National Cycle Route 14

National Cycle Route 14 forms part of the National Cycle Network in North East England. It connects Darlington in County Durham with South Shields on the River Tyne. The route has currently (2016) a length of 86 miles (138 km).^[1] Much of it uses paths along disused railway lines and is thus free from motor traffic.

Sections[]

The route is signed in both directions, but is described here in accordance with Sustrans' publication^[1] in the direction from Darlington to South Shields.

Darlington to Hartlepool[]

Promenade at Seaton Carew near Hartlepool

From Darlington to Middleton St George the route follows the former Stockton and Darlington Railway line. It continues north-east on a combination of on-road and so-called traffic free (i.e. without motor traffic) sections towards Stockton-on-Tees, passes the latter town on National Cycle Route 1 and continues to Hartlepool. More than half of the latter stretch is separated from motor traffic.

Hartlepool to Durham[]

Haswell to Hart Railway Path, near Shotton Colliery

Near Haswell Moor Farm

Again on a combination of on-road and traffic free sections, the route turns away from the coast in a north-western direction along the former , now known as the . From a junction east of Wingate, National Cycle Route 1 also uses the disused railway line. In Haswell, the cycle routes separate, and route 14 continues westwards to Durham, mainly on roads.

Durham to South Shields[]

Near former Witton Gilbert railway station

After heading west out of Durham, the route follows the Lanchester Valley Railway Path north-west to Consett. Continuing north-east mainly on disused railway lines, it crosses the River Derwent several times. At the mouth of the latter, it meets the River Tyne and continues along its southern bank eastward to South Shields. Most of this section is traffic-free except for some short parts along the Tyne.

Between Stockton-on-Tees and South Shields the route is also signposted as the Three Rivers Cycle Route, between Consett and South Shields it shares the way with the Sea to Sea (C2C) route connecting the west and east coasts of England.

External links[]

Sustrans Route 14

References[]

^ ^a ^b "Route 14". Sustrans. Retrieved 31 August 2016.

Coordinates: 54°32′40″N 1°55′39″W / 54.5445°N 1.9274°W / 54.5445; -1.9274

[sustrans14-1] "Route 14". Sustrans. Retrieved 31 August 2016.

[1]

v t Sustrans' National Cycle Network
List of routes
Main routes	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
National routes	10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 27 42 43 44 45 47 51 54 56 57 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 81 82 88
Regional routes	125 141 155 164 165 166 167 169 174 179 544 622 636 647 648 656 657 658 665 688 700 725 754 756 818
Named routes	C2C Celtic Trail Clyde to Forth Colliers Way Cornish Way Darent Valley Path Forth and Clyde Canal Pathway Hadrian's Cycleway Heron Trail Keelmans Way Lon Cambria Lôn Las Ogwen Pennine Cycleway Mercian Way Salmon Run cycle route Scunthorpe Ridgeway Sheerness Way Trans Pennine Trail Way of the Roses White Rose cycle route W2W Yorkshire Wolds cycle route