Wiggle Northern Angel

A century ride in one of Britain’s most barren — and brutal — landscapes

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There are several sections in the middle of this route where the feeling of remoteness is almost crushing. Fortunately, you will be too busy struggling up the sides of steep hills for this sensation to last too long. But it is a reminder that, despite its proximity to the teeming metropolis of Newcastle, Northumberland is the most sparsely populated county in England with the National Park covering a quarter of it.