Cycling Adventures
Northern Soul
Choose between different daily rides to uncover the beauty of the Northeast of England's last wild places
Date details
1st Oct 2021
– 4th Oct 2021
Difficulty
Moderate
Duration
4 days
Group size
Up to 24
Location
Northumberland
Activity
Cycle
Price
From £495
Meeting point
Tynemouth
Why Northern Soul?
This tour is different. Over three days we take you to the heart of Northumberland and uncover the places, people and peculiarities that make The North different. From our beautiful lodgings in the fishing village of Alnmouth, we spend four days getting up close and personal with this ancient and historic landscape, it’s rugged coastline, sweeping hills and clear starry nights: The Last of the Wild Places.
Booking Options
| Ticket Type | Availability | Total Price | Price per Person |
| Twin/Double Room in a Cottage | 5 | £1,090 | £545 |
| Superking Room in a Cottage | 1 | £1,090 | £545 |
| Double Room in a Cabin | 2 | £990 | £495 |
| Twin/Double Room in a Cabin | 4 | £990 | £495 |
*You can secure a booking with only a 25% deposit.
St Mary's Lighthouse, North Tyneside
Northern Soul, October 1-4, 2021
Highlights:
This trip is different. We build each day around you. From our waterside lodgings, we’ll run different rides to different places, with longer, hillier options inland to the Cheviot Hills and shorter, less undulating rides that hug the shore, to coastal castles and fishing villages.
There will always be options. There will always be something that suits your fitness and your preferences. All rides take quiet roads and lanes and are suitable for road and hybrid bikes.
To view the route and see what's included and not included in the trip, download our tour pack with all the details.
Compare with other trips
Our Northern Soul trip is different, as it takes you to the heart of Northumberland to uncover the places, people and peculiarities that make The North... different.
Our home for four days...
We stay in the cosy, comfortable Waterside Cottages site for three nights. The site includes 3 spacious cottages with two double bedrooms in each and 3 large and comfortable static caravan cabins with double bedrooms. Both cottages and cabins have well-equipped kitchens, spacious living areas and beautiful views of the Aln Estuary and beach.
Step out your door and onto the sand. Literally.
Alnmouth itself is a small fishing village, beautiful and a 3minute walk away. There’ll be plenty of time to get lost in the cobbled streets, find Scotts Deli for morning coffees, the Red Lion for cold beverages, and The Old School Yard for art, coffee, cakes and woodfired pizzas. The ancient town of Warkworth is a 15minute cycle away with plenty of public inns, cafes and even an old Hermitage.
We’ll be taking you for all of these and more.
Download our Northern Soul tour pack and find out more about the amazing routes we take, what to pack, how to get there, plus compare with our other trips and more!
Thank you for downloading the tour pack!
Meet your guides!
Shalyn Wilkins
Since joining her first Brake the Cycle trip, Shalyn has been hooked on adventuring by bike. Having now converted countless friends and family (and sometimes even strangers) to the joys of biking, Shalyn joins us to lead rides and share her infectious enthusiasm for exploring by bike, opportunistic yoga, sharing good food and camping under the stars. It's also quite possible that Shalyn holds the record for the most puncture-repairs in a calendar year - so we're glad to be in experienced hands.
James Ballantyne
James's first Brake the Cycle trip was back in 2015 when he cycled LEJOG. Since then he's crewed on many trips, across 5 different countries. James loves languages and can speak French, Spanish and Italian as well as his native English. When not cycling James works as a civil servant on UK government climate change policy.
Joe and his team had the perfect balance of good humour, empathy and encouragement, and the rest of the group were just as wonderful - patient with my pace and always up for a chat about anything
Amazing adventure with so much stunning scenery, fantastic companions on the road, always enough tasty food, all the support you need. It was one of the best trips of my life, I haven't laughed so much in a long time!
Well-organised tour, lovely people. Would definitely recommend to anyone who already does or is looking to try cycle touring.
Trip FAQs
Where do we stay?
We’ll be staying in the comfortable and cosy Waterside Cottages and Caravans. Each cottage has two double rooms, a separate lounge, fully equipped kitchen and bathrooms. The caravan cabins are beautiful, equally spacious and with the same amenities.
The site is down a private road that leads to the Aln estuary in Alnmouth. It’s beautifully secluded, serene, tranquil and peaceful. You walk out from the door and onto the white sandy beach of Warkworth.
What kind of food will I be eating?
We know how important it is to keep fuelled with nourishing food. We will provide three healthy, nutritious and delicious meals. That’s a promise.
Many of our crew members are vegan and vegetarian and we’ll always cater for dietary desires and requirements. Food is a centre piece to many of our tours and we’ll design our rides each day to take in and sample local delights; sweet and savoury.
You'll need a little extra cash for any stops in cafes (or pubs) throughout the ride.
Do I need to train? Will I be fit enough?
Of course, training is advised. If only to make it a more comfortable and enjoyable experience when you arrive. But this trip is different to the Coast and Castles and Coast to Coast. There’ll be two options each day, a longer hillier route and an easier shorter route (both equally as beautiful).
This means our Northern Soul trip caters for all abilities, although we guarantee you’ll be ready for food, a drink and an early night at the end of each day!
How about getting there and back again?
You'll need to arrive into Alnmouth station (on LNER) by 18:00 on October 1. We'll be at the train station to meet you. We’ll be departing on Monday 4th so book a train sometime mid-morning and we’ll give you a lift to the station. Of course you’re welcome to stay longer but we’ll run station transfers until midday (although the station is only 1.2 miles away). We'd recommend booking your bike on the train as early as possible. LNER allows you to book bikes online.
What’s the weather up to?
This trip is running at the tail-end of the summer, the change of the season. September is a beautiful month in the North East, the days are still long, the skies are (usually) clear and there’s a crisp nip to the air in the early mornings.
Of course, the weather is getting increasingly difficult to predict. Make sure you bring something warm for the evening and a waterproof for the ride.
Do I need travel insurance?
Yes
What will the terrain be like?
We’ll be riding on quiet lanes and Sustrans routes. A road bike or hybrid will be fine. The surfaces are generally very good although there may be a bit of gravel here and there.
What cycling grade is this ride?
We’ve graded this ride 2-4 out of 5. That’s because we’ll have two rides a day; an easier ride and a more gruelling ride. It’s up to you to choose how hard you go.
Can I hire a bike from you?
Unfortunately, you need to bring your own bike. However, we can certainly point you in the right direction!
Private departures
If you fancy planning a Northern Soul trip Brake the Cycle style but would rather bubble with your friends, or if you’re struggling to find a date that suits then get in touch with us.
We also run private tours throughout the year and, depending on the dates you have in mind, we’d be glad to work with you on your own trip.
How does this trip compare to others?
From beautiful lodgings in the fishing village of Alnmouth you will spend four days getting up close and personal with ancient and historic landscapes, a rugged coastline, sweeping hills and clear starry nights.
Got a question?
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