View from my tent shortly after sunrise

The sky was overcast with a little drizzle as I set off but the drizzle didn’t last long. I rode along the path back to the road then rejoined the A1086. Considering I’m near to the coast the hills are long and some quite steep. To the east of Peterlee I took a wrong turning and finished up climbing a very steep hill only to find the road had been blocked to through traffic.

Wide view of the Wearmouth Rail Bridge which spans the River Wear.
The iron box girder construction was opened in 1879

I just wheeled the bike round the bollards and continued to find my way back to the original route. The map shows many places with the name Colliery attached but I didn’t see any signs of working mines. I kept off the main roads wherever possible and took a minor road towards the coast to Seaham. It was an impressive seafront with hotels, large houses and a nice road along the prom. I continued north to Sunderland and came to an impressive old girder bridge which wasn’t on my original route plan. It had the rail bridge running parallel so I decided to use it. I soon regained my planned route and carried on to Whitburn.

Roker Pier, Sunderland

The weather continued to improve. I noticed a Morrisons store and decided to buy some water while I had a chance. I got the same as yesterday, a 5lt bottle for £1.10. My plan is to catch the train home from Newcastle tomorrow so today I only need to get within striking distance of the railway station. The map shows 2 possible places to camp and both aren’t far away. The first is at Lizard Point only a few miles up the coast. I set off but soon had to stop to check out a lovely windmill up to my left. It was set in a mown grassy area and was a picture postcard view. The information board said it dated back to 1790 but the structure today had been extensively reconstructed after the original building deteriorated to nothing more than a stonework shell.

Whitburn Windmill

I carried on until I came to the Souter Lighthouse which also indicated the location of The Lizard Point. I wheeled the bike down to the cliff edge, looking for somewhere to camp. There were many warning signs but the problem was too many thistles! The area around the lighthouse was pleasant mown grass. An information board told me that it used to be the thriving village of Marsden that existed for the adjacent coal mines. All now long gone. There were many people out enjoying the sunshine. Back towards the road was a small grassy hill. I had a look and found a flat spot that would be big enough for my tent. I managed to remove the few thistles that were in the way. Being above the main paths there were few people came this way. The views were excellent. Although the lighthouse is no longer used I was surprised when the fog horn was sounded even though there was no fog.

Souter Lighthouse with the foghorn to the right

Coast at Lizard Point