LEJoG: Notes from a Large Island

Day 1
Set off  09.30, lunch, tea, arrived lands end hotel around 05.00 pm took M3 A30 past Stonehenge. Weather: sun, cloudy 15, light wind

Day 2
09.45 Start in mist, undulating but one 22% climb, lunch in Truro, finished St. Austell 4.30pm.

Day 3
Earlier start, 09.00 as we have 73 miles to do today, either climbing or descending 30 going down and sometimes getting to 3.9 going up. Coffee in Liskeard, lunch in Tavistock, Devon 40 miles. Did 42 mph over Dartmoor on one descent. Total climb for the day 7926ft, arrived in Exeter 7.00pm

Day 4
Later start, getting Jennie’s bike adjusted at the Bike Shed in Exeter, really helpful. No major climbs, a little undulating, but due to accidents on M5 really bad traffic around Bridgewater. I got a puncture, arrived 6.30pm.

Day 5
Again an earlier start as a long day today, coffee at Congresbury, over the Bristol Channel, then whilst making our way to Tintern abbey, the road was closed, and despite requests a worker refused to allow us to walk our bikes across the area, so we had to go back up the hill and the diversion added another 6 miles on the ride. Finally arrived at the hotel, just before 8.00pm.

Day 6
Slightly shorter day, rolling countryside all day, arrived at the hotel north of Shrewsbury at 6.30pm. Some slight showers during the day, basically used the A49.

Day 7
Again a 09.30 start, undulating until coffee at Whitchurch, including a 7 mile stretch on the A49, then a true ‘Wayfarer’ route across country to Taporley and lunch. After that more down than up, tea in Warrington, three further miles onto the hotel.

Day 8
We were lucky with the weather given the forecast - first 40 miles in the dry, to Garstang, then the rain came in and the temperature dropped to 12C for the 10 miles into Lancaster.
No problems through Preston, a helpful cycle lane marked out for much of the cross town. Lunch in Garstang was warm and welcoming.
Arrived at the hotel at 5.30pm shivering and soaked.
A short day today at 53 miles but long enough with the wet finish.
460 miles covered so far.

Day 9
Leaving Lancaster we stopped at Carnforth where David Lean filmed Brief  Encounter. Then rolled on to a stop in Kendal for lunch and up and over Shap Fell, 1402 feet of climbing over 11 miles, then 6 miles of descent. Then due to a split tyre, off to Halfords for replacement before dinner.

Day 10
Left Penrith with new tyre on the front wheel, A6 to Carlisle, coffee in a wonderful cafe in Bank Street, then on to the border at Gretna. Lunch in Annan. Rolling terrain all day to Dumfries.

Day 11
Today’s route from Dumfries was to be another long ride, so started early, climbing up and over the pass at Beattock, unfortunately there was nothing around to be able to get some food until then. We went off course for a while and although the terrain was not difficult it caused an additional 20 or so miles to the trip, so by the time we arrived in East Kilbride we had done 90 miles.

Day 12
From East Kilbride through and round Glasgow on cycle route 7. Alongside a tributary of the Clyde, really lovely cycling to Bowling. Coffee in Dumbarton then a long stretch on the A82 beside Loch Lomond to Tarbet, poor road to cycle on. Last few miles uphill to Crianlarich.

Day 13
Rain showers this morning, again either climbing or descending, up and over the Glencoe mountain where the rain was torrential. However by the time we rolled into Fort William it had stopped, 54 miles

Day 14
Wonderful scenes alongside Lock Ness, rolling country, once we left the A82 at Drumnadrochit, a real sting, 15% climb for about half mile, but it seemed longer, cold head wind. Arrived at the hotel just outside Alness after 79 miles.

Day 15
Sunny this morning when we started, within an hour we were having showers and strong winds against us. Tea and food at Bonar Bridge then just a slog against the wind and rain along a single track road for nearly 50 miles to Tongue, only two places to stop and warm up and have something to eat and drink the whole way

Day 16
Very, very windy at the start of our last day, lots of climbing to Melvich and our first stop of the day, undulating to Thurso and then a very pleasant ride to the end at John O’Groats.
Finished!!!!



An epic journey.

~ David and Jennie Jackson