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Four days in Belgium by bike over a long weekend. Javelin from St Pancras to Dover Priory on Friday morning (oddly the tickets seemed to get cheaper the closer we got to the departure date rather than being cheaper if you book earlier - hmm), then the scratchy cycle route down to the harbour (a Heath Robinson assemblage of roads, cycle paths, pavements and bits of paint which compares very unfavourably with the equivalent bike path on the Dunkirk side). That said, cyclist passport check and DFDS ferry check-in at the Port of Dover was very easy, bikes at the front of the queue to load on, and there were good bike racks with lashings on the car deck. However, there is nowhere for cyclists to prop bikes or shelter dockside at Dover if the weather is bad or, as it was in our case, very sunny.
As cyclists we were first off the ferry at Dunkirk, and set off along good cycle-paths towards the town proper, evidence everywhere of the migrants trying to get across the Channel – camped in the woods, bathing in the canal, wheeling supplies from town along the cycle-paths in shopping trolleys, and generally killing time at bus-stops and cafes in Loon Plage and Grand Synthe.
Our first stop was the monument to the evacuation at Dunkerque, but at 15.00 everywhere else was shutting up shop, both cafes and supermarkets closing or closed. We carried on along the coast (old railway line through the dunes) to Zuydcoote, where a locals café, La Cabane aux Delices, was serving cold beer and good baguettes. Inevitably the next bar we hit east of Bray Dunes was also open, and even had a good heavy metal covers band playing in the garden, but we kept going (despite some mutinous grumbling) along the coast to Nieuwport. Our overnight accommodation was the Domein Westhoek beach resort in the dunes – good bar, good bike storage (including power for the e-bikers amongst us), and a short walk down to the front for the first moule frites of the trip on a glorious sunny evening, kicking off a long running theme about just how windswept the North Sea promenade might, or might not, be in winter.
Day two, breakfast at the Westhoek and down to the harbour, stopping to look at the Belgian and British War Memorials and the sluices used by the Belgians to flood the Yser plain to balk the German advance. SE out of town on the dedicated Western “Front” cycle-path, before turning ENE towards Brugge via quite country lanes and small villages. First opportunity for coffee was de Blaaspijp in Koekelare, which looked a small and inconspicuous bar from the street, but turned out to be a serious local live music venue (with good coffee). Then through steadily more prosperous villages and eventually suburbs until Brugge, accompanied much of the way by a vintage Porsche club outing – over a hundred 911s of various ages and some glorious seventies paint schemes burbling around in convoy. Brugge attractive as ever but heaving with tourists taking selfies, in places it was necessary to walk the bikes even on main roads, but we had a good lunch in Dweersstraat before joining the brilliant Gent-Brugge Canal-side cycle path to speed us on our way to Gent and the Hotel Carlton on Kon. Astridlaan – big comfy rooms, secure parking (and power for e-bikes), and excellent breakfasts. Out into Gent for beer at Barrazza, steaks at t’Koninghuis on Oudburg, and back to Barrazza for more beer as it was that good.
Day three, excellent breakfast at the Carlton (did I mention how good the breakfasts were?) then back onto canal paths towards Roeselare and Iper. Generally easy going apart from a short stretch where the towpath was closed for maintenance resulting in a detour round an industrial estate and bits of bypass, and some stretches where the canal was a very sinister and algae-induced shade of green. Stopped for beers at t’Stil Ende Nancy, a lovely redbrick bar on the canalside at Izegem, and then a good burger lunch at Café St Georges in the station square at Roeselare. Left the canals and headed SW towards the front, calling at Passendale, then down the almost imperceptible slope to the British Tyne Cot and German Langemark cemeteries before arriving in Iper entering the old town via the Menin Gate. Checked into Hotel O on D’hondstraat (a bit of a warren but good value, good bike storage etc and just off the Cloth Hall Square), down to the Menin Gate for the immensely moving Last Post ceremony along with hundreds of others on a warm summer Sunday evening, and beers and dinner (more moule frites) in town.
Day four back towards Dunkerque Port, stopping in Poperinge to respect the cells used to hold British deserters before execution, and the execution point itself, in the old Town Hall. Coffee and cakes at Le Lion Blanc in Herzele, before a last-minute "democratic" change of plan, to try and get lunch in Dunkerque, breaking direct for the coast via Wylder and Bergues. Successfully lunched on the promenade at Le Malouin, before retracing our steps to the ferry port. Very limited shelter for cyclists (but at least there was some) and once again rapid boarding and good bike arrangements on the DFDS ferry. At Dover managed to get lost getting out of the terminal but joined a pack of cyclists all sprinting back to the station along the inadequate cycle path in time for trains to London.
A good four-day trip with time to savour the Belgian North Sea Coast, to look at the Belgian front line, have an excellent evening out in Gent, and scope the Ypres Salient and the Menin Gate. Brugge a scrum, but otherwise superbly set up for bike touring: excellent cycle paths, bike friendly hotels.
Two-day cycle tour in November with a forecast weekend-long break in the rain, starting from friends’ near Harleston.
Along the Waveney to Bungay, NE to Loddon to join NCN1 to Norwich, cutting out some of the NCN1’s meanders due to flooding on the Wensum flood plain. Norwich coffee stop at the excellent Café Club on the corner of King Street and Rose Lane, before heading out of town on NCN1 following the disused railway line towards Fakenham.
Railway line in November: lots of leaves, sticks and mud. Passable on touring bikes but only just until - a feral stick threw itself into a chain and snapped a rear derailleur just south of Swannington. With our own cable ties, and a pair of nifty micro chain-pliers provided by a very friendly and well equipped local, we eventually jury-rigged a fixed-rig and carried on, stopping in Reepham at the Crossroads Café for hot chocolate and giant tuna melts to warm up after an hour of bike mechanics in the wind.
From Reepham we headed for the coast as the day closed in. But in Thornage a rack of second-hand bikes for sale outside a house resulted in a quick chat with the seller, and the sourcing of a potential replacement derailleur and chain from a bike he was scrapping! As the day was drawing on, we cracked on with the fixed-rig, which got us within a mile of our end point at Stiffkey before the chain jumped and locked up. We coasted into the very hospitable Red Lion for showers, beers and good food just as it got dark.
Day 2 started with a good early breakfast at the Red Lion, then more outdoor-mechanics (but in the sheltered pub yard this time) as we installed the replacement derailleur and chain. We then set off gingerly, with almost no gear changes on the damaged bike, via Walsingham (passing Sunday worshippers), Fakenham, and Dereham, where we lunched at Flour and Bean (bakery and coffee shop, rolls and coffee both very good) at the top of the Market Place, bike racks right outside. From Dereham via Wymondham and back to our friends’ near Harleston to pick up car.
Roads and NCN1 stretches good despite the amount of rain beforehand, but the railway line is only just passable with tourers in November. Overall Norfolk, as ever, excellent country cycling, with plenty of pubs and village shops even in November, but snapping a derailleur on a disused railway line on wintry Saturday afternoon nearly derailed the whole trip, without the cycling Samaritan’s mini chain-pliers we’d have been slowly walking back to Norwich as breaking and shortening the chain accurately without them was impossible in the cold. Even more miraculous was getting a spare derailleur in Thornham which gave us more confidence we could complete the circuit, and we turned down the coastal escape options (cabs and buses to Sheringham to join the train), in favour of an early start and steady but gingerly heading back south.
A loop across the Borders, Lakes and North Pennines, starting and finishing at Newcastle Station. West along the Tyne / Hadrian’s Cycleway as far as Wylam, then turning north to join The Reivers Way east of Matfen. Stopped in Matfen for lunch at village shop/café (excellent cheese scones), then west across farm lanes to Bellingham. Lovely wild country but quite a lot of farm gates on this stretch which make progress a bit slow. Tea and excellent carrot cake in the former workhouse in Bellingham, then up past Kielder. As it was late afternoon, we stayed on the fast main road rather than use the lakeside path, and stayed with the on-road route rather than the forestry track through Kielder Forest, very little traffic and good tarmac so we made good time. Up to the pass and then into Scotland, turning south towards Newcastleton. Overnighted at The Grapes in Newcastleton, excellent stop, landlord and staff very helpful, secure bike storage, good food and beer, warm clean rooms with good showers. Fellow reivers from Holland going the other way were also staying there - there's not much accommodation on this part of The Reivers, but the Grapes is good.
Second day south towards Carlisle, very up and down for the first ten miles or so to Bewcastle, before turning towards flatter roads and the Solway Firth. Into Carlisle from the north, via the attractive village of Rockcliffe, lunch at John Watt and Son's teashop (excellent toasted sandwiches and tea). Out of Carlisle south, following the river for a long stretch, before turning west at Hesket Newmarket to cross Caldbeck Common. Sharp squall from the West made the common hard going, but dramatic views up to the Back o’ Skiddaw. Round Bassenthwaite as the squall cleared, through Cockermouth and to Great Broughton, overnighted at the Broughton Craggs Hotel, good bike store and nice staff, but the grand old house is in need of a bit of a refurb.
Third day out to the coast, and along the old railway line path to Whitehaven to meet up with the C2C. Coffees and cake at The Harbourmaster, excellent café overlooking the strangely orange (washout from old iron working) water in the harbour. C2C needs no write-up, but on a day when early rain gave way to clear blue skies, Loweswater, Crummock Water and Whinlatter Forest were all looking brilliant. Old Keswickian chip shop open late and doing good business on Sunday afternoon. East out on the old railway line to Threlkeld, skipped the northern dogleg to Mungrisdale, arriving Penrith early evening, where a streetparty on the permitted route at Newton Rigg were kitted out with cowbells to serenade passing C2Cers! Overnighted at The Shepherds Inn at Langwathby, brilliantly comfortable stop, good food and beer, landlord very helpful and hospitable, turning out early to see us on our way the following morning.
Early start on fourth day to be sure of our train, good weather and a gentle tailwind taking us over the Hartside, Garrigill, Nenthead, Allenheads and Crawleyside climbs (we stayed on the road rather than take the Rookhope off-road section), with glorious high speed drop offs in between. Hard work on the uphills, but vistas are clear, roads are good, and it’s epic cycling. Fell in with a Saddle Skedaddle group on the way up from Allenheads, very jealous of their escorting van with lunch! From Crawleyside onto the Waskerley Way, not paved but very fine gravel suitable good for tourers, so after a morning of climbs, we were quickly and easily down to Consett, Gateshead, across the High Level Bridge and back to the train.
290 miles over 4 days, 5800m of climbing. Both routes, Reivers and C2C are absolute classics, C2C a bit more showy (Lakes/Pennines), Reivers rather more remote and secret. Memorable stuff.
Two days on NCN 41 from Rugby down to Bristol.
Train to Rugby, coffee stop in Warwick at Pastelaria Portuguesa, fish and chips in Stratford at Barnaby's, (eaten on the river bank with a classical guitarist busking), coffee in the Old Post Office in Beckford (they were closing, but stayed open to make us coffee nonetheless), and to The Bell at Tewkesbury for dinner, beers and a massive breakfast, comfortable beds, good showers and bike storage in their courtyard. Took the westerly braid rather than the Cheltenham route, up to the cathedral at Gloucester, then down the canals and lanes towards Avonmouth. Coffee and cakes at Ley Bistro in Frampton on Severn, sunning ourselves on the green. Long stop to allow a herd of friesians to go past, up the Avon Gorge and into Bristol. Trains back to London.
Great route, apart from a slightly grungy stretch through Avonmouth. Quite a lot of unpaved railway and canal track, so 32mm touring tyres probably the minimum - we had a couple of punctures but tyres were past their sell-by date in hindsight. Quiet lanes, lovely views over the gently rolling scenery, succession of nice towns on day one, day two more rural between Gloucester and Avonmouth. Easy going over two days at just over 70 miles per day as not hilly at all. Could be tricky going NE to SW if windy as prevailing wind will funnel up the Bristol Channel, but we were lucky with the weather.
A sixty four mile loop from Sandy, starting westward on the old railway line to Bedford, crossing the Great Ouse for the first time on the lovely single track bridge at Great Barford. Then north towards St Neots with its handsome main square (crossing the Great Ouse for the second time), and north through the Offords to Godmanchester, passing Farm Hall of atom bomb fame. Into St Ives (best crossing of the Great Ouse on St Ives' fine medieval bridge), and east onto the old railway to Cambridge, paralleling the self-driving bus route and crossing the Great Ouse for the final time as it turns north away from its joyful meanders and towards its sad straight canalised channel to The Wash. Down the west side of Cambridge, good views across the Backs, thence to Barton (stopping at The Coffee Shed), through handsome Barrington (longest village green in Europe!), Orwell, through the grounds of Wimpole Hall, up Croydon Hill and around the park at Hatley St George. Gamlingay (hot chocolate and cake at LJ’s Sandwich Bar, good bike parking round the back), and round a few more country houses and well planted parks back into Sandy. Good variety of towns and country, best countryside the southern leg from Wimpole back to Sandy, nice rolling ridges, lots of woods, and very little traffic. A pleasant square of quiet roads and countryside nestled between the larger towns and main roads.
Made in the Cotswolds. Published by Éditions Système D Ltd.
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