise and getting from A to B as quickly as possible, but then again only on "good weather days".




Hartside Pass - (picture from the Cafes web site).



Down Hartside Pass we sweep into the River Eden valley reaching the small village of Melmerby. This village boasts a real treat - Set back from the road, the local bakery cum restaurant. It is truly organic and the restaurant was opened in 2001 by the Prince of Wales. Since 1976 the owner, Andrew Whitley, has been making outstanding organic bread and cakes by using traditional baking methods and the retained heat of wood-fired ovens. You have to call in, it would be a crime not to.







Next along comes the village of Langwathby, nothing of real note here, but turn right for Little Salkeld and you will find a delightful little hamlet complete with a fully operational watermill and an ancient stone circle that can boast as the finest in the north of England. It has a diameter of about 350 feet making it the second biggest in the country. You will also find some weird and wonderful chambers carved out of the sandstone cliffs by the River Eden known as Lacy's Caves. Call in the shop by the water mill and pick up a leaflet describing a small circular walk to see all three, or should I say 2 as you are already at the mill.

Long Meg stone circle.

Now you leave the A686 by turning left for the B6412 to Culgaith, from there you join the A66 and travel Eastwards climbing the Pennines, aptly described as the spine of England back the Barnard Castle or Scotch Corner and the A1.

Hope you enjoyed to journey, I have.

Throttle Jockeys!

B1257

We all have good motorcycling roads in our areas and "Up North" we have an abundance. One in particular, the B1257 is often called the North's T.T. due to the abundance of bikes enjoying, and sadly sometimes abusing, the lovely twisting road. This road reminds us just how much enjoyment you can get from riding a motorcycle. It runs from Stokesley to Helmsley, a distance of some 20 miles. Its a glorious road and on it is the market square in Helmsley where riders gather. It's well catered for by adequate parking and an abundance of cafes.

But how many riders take the time to stop, look and enjoy what may be found along the way? Let's take a quick look;

Stokesley at the start is a market town located at the foot of the Cleveland Hills. Its cobbled high street dates back to 1223. At one end is the West Green and College Square is at the other, bounded by Regency and Georgian buildings. The town is steeped in history and is well worth a wander around. However, it's nothing truly remarkable and is usually just a fuel stop.

The B1257 starts it path at the edge of the town's roundabout. At first it's nothing spectacular. After 2 miles riding you arrive at the village of Great Broughton, and get your first taste of what's to come; The forested hills rise majestically in the distance inviting you to visit them. The moors surrounding this village were once famous for Jet mining in the 19th century and the spoil from the drift mines can be found amongst these hills.

Jet is a beautiful black gem stone. Jewellery made from it was favoured by Queen Victoria with resulted in grea popularity in the masses. It can still be bought in numerous shops in nearby Whitby. The miners who worked this Jet were given the rare distinction of having a public house named after them. The "Jet miners Inn" you will see on the left as you pass through Broughton, set back a little from the road. If you call in for a soft drink or a coffee, take a good look around and you will find a poem allegedly written by a traveller who was told of the decline of the trade by the locals.

Leaving the village the road begins to twist and climb up a hill through forest. This hill is called Clay Bank and on the left, close to the top you will find a car park. Do pull in if the weather is good as the scenery from here is magnificent. You will be rewarded with views of the Cleveland Hills with the fells rising out of the forest to the south and a panorama of Kildale. The unmistakable Roseberry Topping complete with Captain Cook's monument is to the left, and industrial Teesside spills away in the distance.

Once you're back on the bike you'll rise over the summit and sweep down into Bilsdale valley. Here the road is twisty, undulating and exhilarating. The beautiful countryside that you pass through will please you no end.

Onwards and through the small village of Chop Gate. The name is pronounced 'Chop Yat' by the locals and it probably means 'pedlars' way' ('Yat' being a local dialect word for a gate or route).

As you travel further along admiring the fine views and enjoying the road, watch out for the turn off to your right for Fangdale Beck and keep a sharp eye open for the distinctive green telephone kiosk. This was installed in 1930 and specially painted this colour to blend in with the landscape. It does this effectively as you can easily miss it. In 1992 apparently, the locals got extremely upset when British Telecom removed it and replaced it with a conventional box. But, BT did not realize that they had removed a Grade II listed building and were fined a total of £3,000 and ordered to restore the original!

A bit further down the road you will see the Sun Inn on your left. It seems at first to be just an ordinary Inn, but pull in and take a look behind it. There you will find Spout House; a remarkably well-preserved example of a 16th century "cruck" framed house. The building began its life as a farm tenant's cottage and in 1744 it also became an alehouse, known as the Sun Inn. Later it accommodated lodgers and shooting parties visiting the Bilsdale valley. By 1914 it had grown so popular that a larger inn was needed and the new Sun Inn, which you see today was built. It's not a patch on the looks and feel of the original however. Spout House finally closed its doors and was virtually abandoned, gradually falling into disrepair. But in 1979 restoration was undertaken and completed by 1982, preserving its original fittings intact and keeping much of the furniture in the building. In so doing its character is now no different from that day in 1914 when the last pint was pulled. Spout House has become an invaluable local treasure so often passed by and yet never seen.

Onwards riding through the valley you hit Newgate Bank, where again the views are magnificent. After a short while, the road opens out and you see stretching away in the distance the Vale of York. You will you pass on your right a road leading off to Rievaulx abbey that will take you through the beautiful Rydale valley. But to do this we would have to leave the B1257. This must be left for another day.

Now, as you start the steady downward flight to Helmsley, the castle comes into view in the distance nestled away to the right. The road gets steadily steeper as you hit this small town. Follow the signs for Scarborough, find the market square and park up.

So there you have it, the road is not just a lovely, twisty experience to enjoy on a motorcycle, there is much more to it if only you stop, look and see.