11.5km Newcastle Cycle Route: Wylam Brewery, Leazes Park

This cycling route starts at the magnificent Wylam Brewery and passes through Towns Moor, Nuns Moor, and Leazes Park before ending back at Exhibition Park. You can rent bikes here or on this website for bikes along the Tyne. You can also use Parkopedia to find parking spots near you before and after your journey.

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Wylam Brewery resides in a building where you wouldn’t expect to find a brewery. Established in 2000, Wylam is a 30-barrel microbrewery situated at the Palace of Arts in Exhibition Park, the sole surviving structure from the 1929 North East Exhibition. Following years of neglect, the building has been revitalised into a fully functional brewery, complemented by a Brewery Tap open to the public Fridays–Sundays inclusive.

From its humble beginnings in a village potting shed, Wylam’s brews now grace pubs and bottle shops nationwide and abroad, marking a remarkable journey of growth and expansion. To find out more about operating hours as well as their live events and shows, see their website here.

From Wylam Brewery, exit the Town Moor over Grandstand Road onto Kenton Road, or exit and turn left onto Great North Road, then left onto Grandstand Road. At the roundabout, take the third exit onto Elmfield Park. Turn left into Northumberland Avenue.

Turn left onto Selters Road and take the third exit (right) onto Kenton Road. At the four-way stop, turn left onto Kenton Lane. Turn right onto Eastwood Gardens, then left onto Southwood Gardens. Turn left onto Westwood Gardens, then immediately right back onto Kenton Lane. The park will be on your left, with a paved pathway running through it. Continue through the park in this direction for roughly 770 metres.

Ride towards the edge of the houses at Grasswell Drive, turning left toward Houghton Avenue. You can follow this paved path or cut through onto Meadowdale Crescent and turn left onto Moorview Crescent. Follow the curve of the road onto Moorvale Lane then Fouracres Road.

Fouracres Road ends on Ponteland Road. Turn left, then right down through a tunnel. Turn right at the exit of the tunnel, then right again at the top of the ramp. Follow this paved pathway as it curves into Nuns Moor.

Nuns Moor Park is an excellent location for dog walkers and families. This park often hosts play and craft activities for people of all ages, organised by an active group of volunteers and community organisations. Built on the site of a former bowling green, the Bike Garden is a busy community space that hosts frequent food-growing activities. There’s also a communal orchard with mulberry, apple, quince, cherry, pear, and hazelnut trees, as well as a meadow full of wildflowers. Interesting fact: There are over 35 heritage fruits in this orchard that you most likely won’t find in stores.

Continue straight in this direction through Nuns Moor for roughly 1.5 km. You will need to cross over Fenham Hall Drive; please be safe when doing so. After the playground, turn right onto Brighton Grove, then left onto Studley Terrace, which becomes Walter Terrace, then New MIs. At the end of New MIs, turn right onto Barrack Road. After 240 metres, turn left, then after 150 metres, turn right into Leazes Park. Feel free to ride around Leazes Park as you please; there are a number of statues and monuments scattered about.

Newcastle’s oldest park is Leazes Park, located in the city centre. Restored to its previous Victorian magnificence, it was officially inaugurated in 1873. In December 2023, it celebrated its 150th anniversary! Several odd objects, including toys, a hand grenade, pricey women’s shoes, caltrops, and spiked metal devices intended to obstruct enemy vehicles, were discovered when the park was emptied as part of rehabilitation work.

Exit Leazes Park, turning right onto Richardson Road. After 350 metres, turn left onto St. Thomas’ Square, which becomes Kings Road. After 350 metres, turn right onto Claremont Road, where you will pass the Lord Armstrong Memorial. Cross over the main road, turn left, and ride along the designated cyclist path. Continue under the road bridges and through the tunnel. Exit the tunnel and turn immediately left onto the cycle pathway. Follow the curve of the pathway to the left, going through another tunnel to exit into Exhibition Park.

Lord William Armstrong was born at Shieldfield in 1810, and the Armstrong Memorial was erected in his honour. It is situated outside the Hancock Museum in Newcastle. His inventions, which include the hydroelectricity at Cragside and the Elswick Works, have left a lasting legacy. He is most known for creating the hydraulic crane and the Armstrong Gun. Behind the bronze statue of Lord Armstrong is a screen wall portraying various moments from his life and accomplishments, such as the construction of the Swing Bridge and the manufacture of firearms, both of which were designed and paid for by Armstrong.

With his industrial experience, Armstrong made Victorian Tyneside famous, and his acts of charity spanned many Newcastle organisations. A great citizen and a prominent character of the century, Armstrong was knighted for his services, and his death in 1900 was widely mourned.

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Resources:

If you enjoyed this route, see our 13km Jesmond, Ouseburn & Town Moor Cycle.

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Download the GPX file here.

Information gathered from various sources, including Wikipedia.