Top Roads: County Durham

If you like your riding beautiful, but a bit bleak, County Durham’s a must visit. You’ll be treated to panoramic views of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and surprisingly quiet, fast, flowing roads which are perfect for motorcycling. We’ve highlighted three cracking roads which cut through the county and, best of all, they can be tied together in a 77-mile loop (of sorts).

A689

Cut off the A68 before you get as far north as Tow Law, jump on the A689 and set the satnav for Alston. It’s a cracking stretch of road, passing through Wolsingham and Stanhope before arriving in Alston (which is technically in Cumbria).

It’s a bit of a hidden gem, with people tending to aim for the Lakes or up to Scotland for a ‘proper adventure’. But you’d be wise to head here instead. In addition to some top views, the A689 is a proper rollercoaster of a road, with plenty of twists and turns to keep things interesting. It’s often quiet, too, which is no bad thing if you’re partial to pressing on.

B6277

Now you’re in Alston; you’re going to whip back around and join the B6277 to Middleton-in-Teesdale. You could carry on along the B6276 to Brough if you’re up for a bit more good stuff, or you’re hoping to nip down to the Yorkshire Dales. There’s also a cracking trail which runs from Brough down to Sleightholme, if you’re so inclined.

This is another brilliant stretch; windswept and interesting in all the right ways. We’ve been along here a few times and only ever seen a handful of cars, so if you time it right you’ll likely have it pretty much all to yourself. That’s never a bad thing.

B6278

From Middleton-in-Teesdale, nip up Town Head to join the B6278, which twists and turns its way up to Stanhope and beyond, before arriving back on the A68 through Derwent Resevoir. It’s a great 26-mile run which brings more of the same good stuff as the other roads we’ve featured. Once again you’ll pass through Stanhope, which is a lovely little town and the perfect place to top up on fuel for both you and your bike.

WHAT’S YOURS?

There’s nothing quite like a bit of local knowledge when it comes to finding the best roads an area has to offer. If you’ve got a top blast on your doorstep (and you don’t mind sharing), we’d love to hear from you.