Ride from Blackhill, near to Consett, to Shotley Bridge, and then follow the River Derwent to Gateshead. Turn south and then west, riding along parts of the Coast to Coast cycle route, eventually returning to your starting point at Blackhill.
Shotley Bridge became home to 20 families of German bladesmiths in the late 1680s, attracted by the local ironstone reserves and the soft waters of the River Derwent, and the Anglicised names of some of the families are preserved in local street names. You will pass Oley Meadows (from the Ohlig family) soon after the start of the ride.