Why this ride
From Durham it runs 146 km to Durham; allow about 2 h 11 of riding. It goes by way of Roman fort, The vallum between Oatens Bank, Walwick Fell Roman temporary camp and back through The vallum between Oatens Bank.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Durham Castle and Cathedral and Walwick Fell Roman temporary camp
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 146 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 2 h 11
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Durham Castle and Cathedral → Roman fort
Speed drops and stays down. Park rather than crawl through. 29 km through ground somebody thought worth listing. The road passes it rather than bypassing it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 29 km
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Durham Castle and Cathedral
The river Wear loops around a rocky peninsula in a tight horseshoe, and on top of it, rising above the trees, stand Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle, one of the most impressive views in Britain. The Normans built both in the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries, soon after the Conquest, as a statement of power in the turbulent north. The cathedral is a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture, with massive columns carved with zigzags and spirals, and its stone rib vaults are among the earliest of their kind in Europe, pointing the way to Gothic architecture. Together, castle and cathedral were listed by UNESCO in 1986.
Read the complete Durham Castle and Cathedral write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Durham Castle and Cathedral is where the day begins. Next is Roman fort.
2. Roman fort
Newcastle got its name from a castle built in 1080 by Robert Curthose, eldest son of William the Conqueror, but the hilltop he chose above the Tyne had already been used for centuries. Beneath the Castle Keep and the Black Gate lie the remains of Pons Aelius, a small Roman fort that guarded a bridge across the river near the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall. The name honoured Hadrian himself, whose family name was Aelius. Outlines of the fort are marked in the paving around the keep, and the Swing Bridge below crosses the river close to where the Roman bridge stood.
Read the complete Roman fort write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Roman fort comes up 26 km in. Next is The vallum between Oatens Bank.
3. The vallum between Oatens Bank
Look south of the road near Oatens Bank, just west of Heddon on the Wall, and you will see it: a broad, flat-bottomed ditch running across the fields, with a low mound on either side. That is the vallum, and it is one of the strangest and most debated elements of Hadrian's Wall. It runs parallel to the wall, a short distance to the south, along most of its length, and it seems to have marked the rear edge of the military zone, controlling access from the south rather than defending against attack from the north. Crossings were limited to causeways opposite the forts, which suggests a kind of customs line.
Read the complete The vallum between Oatens Bank write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
53 km in you reach The vallum between Oatens Bank. Next is Walwick Fell Roman temporary camp.
4. Walwick Fell Roman temporary camp
Roman armies on campaign dug in every night. Wherever they halted, soldiers threw up a rectangular earth rampart and ditch around their tents, and on Walwick Fell, a short way west of the North Tyne, the faint outline of one of those temporary camps survives in the rough pasture. You need a keen eye and low sunlight to make it out, but its presence is a reminder that the Wall was built, maintained and defended by thousands of men who lived and worked in these hills, sometimes under canvas, sometimes in stone forts.
Read the complete Walwick Fell Roman temporary camp write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Walwick Fell Roman temporary camp, about halfway. Next is back through The vallum between Oatens Bank.
5. back through The vallum between Oatens Bank
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete The vallum between Oatens Bank write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through The vallum between Oatens Bank sits at 105 km, about halfway. Next is back through Roman fort.
6. back through Roman fort
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Roman fort write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Roman fort comes up 132 km in. Next is Durham Castle and Cathedral.
7. Durham Castle and Cathedral
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Durham Castle and Cathedral write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Durham Castle and Cathedral closes the day.
Leg by leg
Durham Castle and Cathedral to Roman fort
Durham Castle and Cathedral → Roman fort is 29 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Roman fort to The vallum between Oatens Bank
Roman fort → The vallum between Oatens Bank is 25 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
The vallum between Oatens Bank to Walwick Fell Roman temporary camp
The vallum between Oatens Bank → Walwick Fell Roman temporary camp is 25 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Walwick Fell Roman temporary camp to back through The vallum between Oatens Bank
Walwick Fell Roman temporary camp → back through The vallum between Oatens Bank is 25 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through The vallum between Oatens Bank to back through Roman fort
back through The vallum between Oatens Bank → back through Roman fort is 25 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Roman fort to Durham Castle and Cathedral
back through Roman fort → Durham Castle and Cathedral is 29 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.