It has taken me a long time to get around to this post - we actually started this ride on 31st July! It's a long story but includes a lack of time and a broken (now repaired) laptop.
As you will know I have been gradually walking from Berwick towards Helston since January, as I only have time at weekends and during school holidays this is taking some considerable time. The rest of the family have been very understanding but do tend to get frustrated and bored with hanging around for me each time I am walking. So what to do...cycling that's what! We decided that a good way for all the family to join in would be to try back packing on bikes as we all enjoy cycling. So this is how we ended up in a retail park in Derby looking like this...
...all loaded up and ready to go. It took quite a bit of sorting to get all our stuff into the panniers and we had to be quite minimalist in what we took. We ended up with 3 small tents, 6 sleeping bags of varying sizes, 6 camping mats, a small gas canister with click-on top, 6 bowls, 6 mugs and 2 billy cans. We only carried food for that day and stocked up as we went along. We took mimimal spare clothes and only waterproofs for the top half. Everything had to be carried on 4 of the bikes as the boys bikes were too small for panniers. I also took a small first aid kit, a puncture repair kit and reflective tabards for the road sections.
We followed the South Midlands cycle route (available from Sustrans) which goes from Derby to Oxford via Leicester, Northampton and Milton Keynes. This route is a combination of minor roads, cycle paths - some on disused railway lines and canal tow paths.
So day 1 (25 miles) saw us setting off from Derby, out past Pride Park football stadium. The first part of the route is easy riding along cycle paths which are well signposted. There then follows a short section along the Trent and Mersey Canal.
All along the National cycle network are these works of art - the Millenium mileposts, all are of a different design which is relevant to where they are situated. This was the first of many that we came across on the route.
After the canal the route continues along a disused railway line and takes you past this most enormous quarry. On leaving the railway line the route moves into Leicestershire and introduces you to the county by taking you along the country lanes through some quiet villages. This doesn't last long though as you cross over the M1 by means of a bridge and then cycle alongside the Loughborough bypass. This was a noisy, busy way to end the day and we were pleased to arrive in our campsite in the village of Quorn.
The campsite was a Camping and Caravan Club certificated site, Mill Farm, Quorn - and was a real hideaway. On site was us, a campervan and a caravan, the facilities consisted of just one toilet and a sink but the best thing was as we arrived the owner gave us a menu from the local chinese takeaway, we phoned up with our order and 20 minutes later it was delivered to the gate! In the centre of Quorn is a mini-supermarket so we stocked up with lunch food the next morning before setting off. We didn't have far to go on Day 2 (16 miles) so we began by taking a trip on the Great Central Railway and visiting the fascinating war time displays at Quorn Station. Just after lunch we followed the A6 into Leicester - some of this route is actually on the A6 separated from the traffic by just a line marked on the road. We all wore our fluorescent vests for this bit. Once we got into Leicester we were back onto city cycle paths again.
The route goes through Abbey Park in the centre of Leicester where we saw the proud parents of this large group of cygnets. After passing through the Park the route then winds through some industrial areas before leaving the city on yet another disused railway line.
The path runs for about 4 miles dead straight, you just seem to go on and on and on, then it suddenly comes to an end and I had to do a little map reading to get us on the road to Countesthorpe. We managed to camp at a Fishing Lake just south of Countesthorpe, they normally only take caravans but kindly allowed us to camp in the corner of a field, the showers were a bit expensive though at £1 a time so we gave those a miss! After our luck with the Chinese takeaway last night we thought we might be eating our emergency dried meals tonight but our luck was in as there was a Pizza place nearby that delivered to the site! Day 3 ( 31 miles) After a good nights sleep we were up early the next morning to cycle out of Leicestershire and into our next county, Northamptonshire.
The route took us along quiet lanes and up this really, really steep hill which reduced us to walking and pushing our bikes.
We then joined the Grand Union Canal at Foxton, the route just misses the fabulous Foxton Locks so it is worth making a diversion north for about a mile along the canal to see the locks.
We left the bikes by the cafe and shop at the bottom and walked up to the top of the locks, we then came back down with a couple of boats as the children helped with the opening and closing of all the lock gates.
After about an hours break we re-traced our tracks along the tow path and then continued along the canal all the way into Market Harborough. Extreme garden envy came over us as we approached the town, on the opposite bank to the towpath are large houses with gardens that include a canalside section. Many had their own moorings- some with boats tied up.
After passing through the Wharf we cycled down into the town and stopped at the supermarket to buy lunch and stock up on drinks and snacks for the afternoon.
The route leaves the town on the Brampton Valley Way - a disused railway line that goes all the way through to Northampton.
After a brief pause to mend a puncture on James' bike (caused by a large rose thorn) we approached the Great Oxendon Tunnel. Having ridden this section before we knew that good bike lights were needed so we had come prepared (or so we thought!) As we started our journey through the first tunnel it soon became blackly obvious that our lights were next to useless. It is so dark in these tunnels that the light from normal strength torches and headlights just gets absorbed. There was no option, however, but to continue so, singing to keep us going, we pedalled on through the darkness until eventually we came out the other end!
As you can see from the photo the end is in sight but cycling in pitch black is completely disorientating and you feel like you are going nowhere! Be warned - the second tunnel (490m) is even longer!
After the tunnels we continued on to stay with friends in Spratton.
Day 4 ( 29 miles) The next morning the bikes were loaded up again, we were getting quite good at this by now. Kez had developed a stinking cold so I took the tent from her and she had all the camping mats which although it looked like a big pile was at least lots lighter. We set off from Spratton back onto the Brampton Valley Way and into Northampton. Unfortunately this is where our first crash of the day happened. The Brampton Valley cycle path narrows where the steam railway runs along side for a short section, at this point Kez and I got too close together and she managed to get her handlebars caught on the tent which was on the back of my bike. She almost recovered but ended up sprawled across the track. Luckily nothing was too badly hurt and we continued cautiously in single file until the track widened again Once again, as we entered the town, we passed through some of the worst areas of the town alongside the mainline railway, an area which has been defaced by fly tippers. After passing sofas and armchairs with their stuffing exploding out and mattresses which had definitely seen better days we continued alongside the main road and through housing estates until we reached central Northampton. At this point the signposts disappeared and we had to retrace our route and negotiate some big sets of traffic lights to find our way out of the town. The next bit of the route was a revelation to us, having lived in Northamptonshire for 3 years we never cycled along the Nene Valley cycle route (didn't even know it was there!), but this was a lovely route out of the town along the river Nene and then (after negotiating another industrial area) through some picturesque Northamptonshire villages. After Quinton the route goes along a busy road up to Salcey Forest - this is a section that you want to get over as quickly as possible, but which also is a long slog up a hill. With the traffic passing just a fraction away at great speed I was pleased to see the entrance to Salcey Forest ahead. We spent about hour making use of the forest facilities including the toilets (smelly) and the cafe (excellent). As a treat for getting there we had lunch in the cafe - sandwiches, soups and salads we much appreciated by all, many thanks to the staff at the cafe for filling up all our water bottles. We also fixed two slow punctures on the bikes which had been slowing us up. After Salcey Forest we sailed on through more villages and were going really well until our second crash of the day. This time it was Ben, who misjudged a move onto the kerb and ended up going flying over the handlebars of his bike. He ended up with large amounts of grazing to both knees and elbows - good job I had a first aid kit. We awarded him 10's for artistic merit, it really was a most spectacular dive! Eventually we reached the outskirts of Milton Keynes, nearly there (or so we thought!). Milton Keynes is great for cycle routes but 1. it helps if you know the city and 2. it is a long windy way from one side to the other. It took us a further hour and a half to reach our friends house in Kents Hill!
Day 4 (33 miles) Our friends in Milton Keynes were fantastic and after being washed, fed and a good nights sleep it was hard to leave and continue in the light drizzle that had descended. We were even provided with a packed lunch to keep us going - this was much appreciated later in the day as the weather deteriorated even further and it took us longer than expected to get to our half way point at Winslow. Part of the reason for this was, once again, the circuitous route of the cycle paths out of Milton Keynes. We passed through too many underpasses to mention trying to maintain a westerly direction, often having to check the signs on the roads to make sure we were still going the right way. Eventually we got clear of the city and started to follow a mix of quiet lanes and cycle track to Winslow, this is when the heavens opened and we cycled through what can only be described as a deluge. Our waterproofs couldn't cope - we got wet from the top down from the rain and the bottom up from the water on the ground. It seeped in through the ventilation holes in our helmets and within minutes we were soaked to our underwear. There was no where to stop for shelter so we just kept on going, as we approached Winslow it eased off and we stopped for lunch.
As you can see we were totally wet and muddy but it wasn't cold and for some reason we all found the whole experience hysterically funny with the slightest comment about something making us all laugh uncontrollably.
After a quick lunch and stocking up on energy drinks in Winslow we continued on to Bicester. We were all flagging a bit by now, I hadn't actually let on that this was our longest day. We stopped at Tesco's on the way out of the town to stock up on food for dinner and then cycled the last 8 miles to the campsite just past Bletchingdon - Greenhill Leisure Park which was just what we needed, it had a well stocked campsite shop, a games barn and absolutely superb washrooms. Luckily the sun had now come out and we laid all our wet stuff on the grass to dry. We stayed here for two nights while Tim went back to Derby to collect the car. On the last day of our cycling tour I cycled from the campsite to Witney so that is where we will start from next summer when we continue the journey.
Before that, however, I have some gaps to fill in. The first one of these is the section of the St Oswalds Way from Warkworth to Rothbury - that is planned for two weeks time. The second gap is the last section of the Pennine Way from Hebden Bridge to Edale and then continuing through Derbyshire to Derby - we will hopefully be doing this at the end of April next year.
Watch this space...