Monday, March 3, 2008

St Bees to Robin Hoods Bay recce


Preparation day: 19th May 2008
Our Coast to Coast mountain bike route of 210 miles is across some pretty arduous terrain and we can only best average between 40 to 50 miles a day so we need 5 places to stay, not including the preparation night at St Bees.


So Marc, Justin and I set out to recce the route and to find some places to stay, places that wouldn't resemble a sheep trough (we nearly booked one of those!) and cheaper than the Plaza and this is what we came up with. But once at St Bees we couldn't resist a ride across some of the spectacular coast line from St Bees to the Light House!
St Bees is famous as being a start point for Coast to Coast treckers but ones usually doing it on foot however with some temporary changes made you can see from the photo that this will also be our start point for the ride.



At St Bees we will be staying at Seacote Park for our preparation night of 19th May 08. More information on the park can be found at: http://www.seacote.com/

Click here for a weather update: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?id=1403



Day 1: 20th May 2008
Once we leave St Bees we have a long trek before our first overnight stop at Scarr Head Farm, Torver which is a hamlet very close to Coniston Water, famous for the Land Speed Record attempt by Donald Campbell and for the spectacular countryside which can be seen at:http://www.thelakedistrictwalker.com/valleys/south/torver.htm
Click here for a weather update: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?id=2451

Day 2: 21st May 2008
As we follow the trail heading East across the Lake District, up fell, past tarn and down hills across Cumbria, our next overnight stop will take us to the Pennine View Caravan and Camping Park in the picturesque town of Kirkby Steven. The following is an extract taken from their website:
Kirkby Stephen is a small town in the Upper Eden valley which was formerly in the old county of Westmorland, now Cumbria. This is an area of Cumbria much less well known than the Lake District, but equally appealing. A traditional market town of historic buildings, cobbled yards, quaint corners and interesting shops, it is surrounded by a landscape of pastoral rural scenery and wild uplands. Being remote from large towns and population centres, Kirkby Stephen has developed a strong and self-sufficient identity and a vibrant sense of community.
More details of the campsite can be found at: http://www.coasttocoastguides.co.uk/accommodation/pennine%20view/index.htm
Click here for a weather update: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?id=1392



Day 3: 22nd May 2008 On our 4th day we will leave the Lakes, cross the pennines (this is making my legs ache thinking about this!) and arrive in Brompton on Swale in the heart of the North Yorkshire countryside and at the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales. The camping and caravan park at Brompton on Swale set next to the river Swale is just a couple of miles from Richmond. More information can be found at: http://www.bromptoncaravanpark.co.uk/ Click here for a weather update: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?id=1683

Day 4: 23rd May 2008
This day takes us through the Yorkshire Moors towards our ultimate goal of reaching what will have seemed an impossible sight of the East coast, but before we get there we have one more overnight stop at a campsite/farm/toilet in a field with a gate on called Hollins Farm in Glaisdale.


Run by a little ol' lady this campsite really is what this challenge is all about; remote but
beautiful, arduous but rewarding. Sorry guys, there are definitely no jacuzzis at this site, but if we manage to arrive before 18:30 the local taxi will come and pick us up and take us to the only pub within a sensible radius where we can be fed. We have to be picked up before 18:30 as the taxi driver is the pub landlord and chef!

Click here for a weather update: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?id=3965

Day 5: 24th May
From Glaisdale we will be on our final leg (or should I say legs!) to end in the sea at Robin Hoods Bay. Children and sandcastles please be aware because I think by the time we arrive at Robin Hoods Bay after crossing the remainder of the Yorkshire Moors we won't be in much fit state to ride carefully. However the ride into Robin Hoods Bay will only be 26 miles long so anyone will be welcome to join in. Once our celebrations have died down on the beach (we expect to arrive early afternoon) we will head to our last stop, by vehicle I hasten to add, but this time with our families and friends to a beautiful family run caravan and camping site at Fylindales, just 4 miles from Robin Hoods Bay. It has good amenities and has been updated recently which cannot be seen from its website which does it no justice. This will be a fantastic time for us all to get together and look back over the previous week (providing we make it!) and celebrate the achievement and remember Ian, my brother who has been the inspiration for this challenge.

You are all welcome at any of the over night stop offs and in particular at Grouse Hill for the Bank Holiday weekend. Either come along for the day and visit some of the local sites or stay the weekend with most of us. If you want to stay at Grouse Hill you can either contact them direct and tell them you are part of the Minorplanet group or just email mark.walker@minorplanet.com and I will add you to the list.

Grouse Hill's website is: http://www.grouse-hill.co.uk/

Click here for a weather update: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?id=3965




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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Good luck Mark and Co . I too am doing exactly the same thing 30/4/09 with 4 others but we are using bivvy bags so it should make for an interesting time. Our ride is in memory of my father in law. Sorry to read about Ian .
Nige- Woollybacks MTB club