Cycling holiday in the UK

Ben6899

New Forest. Sandy Balls for the lodge (kids love it there). Bournemouth or Southampton for Primark.

ilovegrace

Good afternoon all
Many thanks again for all who took the time to offer advice.
I am edging , ever so slightly, to Derbyshire, peak district.
Mind you Grace is pushing for Longleat, so not sure my opinion will carry much weight !!
regrds
ILG

redvision

Head for mid Wales.
Offers everything a cyclist would want. Different types of terrain including lots of hills or flat roads (whichever you prefer), beautiful countryside, quiet roads, lots of places to visit.

If you saw any of the final two stages of the women's tob it would convince you.

DeVlaeminck

Derbyshire is lovely, if it had a seaside It'd be as good as anywhere for a holiday. You've got a mix of big cities on your doorstep, Alton Towers is close, scenery, touristy villages, old fashioned attractions like caves, castles, historic houses like Chatsworth etc.

The cycling is great too. I would stay more around Bakewell, Matlock etc the riding isn't so unremittingly hilly that you wont find a mix of routes.

davep1

joe2008 wrote:

I rest my case...

That does look nice, but Dartmoor doesn't have a coastline, so you can't really compare! And is that a tarmac cycle path in two of the pics?
According to a quick Google, Dartmoor is wilder, and larger.

part time waster

North Wales for me . Anglesey. Just rolling lanes , hardly any traffic and you are always close to a coastline. Plenty of place to stay. Tarmac surface is fine , not many potholes as there are hardly any cars. Loads of single lanes with grass in the middle. Endless views of beaches and mountains.
You can always venture across to Snowdonia and further. I go about every 3 weeks . Nowhere better .

DeVlaeminck

Does Anglesea have a Primark? .

part time waster

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Does Anglesea have a Primark? .

Anglesey …. About 30 mile away in Colwyn Bay. But you knew that , being smart and computerish. Happy riding.

DeVlaeminck

part time waster wrote:

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Does Anglesea have a Primark? .

Anglesey …. About 30 mile away in Colwyn Bay. But you knew that , being smart and computerish. Happy riding.

Well I suppose 30 miles away counts as a car ride.

I'm still not convinced Anglesea would be the destination of choice for teenage girls but it's been a long time since I've been one.

markhewitt1978

I went to Longleat a few years ago with the kids. It's a great day out and the surrounding area is really lovely, if you stay off the main roads. You can cycle right right through the Longleat grounds as it's a designated cycle route.

photonic69

markhewitt1978 wrote:

............. You can cycle right right through the Longleat grounds as it's a designated cycle route.

Best avoiding the Lions and the Monkey enclosure!!

Yes, Longleat is great. Plenty of really nice routes around. Lots of choice and if you head West the you have the Mendips and Cheddar Gorge, Wookey Hole, Chew Valley lakes. Frome is a great town for independent shops. Bath is a 30 min drive. Salisbury Plain offers rolling hills and great scenery. Salisbury town just down the road.

arthur_scrimshaw

Flasher wrote:

Isle of Wight

+1

Just really nice for cycling, lots of cyclepaths and quiet roads. Car drivers are not generally psychopaths, nice pubs (that was on the essentials wasn't it?) Portsmouth 20 minutes away on the Cat or New Forest 40 mins on ferry. Of course you could go for the New Forest which is nice but the some of the people are not cyclist friendly, Soton just down the road.

ilovegrace

Thread resurrection.
The management team have decided on a lodge in Ashbourne peak district.
I do not do GPS or strava so if anyone can recommend a map for this area and if possible some route recommendations for some hilly , challenging 2 hour is rides .
All help gratefully received .
regards
ILG

DeVlaeminck

There's a cycle track the Tissington /High Peak trail but it is gravelly.

Road - Ilam, Wetton Mill (not Wetton itself), through tunnel to Hartington and bang it back on the A515 (bit of a main rd but it's all down hill)

Maybe go up the 515 a bit, right to climb to Longcliffe, across the Via Gellia and descend the Miners Standard B5056, left to Alport, Youlgrave and whatever way back (I would suggest crossing the A515 and Long Dale to Hartington (couple of cafes) but that's going over 2 hours). In fact Hartington, up Long Dale, left to the hairpins towards Longnor (couple of cafes) is worth doing too.

Or up the A515 a bit, right towards Longcliffe but go left right to Baillidon, to the end go up the gated road to the top (bit rough but tarmac), through to Parwich, descend the Via Gellia you could take the right part way to Longcliffe and back or descend it all the way to Cromford, up to Middleton Top, Carsington (cafe at visitor centre carry bike up outside stairs to balcony bit) home via Hulland

Or go over to Monyash cafe. Basically Id avoid the A515 north as it's a mainish road and a climb - it's not terrible but pretty much everything else is nicer - if you just want to get home smacking down the 515 maybe worth it. When I say avoid, it's fine to get out of Ashbourne but I wouldn't ride up to Buxton on it for fun.

If you want flat and quiet go towards Sutton on the Hill - not as scenic but it's ok.

pilot_pete

Great choice! Get yourself a 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey map of that part of the Peak District. Here is a screen shot of my digital version;



It’s easy to plan rides using that. It’s also good fun laying the whole map flat on a table/ floor and for everyone to get involved!

Top tip is to plan your route and just take colour photocopies of the section of map that has your route on. If you print them off on A4 you can fold them and put them in a sealable plastic bag to keep them dry and stuff them in pockets for a couple of your group at least to carry. You can even use a highlighter to just mark the route so you don’t forget when out on the road.

Hope you all have a great time.

PP

pilot_pete

So to offer some possible rides;

1. Leave Ashbourne on the Tissington Trail - it is hard packed gravel, which is fine if it has not been raining, so save that ride until it’s been dry for a day or two. Leave it about 3.5k north towards Thorpe and Ilam. In Ilam take the road north towards Stanshope. Continue to Hopedale and then head SW to Weags Bridge in the Manifold Valley. Join the Manifold Trail heading south towards the A523 near Waterhouses. If you wanted to turn north and go to Wettonmill you could have a cafe stop there before heading south again to pick up the route. This is the cafe;



Turn left on the A523 and first left to Carlton literally just 400m on the main road. In Calton Head north towards Thowley Hall. Follow the road back to Ilam, and if you wanted a posher cafe stop, pop into Ilam Country Park and have a National Trust cafe stop. Very nice. This was the view from the cafe in February;



On Ilam, turn south towards Bloor Hall and then east towards Mapleton. Follow the road back into Ashbourne and back to your accommodation.

That’s one ride...!

PP

ilovegrace

Great thanks for the help .
PS
Do we know the map ref number I would need for this area ?
regards
ILG

pilot_pete

ilovegrace wrote:

Great thanks for the help .
PS
Do we know the map ref number I would need for this area ?
regards
ILG

OS Landranger sheet 119

PP

ilovegrace

Pilot Pete wrote:

ilovegrace wrote:

Great thanks for the help .
PS
Do we know the map ref number I would need for this area ?
regards
ILG

OS Landranger sheet 119

PP

great thank
regards
ilg

phippss

Look at Ashbourne cycling club website as they have club routes and will be tried, tested and usually avoid the A515

pmannion9

phippss wrote:

Look at Ashbourne cycling club website as they have club routes and will be tried, tested and usually avoid the A515

+1
I'm from Ashbourne.
Also as someone suggested if you want to avoid hills head south. Stay off A515. Follow the National Cycle route out of the town...You can do great 30 -60 miles criss-crossing the lanes between Derby and Ashbourne.
Enjoy your stay.

ilovegrace

Hi all
Just returned from a week in Ashbourne (Sandybrook lodges).
In spite of getting drenched on every ride , I thoroughly enjoyed my stay.
One thing I have learnt is , I cannot read a map .
Ended up lost on most of my rides , but no problem there are lanes scattered about all over and with little help from the friendly locals managed to get back on track .
Thumbs up for Ashbourne cycling club, had a great ride with them last Saturday.
In addition many thanks to the BR forum.
regards
ILG

photonic69

Ah! See, if you had come down South to Centre Parks Longlete you'd have been applying the sunblock every day - and still got lost, albeit a warm and dry kind of lost!

Glad you had a good time all the same.

pilot_pete

Excellent! Now you know what to ask for for Christmas - a Garmin or equivalent with mapping!

Glad you had a great time - Shame about the weather!

PP

Dorset_Boy

PhotoNic69 wrote:

Ah! See, if you had come down South to Centre Parks Longlete you'd have been applying the sunblock every day - and still got lost, albeit a warm and dry kind of lost!

Glad you had a good time all the same.

I'll second that!

Pross

I'd go for mid Wales. Loads of really quiet country roads and superb climbs that don't feature in any of Simon Warren's books so a bit quieter (although there's also the Bwlch y Groes and Devil's Staircase if you want some classics). I reckon it's the hidden jewel of cycling in the UK. The area is lacking in decent sized towns though but that's the downside of the best cycling areas (or what makes them good for cycling).

As an alternative you could go for the Cotswolds, base yourself near Cheltenham and stick to the quieter roads away from the tourist traps.

Too late for this time though obviously.