Middleton Hall – Simon Warren Cycling Climbs of the North East
- SW Rating: 7/10
- Wheelygood Rating: Easy
- Length: 0.78 miles
- Avg. gradient: 6%
- Strava Segment: https://www.strava.com/segments/16245612
- Route: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1002553
Not far from Wooler a climb lurks, unseen by most. It takes a special kind of person to find it and, fortunately, we have just the man in Simon Warren. I’m from Northumberland, although not local to Wooler, and I’d never heard of this. Judging by the size of the road, nor have very many other people and, from the state of the road, I think the Council might not visit too often either. That said, it’s easily passable on a road bike, but I’d think at least twice before bringing anything with an engine that isn’t the General Lee or has less ground clearance than a pickup truck.
Anyway.
The climb starts easily enough with a hedge lined drag up into what looks like a piece of woodland. This isn’t so far off the mark. Eventually.
Assuming you’ve dodged the gaps in the road, and the farm traffic which really won’t be expecting to see a cyclist on this road, the initial pull will flatten out and you’ll reach the tiny ‘conurbation’ of Middleton Hall. It’s worth having a bit of an ease and a breather here, because once you turn left, the road does nothing but climb for the next 300m, or so and the last 200m is 15%+.
So, at the junction, you dutifully turn left and … it feels OK as you pass the old school gradient sign. You can keep the pedals turning without too much trouble. The odd surface shenanigans, but nothing overt. Thing is, if you’re brave enough to lift your head slightly you’ll see what can only be described as a wall.
Don’t be afraid, little one. It’s not actually that bad. Yes, it’s quite steep. Yes, it’s unrelenting. But it’s only a couple of hundred metres long. Get round the corner and you can see the top. Just keep pushing – you can make this!
And then, before you know it, the road will begin to flatten to a crest and you’ll wonder what all the fuss was about.
If there are any other road climbs you’d like me to take on, the more ridiculous the better, then please send me a message on my FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/wheelygoodcycling/ or email me on wheelygoodmail@gmail.com and let me know…
