Cycle Geography

Over the past 5 years, I have cycled the whole length of the Grand Union Canal (GUC) between London and Birmingham in segments, and this is a list of the blogs covering my experience. They are listed South-North from London to Birmingham, although sometimes I rode them North-South. Some are incorporated as part of circular rides. this post: Brentford Lock on the Thames to Bulls Bridge, Southall; also Regents Canal from Limehouse and Paddington Arm from Paddington Basin this post: Bulls Bridge, Southall to Cowley and Uxbridge this post: Cowley through Uxbridge to Kings Langley this post: Kings Langley to Berkhampstead this post: Berkhampstead to Northampton this post: Northampton to Kingswood Junction this post: Kingswood Junction to Birmingham Alternatively, here is a map showing the rides in outline: more detailed maps will be found by clicking each coloured line, which will bring up a link the relevant blog.

Cycling from Cambridge to Oxford Part 1: Cambridge to Bedford on NCN51

Part 2 Bedford to Milton Keynes/Bletchely is here Part 3: Milton Keynes/Bletchely to Oxford is here I caught an early train to Waterloo then cycled across town to Kings Cross to get the (packed) 0903 direct to Cambridge: I managed to squeeze my bike on board but only just. My aim was to follow Cycle Route 51 of the National Cycle Network (NCN51) to Bedford, partly just for the hell of it, but also as the first leg of a potential ride from Cambridge to Oxford. (NCN51 starts at Harwich, and in true NCN style meanders across country using mainly quiet roads and tracks. Between Huntington and Great Barford it doubles up with NCN12 from Spalding to London.) The map of my GPS track is here: this is also includes Part 2 and Part 3 .

Cycling guide to the Shipwrights Way, Alice Holt Forest to Portsmouth

The Shipwrights Way is a long distance trail for walkers, cyclists and horse riders, commemorating the trade in timber between the forests of Hampshire and the Royal Navy shipyards in Portsmouth. It runs from Bentley station to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, via Alice Holt Forest, Bordon, Liss, Petersfield, Havant and Hayling Island. The trail was completed this August (2016), with the opening of a new bridleway between Whitehill and Greatham. Over the last few weeks, I have cycled it in various bite sized chunks: a map of the route is below: various alternative routes are shown where the Shipwrights Way is perhaps not best suited to leisure cyclists (like me) because it may be too muddy, gravelly, sandy or steep.

My companion blog "Walk Geography"

Walk Geography

Harwich to Ipswich via ferry to Shotley Gate (11.5 miles ++)