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Bewcastle Church and Cross – Kielder Forest Gravel Trail loop from Haltwhistle

Bewcastle Church and Cross – Kielder Forest Gravel Trail loop from Haltwhistle

Hard

riders

Bewcastle Church and Cross – Kielder Forest Gravel Trail loop from Haltwhistle

04:53

71.3km

850m

Gravel riding

Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: June 20, 2026

Tips

Includes a segment that goes up or down a series of steps

You may need to carry your bike.

After 71.3 km for 25 m

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

Get Directions

19.2 km

Fellhill Plantation

Forest

25.6 km

View of Bewcastle Castle

Highlight • Castle

View to Bewcastle Castle

Tip by

26.3 km

Bewcastle Cross in St Cuthbert's Churchyard

Highlight • Religious Site

The Bewcastle Cross. This 7th-century Anglo-Saxon cross is one of the oldest and most exquisite in Europe. It still stands in its original location in the church garden and is richly decorated with runes, wickerwork, and Christian iconography. On the west side, you see Christ, John the Baptist with the Lamb of God, and a falconer who may represent John the Evangelist. On the east side, a vine winds upward, populated by mythical and real animals—a symbol of the connection between creation and faith.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

26.4 km

Bewcastle Church and Cross

Highlight • Monument

St Cuthbert Bewcastle Church stands on the foundations of a Roman fort and has roots dating back to the 13th century. Although the current building largely dates from the 18th and 19th centuries, parts of the east chancel are still medieval. The church exudes simplicity and tranquility, with a rectangular plan and a wooden gallery on the west side. Within the church, traces of the Border Reivers' turbulent history can be found, including gravestones bearing names like Armstrong and Routledge.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

26.6 km

Ruins of Bewcastle Castle

Highlight • Castle

The ruins of Bewcastle Castle lie mysteriously tucked away in the northeastern corner of an old Roman fort in Cumbria. The original castle was built around 1092 on the foundations of the Fanum Cocidii fort and served as a border defense against Scottish incursions. Destroyed in 1173, it was rebuilt in the 14th century by John de Strivelyn, a general of King Edward III.
The castle had a square plan of 27 meters, surrounded by a dry moat that partially utilized Roman ditches. Within the walls were buildings surrounding a small courtyard, with a gatehouse added later. The walls are up to 9 meters high, with visible windows and fireplaces on the second floor.
Bewcastle Castle was strategically located on the Maiden Way, a Roman road leading to Hadrian's Wall, and played a role in conflicts with the notorious Border Reivers. Today the ruins are unstable and partly inaccessible, but they remain a powerful symbol of border defense and medieval architecture.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

53.5 km

Kielder Forest Gravel Trail

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

A fantastic section of gravel riding. Please note that this section isn't really suitable for road bikes with road tyres. You'd ideally want a gravel bike with some bigger tyres or even a mountain bike.

Tip by

59.7 km

NCN 68 Tarmac to Gravel Transition, Scotchcoultard Forest

Highlight • Cycleway

NCN 68 is a 427km cycle route from the Peak District to Northumberland.
This point is where the tarmac road turns to gravel forest trails in Scotchcoultard Forest at the southern edge of the larger Wark Forest.

Tip by

60.3 km

Scotchcoulthard

Highlight • Forest

Start of the forest roads

Tip by

67.0 km

Archaeological Site

70.8 km

Centre of Britain, Haltwhistle

Highlight • Monument

The town of Haltwhistle promotes itself as the "Centre of Britain". Not sure how this is calculated but you can visit the "Centre of Britain Military Surplus" and the "Centre of Britain Hotel".

Tip by

71.3 km

End point

Train Station

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

36.8 km

27.5 km

4.40 km

1.89 km

662 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

31.9 km

26.6 km

12.2 km

606 m

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (380 m)

Lowest point (80 m)

Weather

Wednesday 24 June

31°C

13°C

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Bewcastle Church and Cross – Kielder Forest Gravel Trail loop from Haltwhistle

View of Bewcastle Castle

Bewcastle Cross in St Cuthbert's Churchyard

Bewcastle Church and Cross

Ruins of Bewcastle Castle

Kielder Forest Gravel Trail

NCN 68 Tarmac to Gravel Transition, Scotchcoultard Forest

Scotchcoulthard

Centre of Britain, Haltwhistle

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