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4 Day Circular Tour - ideas?

Posted: 17 Mar 2014, 8:59am
by jpc1003
Hi All

Anybody got any recommendations for a 4 day circular tour in the UK in late June. Lots of camping opportunities required, either wild or campsite, about 60-70 miles per day (depending on terrain of course!).

Had planned to spend a whole week away, and had lots of ideas for that, but family commitments have eroded into my cycle touring allowance this year. Darn it!

Would welcome any recommedations or ideas. Based in the East Midlands, so anywhere is a possible drive away.

Jason

Re: 4 Day Circular Tour - ideas?

Posted: 17 Mar 2014, 8:07pm
by RickH
The Lancashire Cycleway - a figure of 8 route that crosses in Whalley and visits the hills and plains of Lancashire. I did it over 4 days, although I only did the Northern loop as a continuous trip camping overnight at Silverdale as I live close to the bottom of the southern loop.

Lancashire Cycleway.JPG

My mileages were
Northern loop
Whalley to Silverdale (flat) 3445ft ascent, 78.35 miles
Silverdale to Whalley (hilly) 4136ft ascent, 50.78 miles

Southern loop
Rivington to Whalley (flat-ish) 4193ft ascent, 71.08 miles
Whalley to Rivington (hilly) 7226ft ascent, 64.26miles

There is a Cicerone Guide of the route which I found useful for planning.

Rick.

Re: 4 Day Circular Tour - ideas?

Posted: 17 Mar 2014, 9:37pm
by keyboardmonkey
Another figure 8 here, starting in or near Malton, North Yorkshire. Do the Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Route clockwise over two days then pass through or near Malton again for another loop - anti-clockwise - this time of the North York Moors.

Not au fait with camping in the Wolds, although I believe Dixie Wills has a little book that mentions Flamborough. So if you started, say, nearer to Thixendale rather than Malton the coast would be at around halfway on the first loop. Loads of camp sites on the Moors.

Let me know if it's a possibility and I''ll put something together.

Re: 4 Day Circular Tour - ideas?

Posted: 17 Mar 2014, 9:43pm
by Dean
Park in Barnard Castle, then ride up to Hexham, loop around Northumberland and back a bit further west. North Pennines and Cheviots, can't beat that.

Re: 4 Day Circular Tour - ideas?

Posted: 17 Mar 2014, 10:07pm
by jpc1003
Thanks all, some great ideas.

Thanks Rickh, My wife's mum lives in Formby, I might do the southern half to tie in with a visit over there one long weekend, would get me out of the house for a bit! Really appreciate the map.

Malton & bottom end of North York Moors is certainly a possibility, i used to know the top end of the moors quite well when I lived in Middlesbrough as a student, but don't know the bottom end too well. I've stayed at a campsite in Pickering before so maybe could tie in something with that.

Hexham & Northumbria sounds groovy, and an area I don't know very well. Perhaps I could tie something up with the middle section of Hadrian's Wall, something I've not got round to doing yet. A trip to the map-room, i think.

Has anybody done the Borders Loop, just north of the Scottish border? Mileage looks about right (if its not too hilly) but are there camping opportunities? Why do local tourism & accomodation sites only mention b&b's?

Thanks again, keep those ideas coming!

Jason

Re: 4 Day Circular Tour - ideas?

Posted: 18 Mar 2014, 5:07am
by fluffybunnyuk
The Chilterns has a cycleroute thats circular and 170 miles long. With the beautiful scenery, and large number of pubs it would make a great crawl...

Theres a route guide someplace online thats split in 23 sections.

Re: 4 Day Circular Tour - ideas?

Posted: 18 Mar 2014, 9:31am
by bikepacker
Why not start your tour from home? There are lots of ways you could go from your place and instead of driving time you will have cycling time.

Re: 4 Day Circular Tour - ideas?

Posted: 18 Mar 2014, 9:48am
by toekneep
The Dales is just about the right size for you to see most of it in four days. Quite hilly but stunning scenery, plenty of campsites and a lot of the roads have been re-surfaced in preparation for the Tour.

Re: 4 Day Circular Tour - ideas?

Posted: 18 Mar 2014, 12:47pm
by jpc1003
Some more interesting ideas.

Chilterns are a bit unknown, which is good, went for walk near Chequers once but that's about it, will investigate further.

Thanks Bikepacker, good sentiment but i like to get as far from Lincolnshire as possible when I go on holiday, there are only so many sugar beet fields that a man can take!

Thumbs up for the Dales, i've done a couple of tours through here, good pubs, leg trembling climbs and plenty of campsites. In the mood for something new and unexplored this year.

J

Re: 4 Day Circular Tour - ideas?

Posted: 18 Mar 2014, 12:57pm
by TrevA
I'm based in Nottingham and have done a number of 4 day tours over the years, usually over the Easter holiday.

Nottingham - Kings Lynn - Cambridge - Towcester - Nottingham. Very flat out to Kings Lynn and down to Cambridge, then a bit more rolling through Northants on the way back.

Or ride to Kings Lynn and spend some time exploring the Norfolk Lanes out to Wells, Sheringham and Cromer.

The Cotswolds is a good day's ride from the East Midlands and you could spend a couple of days exploring and ride back.

Derbyshire Peak District and on up into Yorkshire through the Pennines. You could get as far as Howarth (Bronte Country) depending how far you want to ride in a day.

Head up towards York and beyond into Howardian Hills, then down towards East riding, over the Humber Bridge and back through Lincolnshire.

Re: 4 Day Circular Tour - ideas?

Posted: 18 Mar 2014, 9:25pm
by jpc1003
thanks Trev, some good ideas. I've done some day rides in Norfolk, always thought it would make a good touring destination. Defo a possibility.

I lived in the Peak District for 10 years, and probably cycled every road so might give that a miss.

So far the shortlist is Norfolk, Northumbria, Scottish Borders and possibly Chilterns.

Too many routes, too little time!

J

Re: 4 Day Circular Tour - ideas?

Posted: 19 Mar 2014, 8:43am
by honesty
As usual when these threads come up I'm going to suggest Somerset :)

Either an east Somerset loop, or Taunton down to the the Devon coast to coast back to Taunton (which is what I did last year)