This was an extremely enjoyable ride, a classic, out onto open fell with some great views.
Starting at Blanchland, after a quick hop to Baybridge, the climb starts in earnest with its most difficult section peaking at 17%. Joining the seemingly ever present NCR 7 coming in from the west after about 2k and hitting the open road the route meanders up and down incorporating another couple of severe sections before the flat out at the top.
To reach the highest attainable point and visit the telecom infrastructure there is an off road track which at its steepest in very loose and unpassable requiring a diversion onto the grass.
Points of Interest
The photo below is another relic of the North Pennine lead mining activity. In this case a pump house for dewatering the mines, more on that in this blog. See the route map for the location.
Disused Mine Pump House
There were also several lead smelting chimney systems as described under Climb 29, (Allendale Chimneys).
Lead Smelting Chimney on the skyline
The telecoms infrastructure at the top was somewhat disappointing, but there was evidence of a grander past.
Phone mast on the right, possibly short wave or VHF antenna array tops the mast on the left (sorry not fully up with getting the helmet cam right yet), There is a better shot of the this mast. here.
I am indebted to the photographer of the below shot, Trevor Littlewood, for pointing me to the story of what happened at this site. A previous guyed radio mast once stood here but careful inspection of the photo gives a hint to its possible fate. Damaged guys are clearly visible.
Former mast known as Muggleswick Radio Mast and building, Photo Credit - Trevor Littlewood from Wikimedia Commons Photo April 1992.
The photo was taken 2 days after a light aircraft, in low cloud conditions, clipped the guys bringing down the plane. Official Report. The mast remained standing for several years but it is unknown if its removal was due to the accident, just end of life or a combination.
There's more on the history of Muggleswick here with a photo showing that microwave dishes were once present and explaining the stations use as part of the backbone of the former GPO / BT microwave network. The microwave dishes had been removed by the time the above photo was taken, the system becoming obsolete and replaced by the national optical fiber system. (Blimey, I worked on that back in my student days when it was still embryonic)
Finally this grainy snot here shows the remains of an anchor point that first altered me that a guyed mast once stood here.
The high point of this ride hasn't qualified for any high road lists I have seen, and even though the high point is not surfaced, and the way out at the other end gated, it should, not only because the surfacing continues to 547m placing in 22nd in Britain and 14th in England, but also because Priorsdale does claim to be the highest dwelling in Britain. So find this rectified in my own list which I will publish next.
Starting at the ford at Garrigill to get the low starting point this climb divides into two sections linked by a flatish run along the main B6277 road.
The lower section always promised to be tough, starting at the ford at Garrigill with a sort but sharp 20% unsurfaced ride, however on turning the first corner the road was even more unsurfaced than expected, in fact consisting of loose 6 - 8 inch cobbles. I suspect a torrent, or series of torrents funnelled into the high sided gully in which the track sits had caused this, though. This section does form part of the off-road Coast to Coast and a friend had been along a couple of years earlier with no problems. However now, impossible to ride over on anything, and very difficult to even walk over, let alone heave a 29 kg ebike. Having negotiated that, a short 20% smooth and rideable section leads to the B6277.
The main road then served as some relief before tackling the longer but more civilised section up to Priosdale. Once over the first brow there is a good view to the top, where a large lorry served to show where the road went. Past Mount Pleasant and in and out off Little Gill just a few hundred meters from Priorsdale Farm and the end of the surfaced section, the lorry seems to be struggling to make progress in the far distance, and we eventually meet as the driver has just completed a successful turnabout and tentatively heading back down. Perhaps a dodgy sat nav was involved there somewhere.
The trip down Shawside on the other side was considerably steeper, and will be the subject of a further trip hopefully, the road condition allowing, terminating at the top of Flinty Fell at 600m plus.
Points of Interest
The trip down from Priorsdale top leads into old lead mine workings mentioned in the previous entry on Dowgang Hush
A nice surprise back in Nenthead is the Miniature Village.
