The Waskerley Way starts just west of Consett if your heading that way, otherwise it starts in the middle of nowhere if you are doing the Coast to Coast (C2C) rides from Whitehaven in Cumbria to either Sunderland or Tynemouth. Looks like the middle of nowhere anyway:-

Just this (east) side of Stanhope there's the welcoming sight of Parkhead Cafe - quite what it's doing out here is one of Life's Great Mysteries, but call in and have a natter to the superb, biker-friendly owners and grab a cup of soup or steak. They also do B&B for cross-country riders/walkers. WARNING! The custard can be cool if it's busy.

Just entering/leaving Consett you can see the last remains of the Martians after David Essex fettled them a few years ago...

see boring 3 minute vid here (12MB .wmv)