Route 45 is a national cycle route which runs from Chester to Salisbury and is approximately 200 miles long. Sally and I have made it our mission to cycle the entire route! We are doing it in stages putting aside one day a week to cover small sections of it.
Yesterday Sally and I cycled from Lower Lode, which is south west of Tewksbury and lies west of the river Severn to Gloucester.
But before I tell you about our ride yesterday let me tell you how it all began and a summary of the sections we have already covered, because it was only yesterday I thought of the idea of writing a blog about it.
How it began
Well Sally and I became acquainted a couple of years ago through tennis, thats our other interest we share. We usually play tennis together a couple of times a week, but during last winter, when the weather was bad and cold, tennis was mainly abandoned. In need of exercise we took ourselves off to the gym. It was there where we discovered 'spinning'! We became regulars at the spinning class and soon saw the benefits - thinner thighs and firmer buttocks! But as spring came and the weather improved tennis resumed, however the downside to this was the benefits of spinning were beginning to sag, but it seemed a shame to be back indoors when when the spring was so fine. So I suggested to Sally that we should do the real thing and said, "Lets go cycling".
I've always had a bike and used to be a regular cyclist about 10 years ago but Sally didnt possess a bike, so for the first couple of easy trial rides out along the canal towpaths, she borrowed my husbands bike to see if she liked it. Anyway she took to it like a duck in water and by 3rd time out she was well kitted out and looking very professional on her very own bike, with lord knows how many gears and cogs, reflectors, saddle bag and detatchable front and rear mud guards! (my own bike is very simple - a ladies bike with 6 gears!).
Anyway, as with any new hobby there comes an amount of research and was amazed when I discovered the national cycle route 45 comes straight through the village where I live! (Hartlebury Worcestershire) No wonder there was always an abundance of cyclists taking over the road holding up the traffic in our village! (obvously my view toward cyclists has changed now that I am one and its me that usually holds up the traffic these days)
So as this was the route that came through my village it made sense for this to be our starting point and thats the reason we are "doing route 45".
Summary of sections already covered
Leg 1 - Hartlebury to Droitwich , easy peasy lemon squeezy. 9 miles of easy terrain peaceful and quiet back lanes. Latte and cake in Droitwich then return
Leg 2 - Hartlebury to Arley, ok not so easy peasy lemon squeezy. The climb up Bewdley hill was a killer, I now know why its called a push bike! Also through the Wyre Forest was hard going. That section is around 13 miles, 26 return, but great riverside tea rooms at Arley and riverside cafe at Bewdley upon our return made it worth the while.
Leg 3 - Droitwich to Worcester and back to easy peasy. This time though we took the route 46 into worcester and the route 45 upon our return. About 25 miles in total which took us into the city via Northwich and the race course and return via the Worcester to Birmingham canal and Hindlip.
Leg 4 - Arley to Bridgenorth and again back to some challenging hills, but the scenery georgeous as the route follows the river Severn and the Severn Valley railway and up to Chelmarsh resevoir. Again this was about a 12 mile section.
Leg 5 - Bridgenorth To Little Wenlock. Another 24 mile there and back trip. The first part of this section from Bridgenorth was very easy as its on a dis used railway line and runs along side the river Severn, I remember we had rain that day which made it very atmospheric and pleasant, but the climb out of Ironbridge was horrendous and it nearly killed me. It was good coming back down though!
Leg 6 - Worcester to Tewksbury. Good terrain with some steady inclines, however we never made it to Tewksbury that day because the route ended at a small place called Earls Croome just slightly north east of Upton on Severn. Not knowing what to do we heard for Upton to the information center but sadly they knew nothing or had ever heard of the route 45, so after a cup of tea and sandwich we decided to head back on the route 44 and via Pershore. That was day over 30 miles! Whippeee, We're in danger of becomming proper cyclists now.
Leg 7 - Worcester to Tewksbury 2nd attempt. We were determined to do Worcester to Tewksbury so we could tick it off properly so this time we followed the leg 5 of the 100 mile cycle ride around Worcestershires heritage garden, taking us via Whittington, Croome Court, Eckington ( thats where sally went through a red light) Bredon and then Tewksbury. That was exactly 35 miles there and back, the best yet.
No comments:
Post a Comment