ONE MAN AND HIS BROMPTON

On the day of departure we will be making an early start from the famous signpost at the most south westerly point on the English mainland, Lands End. The first day is perhaps, one of the toughest. The hills in Cornwall are not particularly high, but they are steep and there are a lot of them, any miles that are done in training, prior to the ‘big trip’ will reap huge dividends on this early stage.

The second day of the journey is one of the toughest. We have plenty more Cornish hills to climb up and down although the scenery is lovely. We continue into Devon and more hills await as we cycle through Dartmoor National Park. On a clear day this is a truly spectacular section although it can get very bleak if the weather is bad!

The next day of our adventure will begin with some hilly cycling as we negotiate the back roads towards Exeter. As we leave Exeter behind the terrain becomes a little easier and after lunch, as we will be wending our way through gentle, quiet country lanes through the Isle of Avalon. We continue across the Somerset Levels to bring us to the lovely little town of Street, near Glastonbury.

We will continue to the cathedral city of Wells, often referred to as the smallest city in England. A climb out of Wells is rewarded with some fine cycling across the top of the Mendip Hills, before dropping to Chew Valley lake and through the Long Ashton Estate. We will cycle over the iconic Clifton suspension bridge before cycling through Bristol. After lunch we will continue over the Severn Bridge and into Wales. The afternoon is spent cycling along the Wye Valley – a truly memorable days cycling.

The fifth day of the journey is perhaps one of the easiest and the scenery is stunning with the Black Mountains in the distance. The roads are very quiet and the scenery amongst the best of the trip. We will be cycling to the west of Leominster and eventually stopping for the night at the recently restored watermill at Clun Mill, a local pub or B&B. Clun has a couple of great real ale pubs and places to eat.

A scenic, undulating road takes us away from Clun to the white & black timbered buildings of Shrewsbury. After Shrewsbury the route is flat & easy as we continue northwards along the Cheshire plains so although the mileage is high this is one of the easiest days of the tour. We finish the day in the old roman town of Northwich in the heart of the Cheshire plains.

Leaving Northwich we will be weaving through the Manchester – Liverpool conurbation. The cycling is flat but we have a number of busy roads, roundabouts and town centres such as Leigh and Westhoughton to navigate. As the day wears the countryside beckons once again. We will arrive at the pretty hamlet of Conder Green situated on the banks of the River Lune south of Lancaster.

Sunday will see us cycling to the North West of Lancaster where we pick up a cycle path which winds alongside the River Lune heading East continuing on to the beautifully picturesque market town of Kirby Lonsdale. Kirby Lonsdale has had a market once a week since 1227AD and is home to a Norman Church, which we will cycle right past, which is 1000 years old! We then continue onwards edging the Yorkshire Dales National park and then the Howgills to our right and the Lake District National Park to our left. Initially the cycling is easy but we will encounter a number of hills further north as we pass Sedbergh on our way to Penrith.

On the second Monday morning, the ‘daily commute’ or the ‘school run’, will be the last thing on our minds, as stiff climbs from the Lake District are forgotten we will be navigating through the tail end of the Lake District towards the city of Carlisle, the terrain flattens out around this historic city and the cycling becomes relatively easy as the day wears on.

Leaving Moffat, a gradual climb takes you up over the Lowther Hills through some wild and stunning scenery. You will cycle alongside the River Tweed before descending towards Edinburgh. A great ride through Edinburgh city centre leads you over the iconic Forth Road Bridge over the Firth of Forth and onto Kinross.

Continuing north you will skirt round Perth and cross the River Tay. A lovely ride takes you onto Blairgowrie and Glen Shee. A notable climb up to the ski resorts at Glenshee is followed by a long descent to Braemar. Further along you will pass by the Queens country home at Balmoral and finish the day in the vibrant highland town of Ballater.