The following information should provide you with a good starting point for planning your voyage to the raid! If you need any help planning your voyage, or for more hints and tips regarding where to find cheap tickets, etc., head on over to the #viking-transport channel on the SSAGO Discord server or this Google Document!
You can join the raid at:
Moor House Adventure Centre, Rainton Gate, Houghton-le-Spring DH4 6QY
Alternatively:
The site of the raid is located just a mile off the A1(M), part of the strategic road network. Turn off at junction 62, at the north-east side of Durham, onto the A690 eastbound, towards Sunderland; this will be marked up on signs as the way to Durham City Park & Ride too. Continue straight on past the Park & Ride, and Ramside Hall. Approximately 300m before the turning into the campsite, you’ll pass a gate closing off a layby, which your SatNav may try to take you down. If you carry on past the gate, you’ll shortly see a sign for the “Scout Centre”, and the turning for the campsite (the far end of that gated layby). As you turn off the main road, the campsite is straight ahead.
Tip: there are a couple of petrol stations in close vicinity of the site, should you need to refuel at any point. Half a mile further up the road (away from the A1), just into West Rainton, is a JET garage. About a mile the other way (back towards the A1), is a Shell garage, just before the A1 roundabout / opposite the Park & Ride.
Please travel to Durham, which is on the East Coast Main Line. We will be providing a minibus shuttle service to get you to the site of the raid from there! This shuttle service will primarily be running from just before 5pm to 11pm on the Friday and than after lunch on the Sunday, however if you will be arriving or needing to leave outside of these times we should be able to accommodate you - just make sure you put the times on your booking so we know!
The nearest main airport is Newcastle International Airport. From there, the Metro will get you into Newcastle in under 30 minutes - this costs £3.70 each way, and runs every 12 minutes. You can then get a main line train down to Durham, which will take about 15 minutes, with off-peak singles typically available for as cheap as £2.20. If you want to stop at the shops to buy supplies, you have a couple of options. The first is at Kingston Park, just a couple of stops along the Metro from the airport, where you can find a Tesco Extra and more. The second option is when you get into Newcastle’s city centre; there is a Sainsbury’s Local within the station and numerous corner shops nearby.
Another nearby airport is Teesside International Airport, but this has fewer flights and onwards travel isn’t as easy. Once you land, find your way into Darlington - there is the Arriva #12 bus, which takes about 30 minutes and costs £3.80 each way (Student Day Darlington District), however please be aware that this only runs six services a day. If you need to use a taxi, this will take about 10 to 15 minutes and cost about £10. From there, you can get the east coast main line up to Durham, which should take about 15 minutes and can cost as little as £2.40 each way. If you want to stop at the shops to buy supplier, we would recommend doing so in Darlington, where there is an ASDA and Sainsbsury’s Local near to the station.
Once in Durham, we will be providing a shuttle service from the station, to get you to the site of the raid itself! This shuttle service will primarily be running from just before 5pm to 11pm on the Friday and than after lunch on the Sunday, however if you will be arriving or needing to leave outside of these times we should be able to accommodate you - just make sure you put the times on your booking so we know!
Tip: If you do choose to fly, it may be worth talking to groups travelling by road to see if any of them can take a detour to collect you. Detouring to Newcastle should only add about 15 minutes of driving for those travelling southwards, and collecting from Teesside should only add about 25 minutes of driving for those travelling northwards.
Enter the River Wear from the North Sea at Bishopwearmouth (a.k.a. Sunderland). Travel upstream for approximately 32.5km. Warning: you will encounter a weir along the way. Once you get as close as you can by boat, you will need to moor up and walk the final kilometre. Our Viking age maps don't show any major obstacles like motorways!
Follow the longship directions above until you get as close to the campsite as possible by the River Wear. You'll then see a tributary, on the river right side, called Mally Gill, which you should head up. After a few culverts, passing under the A1(M) and old railway tracks, you should reach the campsite. If you don't fancy heading up the stream & navigating the small tunnels, slalom the trees on the bank and traverse the open fields to the bridge over the A1. Follow that track and you'll hopefully find your way into the campsite!
If you experience any issues in the booking process, please contact webmaster@ssago.org.