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FULLY SUPPORTED CYCLING HOLIDAYS
KC01 - COAST TO COAST

Itinerary:
Day 1 - Lowestoft to Swanton Morley - 60 miles
From the shore of the North Sea at Lowestoft we follow the coast north for a few miles and then turn west through the wetlands of the Norfolk Broads, a beautiful area of rivers, lakes, canals, and windmills, before heading north around Norwich through some pretty villages.

Day 2 - Swanton Morley to Pidley - 67 miles
We continue through the lanes and villages of Norfolk, passing through the pretty village of Castle Acre. The route takes us through Breckland and over the River Ouse and into Cambridgeshire.

Day 3 - Pidley to Market Harborough - 56 miles
The route continues across the flat fenland of Cambridgeshire on long straight roads alongside canals, and then continue through the attractive rolling countryside of Huntingdonshire.

Day 4 - Market Harborough to Stratford-upon-Avon - 56 miles
We continue winding our way around some of the large towns that dominate central England, passing through some very attractive countryside. Our route takes us around Northampton, and into Warwickshire. We stop near Stratford-upon-Avon, a busy historical town, best known as the birthplace of William Shakespeare.


Day 5 - Stratford-upon-Avon to Bircher - 65 miles
We continue west and cross the River Severn north of Worcester. The countryside becomes increasingly hilly as we head through Herefordshire where there is some beautiful countryside and some lovely little villages.

Day 6 - Bircher to Llangannarch Wells - 50 miles
A harder day as we continue west through Shropshire on some lovely quiet roads. We pass through the small town of Knighton, where we cross the border into Wales, and we continue through the hills to the attractive Victoran Spa town of Llandrindod Wells, where there is an excellent cycle museum.

Day 7 - Llangannarch Wells to Newcastle Emlyn - 55 miles
A superb days ride across the Welsh hills on some lovely quiet roads. The route takes you through the Tywi Forest and past Llyn Brianne Reservoir.

Day 8 - Newcastle Emlyn to St David's Head - 50 miles
The final days ride takes you through the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and along the coast to St David's Head. The final nights accommodation is at the attractive little city of St David's.

Day 9 - Transfer to Haverfordwest to return home.

HOLIDAY DETAILS

The Area: As Britain is an island you are never more than a few days ride from the sea, and as a result there has always been a great deal of interest in journeys that cross the country from one coast to another. There are several published cycle routes for coast to coast rides, but most of these are relatively short and pass through much the same sort of landscape each day. Our aim with this ride was to produce a route that takes you through as many different landscapes as possible along the way, and that would take about a week to complete. The result is our ‘Coast to Coast’ ride, which starts at the most easterly point of the British mainland on the edge of the North Sea, crosses the central heart of England, and ends at the most westerly point of Wales, St David's Head.

The Tour: This is a fully supported holiday with a tour leader and a vehicle to carry all the luggage and provide additional assistance if necessary. The route is designed to follow minor roads as much as possible, but there are some sections on ‘A’ and ‘B’ roads where there is no suitable alternative. The first part of the trip through East Anglia is relatively flat, but the countryside becomes hillier as you head across Central England, and there are some very steep hills as you pass through Wales. The last two days of the ride are quite hilly with a lot of up and down. The average daily mileage is approximately 55 miles, and there are no rest days.

Accommodation & Food: This is a camping holiday staying at established campsites with showers etc. You will require a tent and sleeping bag, although tents can be hired from us if required. We provide breakfast at the campsite each morning, and afternoon tea at the end of each days ride. In the evening meals are available at nearby restaurants.

Start: The holiday starts on the sea front at Lowestoft Ness at approximately 10am on Saturday morning. Lowestoft Ness is about a mile from Lowestoft railway station. (Note: If you require accommodation on the Friday night at Lowestoft before the start of the trip this is not included in the price of the holiday).

Finish: The cycling ends at St David’s, the smallest city in the UK (in terms of size it’s little more than a large village) a couple of miles from St David’s Head. Accommodation is included at St David’s on Saturday night. The following day (Sunday) transport is provided to the nearest railway station at Haverfordwest, from where there are train services to all parts of the UK.

Cycle Transport: If required we offer a cycle transport service to transport your bike to Lowestoft and/or home from St David’s (additional fee payable).

Documents: Insurance is optional for this holiday for UK residents. Participants from outside the UK must have suitable travel insurance.

Bikes: All types of cycle are suitable for the trip. The most important thing is that your bike functions properly and that you are comfortable riding it. However you should make sure that it has suitable gears as there are some very steep hills on parts of the route, notably in Wales on the final couple of days. Most people will require a cycle with a triple chainset. If you are riding a mountain bike then you should fit it with narrow ‘slick’ tyres. You should also make sure that you are able to carry some spare food and clothing with you on the bike. The route does cross some wild exposed areas with little in the way of shelter and no services, and you can get very cold and wet if the weather is bad.

Weather: The weather at the begining of August should be warm and sunny, however there is also a chance of some rain particularly in Wales, and so you should be prepared for this.

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BIKE ADVENTURES Cycling Holidays, PO Box 667, Ascot SL5 8XT, UK
Tel: (+44) 01344 886989 Fax: (+44) 01344 886532 E-Mail: info@bikeadventures.co.uk