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GREAT NORTH RUN
2003
Road runs are often exciting events, and if you haven't participated before, following 3 other Lotuses down a lovely windy road might tempt you to ignore your better judgement about what is safe. There will be plenty of opportunities on the route to safely enjoy your car, but always remember:
It's not a race. Don't take chances. Drive safely and always within your limits.
Here are a few pointers:
Sheep
Some of our routes take us on to the fells. Between cattle grids, expect sheep. There are two things you should know about sheep. Firstly, they are stupid, and secondly, they want to die. They really do want to end up on your plate. Not only do they taste nice, but they don't get out of your way and will often walk into your path at the last moment. Unfortunately, shards of fibreglass and windscreen impair the delicate flavour of lamb, so watch out.
Speed and Control
· Never exceed a speed at which you feel comfortable and in control. You won't 'lose face' if you fall behind.
· There's a wide spread of driver ability on road runs. Just because you bought a sports car, it doesn't mean you know how to drive it on the limit. The person in front might, and if you optimistically try to keep up, you could end up in the hedge.
· Corners: slow in, fast out, especially on blind corners in rural areas. Cyclists, hill walkers and tractors litter the roads on the route. Use the road holding capabilities of your car only when safe to do so.
· Know you can stop in the space you see in front of you.
· Steer, brake and accelerate smoothly and progressively
· On open roads, watch your following distances and slow down for junctions and other hazards
· In restricted zones, watch your speed, especially in village and town centres.
Overtaking
· Make your own decisions. Never decide to overtake unless you can see that it is safe. If a caryou are following starts to overtake, don't just tailgate it in an attempt to stay together.
· Never do a maneuver where you 'gamble' on nothing coming the other way. One day you'll end up as jam on the front of a bus.
· Never overtake on the approach to a left or right junction. Most people don't bother to look both ways before pulling out of a junction.
Defensive Driving
· People make mistakes. It's a feature of being human, so anticipate other drivers' errors and reduce your chances of having an accident that was someone else's fault.
· Has the decrepit 85 year old half blind bloke in the Allegro at the junction seen you approach?
· Will the guy at the front of a queue of traffic look behind before pulling out for an overtake?
- Will the sheep at the side of the road step out in front of you at the last minute? (The answer is usually yes here!)
Tell me more!
- Visit www.driving.co.uk to learn a bit more about safe driving along with the perceptions and myths surrounding accidents.
Saturday’s Route
 |
MilesCumulative |
MilesIncremental |
Next Heading |
Notes |
|
 |
00.0 |
00.0 |
Exit car park at High Force Turn Right |
Reset your Mileometers Follow B6277 all the way to Alston |
|
 |
17.2 |
17.2 |
T-Junction Turn Left onto A686 to Penrith |
Continue downhill along the cobbled High Street, passing stone bandstand on your right, road bends to the left, T-junction at bottom of hill. |
|
23.0 |
5.8 |
After 5.8 miles you reach a café, good views on a clear day! Hartside Top |
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27.6 |
4.6 |
Continue on A686 to Melmerby |
Plenty of Alpine style hairpins on this stretch. |
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31.7 |
4.1 |
Continue out of Melmerby on A686 |
Pass under railway bridge at Langwathby, then over a river (The Eden) |
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32.2 |
0.5 |
The River Eden |
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 |
32.7 |
0.5 |
Turn right (second right after river) onto B6412 to Great Salkeld, Lazonby |
The road is narrow for a while. |
|
35.1 |
2.4 |
Continue onto Great Salkeld |
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37.0 |
1.9 |
Continue onto Lazonby |
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37.3 |
0.3 |
At Lazonby turn right at `T’ Junction onto B6413 to Brampton, passing under Railway Bridge |
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37.9 |
0.6 |
Re-cross River |
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38.3 |
0.4 |
Continue onto Kirkoswald |
To stay on the B6413, take a sharp right turn at the top of the hill just before exiting the village. 38.7 |
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Follow the B6413 out of the village and all the way to Brampton. |
Passing through Croglin, Newbiggin and Castle Carrock. Lots of humps and bumps! |
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52.0 |
11.7 |
Level Crossing |
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52.9 |
15.6 |
Follow signs to Brampton Town Centre |
Good place for a lunch stop. |
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In the town centre, drive up the narrow passage with the `Give Way’ sign to oncoming vehicles, which leads to a `T’ Junction facing the Laurel House Pub. |
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|
0.0 |
0.0 |
Turn right onto the B6071 (not marked) |
Reset your Mileometers |
|
 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
Bear left sign posted Lanecrost Priory |
||
2.4 |
2.2 |
The road leads down the valley and crosses river (The Irthing), 500m past the river, the road reaches Lanecrost and bends to the right, past the priory. |
River – 2.1 Priory – 2.4 |
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4.0 |
1.8 |
Continue on until you see the first section of Hardrian’s wall |
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4.0 |
This brings you onto a road that runs parallel with Hadrian’s Wall. There are a couple of Car Parks |
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6.8 |
2.8 |
Continue east along the wall road until it bends to the left at a car park and arrives at a `T’ Junction with the B6318 |
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|
7.2 |
0.4 |
Turn Right at this junction. |
After 1.2 miles you pass the village sign for Gilsland |
|
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8.3 |
1.1 |
Follow the road to the right, signed Gilsland, Greenhead. |
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|
8.5 |
0.2 |
After crossing the river into Gilsland, you come to a left turn for the B6318 to Greenhead |
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|
10.4 |
1.9 |
Continue 1.9 miles to Greenhead. At Greenhead turn left at the sign for B6318 Chollerford? |
This road is known as the `Military Road’ and is part of what was once the main Roman Road serving Hadrian’s Wall. |
|
16.6 |
6.2 |
Watch out for hidden dips 6.2 miles out of Greenhead, on your left is the Car Park for `Steel Rigg’. From this car park is a great view of the wall as it climbs along a series of craggs east towards Housesteads Roman Fort. |
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19.2 |
2.6 |
After another 2.6 miles is the car park for Housesteads Roman Fort |
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 |
25.9 |
6.7 |
6.7 miles after Housesteads, turn left at a junction just after a brow of a hill sign posted Bellingham 10, Wark 5. |
If you miss this turning and end up in Chollerford, don’t worry – follow the signs left for B6320, Wark and Bellingham, and then follow the directions from Wark. |
|
|
27.5 |
1.6 |
After 1.6 miles you reach a `T’ Junction with the B6320, turn Left here, sign posted, Wark and Bellingham |
Tight S-bends before reaching T-junction |
|
30.4 |
2.9 |
Continue 2.9 miles to Wark Drive through Wark and continue on for 4.9 miles to Bellingham. |
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35.3 |
4.9 |
Drive though Bellingham, following signs for Otterburn, B6320. |
There is the Fountain Cottage Tea Room near the end of the village on the left. |
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|
42.8 |
7.5 |
Continue for 7.5 miles to a junction with the A68, at which you turn left sign posted Jedburgh |
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|
45.4 |
2.6 |
After 2.6 miles you cross the River Rede, after which you come to another junction. Turn left sign posted A68 Carter Bar. |
Rochester – 47.7 |
|
52.6 |
7.2 |
After 7.2 miles you pass The Border Petrol Station. |
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58.5 |
5.9 |
Continue for another 5.9 miles up Redesdale along the A68. |
You will pass Catcleugh reservoir on the way, and after a final climb you reach the border with Scotland at Carter Bar, where you can park and take a photo of the border and the inevitable bagpipe player. |
||
58.5 |
If stopped, rejoin the A68 for Jedburgh. |
Welcome to Scotland!!! |
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 |
1st speed camera – 60.3 2nd speed camera – 63.5 3rd speed camera – 65.2 |
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68.4 |
9.8 |
Jedburgh |
On reaching Jedburgh, you’ll see Jedburgh Abbey. If you want to look at it turn left into the road by the abbey. There’s a free car park opposite the abbey. |
||
68.8 |
0.4 |
Continue through Jedburgh on the A68. Passing a Shell Garage on the way out of the village. The road meets the A698 |
Speed camera – 70.2 |
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 |
71.0 |
1.2 |
Bear right onto the A698, sign posted Kelso |
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|
71.1 |
0.1 |
Turn right at `T’ Junction |
Continue onto Kelso |
|
79.0 |
7.9 |
Kelso – follow signs for Town Centre |
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 |
80.5 |
1.5 |
First exit of roundabout |
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 |
80.7 |
0.2 |
Second exit of roundabout |
||
|
80.8 |
0.1 |
First exit of roundabout |
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The road leads to the cobbled Town Square. Parking is free in the Square from 3pm Saturday afternoon right through to Monday morning. |
So park up, check in your respective hotels/B&B’s and see you in the bar for a beer or two! |
Sunday’s Route
|
Miles Cumulative |
Miles Incremental |
Next Heading |
Notes |
|
|
00.0 |
00.0 |
From the main square, head between the Job Centre & The Cross Keys Hotel. |
One way cobbled street. |
|
|
0.2 |
0.2 |
At Junction turn Left. |
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|
0.7 |
0.5 |
At Roundabout take 1st exit A6089 Edinburgh |
Follow all the way to Gordon passing through Nenthorn |
|
8.3 |
7.6 |
At crossroads in Gordon go straight on. |
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|
13.1 |
5.5 |
At T Junction with A697 turn right. Sign posted Coldstream |
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|
13.8 |
0.7 |
Turn Left onto B6456, sign posted Duns |
Continue through Westruther. Watch out for the airborne moment at 21.2 miles! |
|
|
23.7 |
9.9 |
At T unction turn left onto A6105 Duns |
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26.7 |
3.0 |
The Jim Clark Room is on the left. |
Parking? |
||
26.7 |
From The Jim Clark Room keep heading through Duns Town Centre |
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|
27.1 |
0.4 |
Straight on at roundabout onto A6112 Swinton/Coldstream |
||
 |
30.0 |
2.9 |
Give way – straight on. |
River Blackadder 29.6 miles |
|
|
32.7 |
2.7 |
Left – staying on the A6112. Sign posted Berwick |
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|
33.7 |
1.0 |
Bear Left onto the B6470. Sign posted Norham. |
Continue onto Norham. |
|
36.5 |
2.8 |
Over narrow bridge. River Tweed |
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36.6 |
0.1 |
Back in Blighty |
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36.9 |
0.3 |
Norham |
Continue through Norham |
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38.1 |
1.2 |
Look out for crashed cyclist in the tree on the left! |
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|
38.9 |
0.8 |
Straight over at crossroads. Sign posted Allerdean/Ancroft |
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|
41.5 |
2.6 |
Offset crossroads, straight on. Sign posted Ancroft/Lowick |
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43.9 |
2.4 |
Ancroft |
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|
44.2 |
0.3 |
Right at T-Junction. Wooler/Lowick |
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47.7 |
3.5 |
Continue on to Wooler, B6525 |
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52.4 |
4.7 |
Continue through Doddington |
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53.7 |
1.3 |
Beware! Hump back bridge |
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55.0 |
1.3 |
Wooler |
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|
55.1 |
0.1 |
Left at T Junction onto A697 |
If you would like a tea/coffee stop, take a right, opposite left to Chatton, signed Town Centre and at next T-Junction turn right. The Market Place Café is on the left with a Pay and Display Car Park on the right. |
|
The next stage of the route will take us to our lunch stop at The Sportsman Inn, Sea Lane, Embleton. |
Unfortunately I did not get the opportunity to check this part of the route, so there are no mileage’s, just directions from last years run. |
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Follow the A697 South out of Wooler, in the direction of Morpeth. |
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|
After 3.1 miles you reach a junction sign posted for Chillingham and Chillingham Castle and Wild Cattle. Turn Left here |
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After 0.6 miles the roads bends left, crosses a bridge and passes Lilburn |
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After Lilburn, the road bends to the right, sign posted Chillingham Castle. |
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After about another half a mile turn right sign posted for the castle (i.e. not left to Chatton) |
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After a few hundred metres follow the road left, sign posted Chillingham, Alnwick. |
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After 0.6 miles you reach a humpback bridge – BEWARE! |
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|
After 0.3 miles you reach a T Junction facing the posh gates of Chillingham Castle. Turn right and follow the road up hill for about 0.6 miles. |
Castle grounds wall on your left |
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|
Turn left onto a small road sign posted Hepburn Wood Walks. |
Drive up hill, still following the castle grounds wall on your left |
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After about 0.6 miles the road bends left then right through some farm buildings, continue on up hill, over a cattle grid. |
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Continue up to the top where you will see a NT sign for Ros Castle, with a hill to the North of you. |
Notice that the castle grounds wall goes to the very top of the hill. Walking to the top of the hill and back will take you about 20-30 minutes. The footpath starts where you see a wooden post with a yellow arrow on it. |
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Continue on to North Charlton. You need to get on the A1 South. |
From the map it looks like you have to cross the dual carriageway to go South so please take care. |
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After approximately 1 mile you should come to a left hand turning. B6347. |
What you are looking for are signs for Embleton Should go over a level crossing. Just after which you will reach a junction with the B1340. |
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Continue onto till reaching a junction where Embleton should be sign posted left. |
If you miss it carry on till reaching a junction with the B1339 and turn left to Embleton |
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Your looking for Sea Lane. The Sportsman Inn. |
