On the Pennine Way in Baldersdale
Teesdale is an amazing place for outdoor activities, with hundreds of miles of footpaths, stunning (and quiet) road routes, and some of the best mountain biking tracks in the country.
East Briscoe is an ideal base for these activities. Owner Chris is a seasoned runner and triathlete, having completed 10 marathons and an Ironman distance triathlon. Teesdale is a hotbed of athletic action, with a busy Tri club, including 5 more Ironmen in nearby Cotherstone, Teesdale Athletic Club, and a road cycling club, both based in Barnard Castle. All three clubs are friendly and welcome non-members to training sessions. The Tri club also holds regular swimming sessions, either in the pool in Barnard Castle or in open water, depending on the season.
There are also plenty of bridleways around for off-road biking, and nearby Hamsterley Forest has some excellent marked routes of varying difficulty, as well as a skills loop and a downhill racing track.
At East Briscoe we are certified “Cyclists Welcome”, with secure bike storage and a bike workshop available for guest use. We are also developing a mini-gym, with a top-quality electronic treadmill and a turbo-trainer, just on the off-chance that the weather keeps you indoors!
We are also certified “Walkers Welcome”, and are ideally situated for walkers, with the Pennine Way and the Teesdale Way both passing within a couple of miles, and lots of other routes from the door step, or within a short drive. A couple of guests we had recently clocked up 200 miles in a fortnight, without using the car once!
You can see some of my favourite running routes here on Strava
And here are some cycling routes on Strava
And here are a few on www.bikehike.co.uk:
Road Bike Routes
- Resevoir Time Trial – 15.2 miles
- Middleton, Aukside and the Giraffe House – 26.2 miles
Mountain Bike Tracks
Walking/Running Routes
- Round Hury Resevoir – 5.6 miles
- Down the River Balder to the Tees – 6.1 miles
- Over the Moor – 5.3 miles
Our local running club Teesdale Athletic Club in Barnard Castle has some links to local races.