The ECO-trip 2004 in Northumbria, UK
Click HERE for a direct link to the list of participants.
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The Eco-Trip Northumbria 2004 is a 7 day trip with the following aims:
- To promote environmentally friendly tourism;
- To enjoy country areas in a group;
- To bring people from many countries together in a pleasant way and give them an unforgettable holiday.
The concept of the Eco-Trip originated in 1998 in Finland with a group of people calling themselves
'Kevytkulkuneuvojen Ystävät' (friends of lightweight vehicles).
This was a small group that wanted to advertise its aims and make an environmental friendly holiday trip.
Under the leadership of Olli Kuusisto of the
Kaarina-Piikkiö Open College,
the Eco-Trip was born and people from other countries were invited to participate in a short trip that has taken place each year since 1998.
It is a fairly leisurely 250 km ride through the islands off the southwest coast of Finland.
The ride is four days long, and winds through some very picturesque countryside. Most of the participants ride trikes or two-wheeled recumbents;
battery-assisted vehicles are also in evidence and Olli takes his solar- and wind-powered boat. Anyone is welcome, though -
there are usually one or two people riding perfectly ordinary diamond-frame bicycles.
In the 2002 trip, a dedicated Eco-Trip visitor, Karl Auer, decided to organise an Eco-Trip in Switzerland.
During the Swiss Eco-Trip, there was plenty of interest for Eco-Trips in different countries. As a result Erik Wannee decided to organise an Eco-Trip
in the Netherlands for 2003. One of the participants on that trip, Ken Davison, decided that he would organise an Eco-Trip in Northumbria in 2004.
With our trip, we have an important PR function: We can show the advantages and the funny side of ecological tourism.
We will also try to inform and interest the local and perhaps national press.
Northumbria was once a separate kingdom in the Dark Ages, and the name is preserved in the county name of Northumberland.
The majority of the Eco-Trip Northumbria 2004 will be in Northumberland. Northumberland is the northernmost county in England
and has varied and spectacular scenery, ranging from the industrial/post-industrial landscape in the south east corner where the trip starts and ends,
to the remote moor land areas along the border with Scotland and the spectacular and little known coastline.
The main urban areas are in the south east corner, along the coast as far north as Blyth, and along the valley of the Tyne to just west of Newcastle.
This area was a major centre for early industrial development, especially for coalmining (the last pit in the region at Lynmouth is passed on the last day),
iron and steel and shipbuilding (there are still a few shipyards on the Tyne, mainly involved in ship repair and conversion work).
In the early days of coalmining there was an extensive network of horse drawn wagon-ways.
Over time the horses were replaced by stationary steam engines and then by locomotives.
George Stevenson, the ‘father’ of the railways was born in Wylam which we will pass on the first day of the trip.
Northumberland has many interesting historic buildings, including Hadrian's Wall
which starts in Wallsend and runs west for 84 miles to Bowness on Solway.
We will pass the site of the Roman fort at Segedunam on the first day and visit the fort at Vindolanda on the second day.
There are also many castles and fortified houses (bastle houses) which are a relic of the border wars and raids between England and Scotland
before the union of the two countries in 1603.
The north western side of Northumberland forming the border with Scotland is the highest part of the county and includes the northern end of the Pennines,
the Kielder Forest and the Cheviot Hills. We will pass to the north of the Pennines, skirt the edge of Kielder, and climb some steep hills on the edge of the Cheviots.
The eastern part of the county with the North Sea coast has many spectacular castles, several of which we will pass, some good beaches
(but the sea is usually quite cool if not actually very cold) and Holy Island or Lindisfarne, one of the earliest centres of Christianity in Britain.
(Unfortunately, the island is only accessible at low tide, and the tides are unfavourable. On Thursday 29 July the causeway can be crossed from
3:20 am until 11:25 am and again from 16:20 pm until 23:50 pm, so anyone who wants to visit the island will have to make an early start
and spend most of the day on the island.)
The trip will mainly be a clockwise ride around Northumberland, starting in North Shields on Sunday 25 July 2004 and finishing at the same place on Saturday
31 July. The start/finish point is easily reached, being only 8 miles (13 km) from the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne (main line train station),
1 mile (2 km) from the North Sea ferry terminal
(DFDS ferries from Netherlands
(IJmuiden),
Norway (Kristiansand) and Sweden (Göteborg) see and also
Fjord Line ferries from Norway (Bergen and Stavanger),
14 miles (22 km) from Newcastle Airport and 2 miles (3 km)
from the A19 at the northern end of the road tunnel under the Tyne for anyone arriving by car.
Click HERE for a description of the planned route.
The arrangements for the Eco-Trip Northumbria 2004 will allow those who want to attend Cyclefest 2004 in Lancaster to link the Eco-Trip and Cyclefest
into a single trip.
Cyclefest 2004 runs from the evening of Wednesday 4 August 2004 to the morning of Monday 9 August 2004 (more details (soon) on
http://www.cyclefest.ucsm.ac.uk/). There would be 4 days after the end of the Eco-Trip
before the starts of Cyclefest - it is possible to cycle from North Shields to Lancaster in 2 days, but that would be a difficult ride,
especially if carrying camping gear - so 3 days would be more sensible (and there are conveniently located Youth Hostels at
Edmundbyers and
Kirkby Stephen),
which would leave an extra day - this could be spent in Newcastle (again there is a
Youth Hostel) or people could chose to go on a
longer route to Lancaster.
This does mean that people will be in Lancaster at the end of their second week in England, so they would either have to get the train from Lancaster to
Newcastle (not necessarily easy - the train companies do not make it easy traveling by train with a bike, and if it is a large or unusually shaped one
it is even harder and probably impossible for the part of the trip between Carlisle and Newcastle) on Monday 9 August (or miss the last day of Cyclefest
if they want to get the ferry on Sunday) or add on a few extra days to cycle back to North Shields.
The trip to Cyclefest WILL NOT be part of the Eco-Trip. Those who intend to continue on to Cyclefest will be contacted about arrangements for a group ride
from North Shields (the Pirate's) on Monday 2 August and arriving in Lancaster on Wednesday 4 August.
During the trip we will split into smaller groups at times, but will meet up several times each day. Everyone will receive a route description with maps.
If anyone does lose contact with the group and is unable to find their own way, there will be a mobile phone number to call for assistance.
The trip is not a race! We will ride at an easy pace, adapted to the slowest participant. Whenever we see something interesting along the route,
we can always decide to stop to look for a while.
Everyone is expected to bring his/her own environmentally friendly vehicle. It can be a human powered vehicle (even a 'normal' bicycle),
but vehicles utilising solar power for (or to assist) propulsion are explicitly invited! Experimental vehicles are welcome as well.
Your vehicle should be suitable for carrying your luggage and have appropriate gearing for hill climbing. (The route is not suitable for boats.)
Other things that everyone is expected to bring to the trip: a quality bike lock, appropriate tools/puncher kit/spare tubes/etc for your vehicle, sleeping bag,
sleeping mat/mattress, toilet articles, sunburn lotion and of course your own clothes (sleeping clothes, spare clothes) and raingear.
You may also bring swimming clothes (they are required if you want to swim). If you are coming from abroad, you will also need your passport
and other official papers.
If you are continuing on to Cycle Fest in Lancaster after the Eco-Trip, and are planning to camp there, you will have to bring your own tent and camping things.
These can be stored in North Shields (at Ken Davison's house) and collected at the end of the Eco-Trip.
The Westcountry Recumbents van will accompany us on the trip and will be available
in the event of a major breakdown to transport a vehicle and rider to the destination of the day. It will also carry a tool kit and a small supply of spare parts for
roadside repairs and will be contactable by mobile phone.
The van can also carry sleeping bags and sleeping mats, but participants are expected to carry all the rest of their own luggage
(if you have a special reason why you cannot carry your own luggage,
please contact Ken Davison).
Overnight accommodation has been booked at a scout hut for the Sunday night, Youth Hostels for the Monday and Tuesday nights,
a village hall for the Wednesday and Thursday nights and a church hall for the Friday night. Only at the Youth Hostels will showers be available,
and the hostel used on the Monday is small, so some people will have to sleep on the floor (using their sleeping mats and sleeping bags).
On the other nights we will all be sleeping on the floor. At all of these locations there will be a toilet and a basin.
Breakfast will be provided by the organisation (but not on the first day: Sunday 25 July).
Bread and sandwich filling will be provided each morning for everyone to make their own picnic lunch.
In the evening a dinner (either vegetarian or including vegetarian option) will be prepared for the whole group.
If people want to help, they are welcome.
The climate in Northumbria in July is normally warm and dry. However the weather can be very variable and is influenced by the hills to the west
(which encourage rain) and the North Sea to the east (winds from the sea can cool the temperature even on the sunniest days).
It is possible though unlikely that it might rain for several days, while equally it might be very hot and sunny for the whole week.
It is remotely possible that we might encounter severe storms which could include hail or snow in the hills, so it is wise to carry suitable cloths
for all weather conditions at all times.
We will do all our best to minimise the costs of the trip. The total amount will be about
£150 per person.
Included are the prices of meals, overnight accommodation, service vehicle and admission to Vindolanda.
Drinks and snacks at rest stops (in cafés etc.) and optional visits to museums etc. are at your own expense, as are any costs to repair your vehicle.
Because we have to pay some deposits, it is necessary to pay a £50,- or Euro 70,- registration payment in advance.
You will be expected to pay the balance of the cost on the first day of the trip.
NOTE: A subscription is only definitive when we have received the registration payment.
By registering for the Eco-Trip Northumbria 2004, you undertake and agree that:
- the trip will be organised by volunteers who will do the best they can. You cannot expect perfection.
- you will be able to ride the trip with the vehicle you bring. The vehicle must be roadworthy and meet UK legal standards.
- everyone will be responsible for their own actions and has to obey UK traffic rules and laws.
- you will be responsible for taking out your own insurances to cover risks such as third party liabilities, medical and dental costs and theft/loss.
The organisers will not be responsible for any of these things.
- the organisers will not be responsible for loss or damage to luggage or vehicles. Please take a minimum of valuables with you and keep them near to you
at all times.
- in the event of cancellation by any subscriber, the registration payment will only be refunded if someone else is found to fill the place.
This is because some reservation costs have already been paid.
The starting point is at The Parks Sports Centre, Howden Road, North Shields, Tyne & Wear. If travelling by train, remember that you will have to cycle
from Newcastle Station to The Parks as the Metro (local train service) only carries small folded bikes.
The maximum number of participants is 40.
NOTE - There are currently (19 January 2004) 32 confirmed participants - once there are 40 participants, anyone else who submits a
subscription form will be placed on a waiting list in case anyone drops out.
For those who have made a preliminary booking, places will be reserved provided they make a formal booking on this subscription form
and pay the subscription deposit.
If a registered participant unsubscribes, the first person on the waiting list will be invited to join.
Click HERE for the subscription form.
Click HERE for the list of participants.
Click HERE for the first Newsletter including some revisions to the planned route.
