Lou is the owner of Cragend Farm with her husband Shaun, and deals with everything from Holiday Accommodation inquiries to egg collection from the chickens; she is the social media and web design finger-tapper.
Cycling in Northumberland is a great challenge with plenty of open countryside and steep hills to cover if training for a competition or a tour.
A 40 - 80 mile trip can be covered easily in a day, and Cragend Farm is the perfect place to store the bikes safely and relax after a day of cycling.
A guest from Oxfordshire had a three day visit to explore the local area by bicycle and get in some important training for a trip to the Italian Mountains.
A cycle ride around Cragside is good as a quick 6 mile session.
Further afield, Elsdon, Harbottle and Alnham are great places to plan to cycle through on a longer round trip back to Cragend Farm.
Here is Mr Kings review:
Northumberland offers so many challenges and delightful scenery for the cyclist and Cragend Farm is the perfect base. Lou and Shaun will be able to offer excellent local knowledge on routes of varying lengths as well as hearty breakfasts and secure cycle storage.
I headed out on the first day to explore the Northumberland National Park and had the roads almost to myself (during the Easter holidays!!) Although slightly more undulating than my home in the Cotswolds, Northumberland packed in regular climbs without ever becoming too daunting. Shaun offered to show me the route of the Tour of Britain which would have been fun.
On day two, I made the most of the Cragside Estate's 6 mile carriage route and completed a few circuits of this. The Cragend Estate borders Lou and Shaun's Cragend Farm and it's great fun whizzing around the estate, passing the many lakes and varied scenery, climbing the hills steadily and whizzing down the far side and through the archway and over the cobbles of Cragside House and then passing the farm two or three times. The Cragside Loop is on Strava and I managed the 6 mile loop in just under 30 minutes. The record of 17 minutes 20 seconds will take some beating!!
On my third day, after a more informed chat with Shaun, I ventured into the Northumberland National Park again and completed a 30 mile loop with about 3000 feet of climbing. The scenery is stunning and the cycling options are so varied. The welcome at Cragend Farm is exceptional, a real treat for cyclists.
I'm already planning my next trip to Cragend Farm and either a ride to the coast or a quick dart into Scotland!!
Find Out More About Cragend
Cragend Farm has a interesting and diverse history, from technical innovations to historic buildings. Tied in closely to the neighbouring Cragside Estate home of Victorian inventor and industrialist Lord Armstrong.