Day 87 Middlesborough to Sunderland

 

 Date: Tuesday 9^th August 2011   Distance: 39.03 Miles

 

 

We left before 9 and inspected the Canoe Slalom situated close by at the Barrage, that separates fresh water from the sea water, across the Tees. The Slalom course is not open yet but it is to be used for practise for the 2012 Olympics. Within the Barrage are salmon “stairs” and at the sides, locks for boats. A friendly local was filling us in on the sights and he told us that at certain times of the year the salmon leaps aren’t big enough and seals wait at the barrage, gorging themselves in the gridlock. “It’s like MacDonalds for the seals” he said. There are yellow plastic buoys floating on the Tees that count the salmon and there are up to 70,000 a year. We did see a boy constantly throwing stones at one so we don’t know how accurate the counters are.

 

We cycled along the Tees and back over the green bridge after meeting a dog walking couple who told us where to look for seals. There they were, sunning themselves on a grassy bank, as we looked back while crossing the bridge.

Now we were cycling on the South Bank coming out in an area of steel dinosaurs in Teesaurus Park.

 

 

 

We needed to cross the river again and the huge Transporter Bridge, a symbol of Teeside was there waiting. Every day 750 people and 600 vehicles cross the river in 2 and half minutes. The fantastic engineering is explained in the museum. It was 70 p each and we stood on the platform called a gondola with one car but with room for several more. The pilot sat in a cabin on the top and we glided across, suspended from the bridge arches 160 feet above the water.

 

It was 4 miles against the wind to Hartlepool nuclear power station where nearby there was another colony of seals, on Seal Sands. Industry always seems to have its counterbalance in the conservation areas often placed nearby. There was a very smelly rubbish dump near the Power station that was inhabited by hundreds of gulls.

At Seaton Carew men were sifting and flattening the sand on the beach, which gave the impression of winter in its deserted state. We rode along the promenade yet again until improvement to sea defences building works. We found a Morrisons for refreshments.

It was through housing states out of Hartlepool until we reached ex-railway line to Sunderland. After quite a bit of uphill, wooded bits and few people, we had a break for lunch at Castle Eden in a great pub that did cask beer and baguettes with hot roast beef and Yorkshires- unusual!

 

Next came a narrowing cycleway with wooden decking over wetland, beside families of coots and moorhens. Bob could not believe we had cycled such a narrow path beside water, when he looked at the movie after the trip. (especially after a few beers!)

The path opened out with cornfields, some being harvested and a housing estate, partially built, with at least 8 Solar Panels on every roof. We started to have views of the sea again and then Sunderland was in sight in the distance in front. After about 25 miles of no roads we took a main one into the town. The first likely place to stop for cloakroom and drink was a Sports Centre Cafe where we could keep an eye on the bike at the same time from comfy seats. There had been nothing since Castle Eden, 16 miles away.

 

We picked up cycle route! which took us round the marina, where there were unusual artistic sculptures- huge nuts and bolts in stone or wood, doors with mock stained glass, ruined houses and a pile of stone books near the University. A cable laying ship was in dock.

 

We cycled down the seafront at North Sunderland and beside a roundabout just after the white lighthouse, we found the Marriott Hotel. We watched waves crashing up the side of Roker Lighthouse, red and grey striped and positioned on a railinged jetty out to sea. The white lighthouse was moved into the park dwarfing the nearby armada beacon.

 

At the hotel they told us to bring the tandem inside and it went in the Castle Suite- not bad for a 4 star hotel! We had a lovely room with a sea view and a separate sitting –room ( 2 TVs) After a short swim in the disappointingly small pool we met up with my sister and family who were staying in Beamish, 17 miles away. We had a protracted dinner together. There were too many waitresses and not enough for them to do and consequently lack of coordination led to orders getting muddled. One lady never received her starter. Despite this the food was good, especially the crème brulee and we enjoyed ourselves.