Tour Reports

In addition to our regular Sunday Club Runs, we also organise longer trips, usually over a long weekend. This allows us to venture further afield to explore new territory.

Thursday, 05 December 2019 17:59

A Ride to the Battlefields of the Somme

A weeks cycling and camping tour tothe Battlefields of the Somme,by Chris Marshall. After reading 2 excellent books (see below) about the authors' experiences of the First World War, I was inspired to visit the towns, villages and countryside that they passed through and fought over. Both men were in 3 areas; Ypres, Bethune and the River Ancre (which is a tributary of and North of the Somme itself) My original idea was to take the Hull to Zeebrugge ferry and cycle down the front line from the North, but this was very expensive as cabin berths are compulsory for…

Wednesday, 11 September 2019 10:12

Tewkesbury - September 2019

The historic market town of Tewkesbury, situated in Gloucestershire, at the confluence of the Rivers Severn and Avon, was the destination for our Autumn weekend. With it's magnificent Abbey, Medieval and Tudor buildings, it made a perfect base for rides out to neighbouring Worcester and the Malverns. It was also the site of The Battle of Tewkesbury, which took place on 4 May 1471, one of the decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses. Rather apt as our weekly rides often straddle the Lancashire/Yorkshire border. Friday With riders arriving at various times on the Thursday and Friday, our first…

Wednesday, 22 May 2019 18:32

Ferry Meadows - May 2019

Nene Park - Ferry Meadows Our base for this year's spring weeked was the Caravan Site and Premier Inn adjacent to Nene Park, Ferry Meadows, on the outskirts of Peterborough. With riders arriving at different times, we had no ride scheduled for Friday, but a few of us still managed a short circuit of the park, and out into the surrounding countryside.

Rutland Water - Saturday Setting out from the Hotel at 9:30am, we collected the caravanners and then made our way west out of the park on the cycle track parallel to the railway. There were nine riders out today, keeping…

Tuesday, 14 May 2019 18:47

The Bay Cycleway - May 2019

The Bay Cycleway is a stunning long distance route around Morecambe Bay, one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the UK. The route runs from the south west coast of Cumbria to Glasson Dock in Lancashire. Wednesday 1st May Four of us set out from Walney Island on a dampish Wednesday morning. It didn’t take long for the sun to shine and we quickly removed our waterproofs. We cycled round through the dock area which was really interesting, past BAE Systems huge buildings and ships in the docks before heading inland out through Rampside, Roosebeck, Leece and Gleaston…

Monday, 15 October 2018 17:31

Belgium - October 2018

Six of our members set sail from Hull to Zeebrugge on the evening of Saturday 6th October, and after a slightly rough crossing we arrived in Belgium to a bright sunny morning. John set out for Ypres to visit the war graves and the Menin Gate and the rest of us headed South. We passed through Blankenberge then following the coast down to De Haan where we stopped for coffee and received free chocolates.

We cycled on lanes and cycle tracks and arrived in Oudenburg where we had a lovely picnic lunch from the local bakery and sat in…

Sunday, 19 August 2018 16:29

Birthday Rides 2018

This years Birthday Rides was hosted at Yarnfield Park in Staffordshire from 13th - 19th August. Celebrating the 140th anniversary of the CTC, three of our members attended this year for a weeks rides around Staffordshire with approximately 400 other riders from around the country. Tuesday We picked the first day for our longest ride, a 65 mile round trip to Ironbridge on the River Severn to see "The Iron Bridge" - the first major bridge in the world made of cast iron. Little did we know it was undergoing restoration work, and was enclosed in scaffolding and plastic sheets,…

Thursday, 26 July 2018 18:01

Dumfries and Galloway Weekend - July 2018

Our second long weekend away, saw 12 members heading to Dumfries and Galloway, staying in the Dumfries Premier Inn, Travelodge and a local Caravan Site. We choose these hotels because they are kind enough to allow us to store out bikes in our rooms. As we do on our regular Sunday rides at home, we split into two groups, offering a choice of short or long rides. There's a bit of a mixture described here as the two groups mixed and matched over the weekend. Friday A short explaratory ride as we got our bearings, with Harry preaching the virtues…

Wednesday, 18 April 2018 17:21

Berwick-upon-Tweed Weekend - April 2018

Berwick-upon-Tweed was the base for this years April weekend away, with 17 riders meeting for a few days cycling around Northumberland and the southern Scottish Borders. Friday, most people were arriving, either staying at the Caravan Site in Spittal, or the Travelodge in Berwick. It was a little foggy, but a few did manage a short "weekend warmup" ride out to Chain Bridge Honey Farm, after which several of us met up in Berwick's famous Michelin starred restaurant, otherwise known as Morrison's cafe. (It was next door to the Travelodge, so very convenient).

On Saturday, we rode as a…

Monday, 14 August 2017 17:10

Birthday Rides 2017

This years annual CTC Birthday Rides was hosted by the Fire Services College, Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswolds, from 7 - 13th August.

Ten riders from Burnley & Pendle attended this year, with one camper, two caravanners and the rest in the college accomodation. As usual, a selection of routes were available for us to enjoy, ranging from short 25 mile 'D' rides, upto 80 mile+ 'A' rides, all using quiet country lanes so we could enjoy the scenery without having to worry too myuch about traffic. Not all wanting to do the same rides every day, we split into…

Thursday, 27 April 2017 17:20

Ludlow Weekend - April 2017

Ludlow was the destination for this years April long weekend. Fourteen members heading into Shropshire, arriving at various times on Thursday and Friday, 4 staying at a local caravan site, and the remaining 10 in the Ludlow Travelodge. Friday - Just Exploring With riders arriving at different times, we didn't have any rides planned until Saturday, but that didn't stop a few of us having a short explaratory trip out on Friday afternoon, where we soon discovered Shropshire's hills were long and often steep. After our ride, we checked into the Travelodge, before meeting the others in the Squirrel for…

Monday, 22 August 2016 14:34

Birthday Rides 2016

Monday 15th August 2016 saw eight riders from Burnley and Pendle CTC arriving at Framlingham College in Sufflok for a weeks cycling around the flat and quiet Suffolk lanes. Around 450 CTC members from around the country were atending to celebtate hte 138th birthday of the National CTC. Five of our members were staying in the student accomodation, with the remaining three camping/caravanning.area. Being around 250 miles from Burnley & Pendle, we didn't arrive until mid afternoon, so only had time to unpack, prepare our steeds, and familiarise ourselves with the area before our evening meal.

From Tuesday to…

Wednesday, 13 April 2016 17:22

Isle of Man Weekend - April 2016

The Minibus arrived at 9:30am on Thursday morning to pick up the first of 6 riders, taking them to Heysham for the Isle of Man ferry. With the rear seats removed, it easily accommodated the six of us with bikes, panniers and other assorted luggage. By 12:30, we arrived at the Ferry terminal at Heysham, with plenty of time to spare to enjoy our packed lunches before boarding for the 2:15pm sailing, where we met three more of our riders.. It was a calm day. Perfect for the crossing. It was a 3.5 hour sail, but we were all in…