Tag: Leicestershire

#365daysofbiking Full of beans

Saturday, September 19th 2020 – My riding partner for the day was groggy and finally decided to venture out if we could ‘see some lovely villages’ in late afternoon – there was nothing for it. We piled it down the old A5 to Atherstone, and explored the country northwards in Leicestershire – Radcliffe Culey, Shenton, Market Bosworth, Barton in the Beans, Congerstone, Bilstone, and back over Orton on the Hill, Clifton and Whittington.

A lovely 70 mile sunset from near Sutton Cheney, the gorgeousness of Shenton I remember from exploring ten years ago, and the glorious run from there into Bosworth.

Leicestershire still has the best place names.

Half the ride was in the blackest of nights, and a real buzz – but a reminder that summer is now well and truly over.

Autumn so far hasn’t been so bad, though.

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May 6th – Another fine, hot day, another long ride – this time a 55 miler out via Hints and the canal through Tamworth to Orton on the Hill, Austrey and Honey Hill.

You can see a full gallery for this ride on my main blog here.

At Orton, I stopped to study the fine, Francophile church there, and noticed the classic demonstration of weather erosion on the masonry – on the windward side, the deep pits of direct wind and rain abrasion, whereas on the leeward side, the lines cause by lateral pull and frost; on side planar side, the lapped waves of parallel forces.

That church has seem some weather over the years.

August 27th – I did a 75 mile ride out beyond Tamworth into Leicestershire. I hadn’t rode this way for a decade or more – and I headed for Barton in the Beans and Newton Burgoland through beautiful, sunny countryside on another warm, still day.

A great ride.

But those place names? Go home, Leicestershire – you’re drunk.

August 27th – The sunset from Salt Street overlooking the motorway and Austrey was gorgeous. I rode into a falling darkness, reminded of the advancing season and how this weekend always has a feeling of conclusive end to it, although summer rarely ends here, of course.

I’m not usually happy this weekend. This evening I was very content indeed.

I loved the bewitching weathervane on Cope’s Lodge at Fisherwick. Particularly the cat. How fab is that?

I needed this rest. So nice to be in the places I love, in good weather, even if the bike squeaks.

August 26th – A day that should have been terrible by rights, but worked out wonderfully in the end.

Not many photos, as I was too busy riding!

I needed a part for the bike which has developed an annoying creak. So I booked a click and collect for an extortionately priced replacement part at a national cycle chain in Sutton for collection same day. I set off and when I got to the shop, it was all a big error, and they hadn’t got the part, couldn’t refund me and couldn’t understand why I was in the least bit annoyed.

Desperate to end the mechanical whinging, I did some of my own and headed to Birmingham to score a part somewhere else. This robbed me of the ride I had planned. At 5pm, having the parts, a coffee and some stodgy comfort food, I peered at the departure boards at new Street for inspiration – if I was to get a country ride in, I had to select carefully. 

Nuneaton won.

Arriving at Nuneaton 30 minutes later, I headed for Higham, Stoke Golding and Sutton Cheney through gorgeous sun-dappled countryside, pushing for Market Bosworth along a lovely road I’d cycled 10 years previously. It was gorgeous. I headed back home through Congerstone, Builstone, Twycross and down the long, cross-country green lane of Salt Street into a terrific sunset. No Man’s Heath, Clifton, Harlaston, Hademore, Whittington and Wall made up the return. 

It was a beautiful, English evening ride. Warm, little wind and beautiful scenery. 65 miles.

The firethorn (Pyrocanthus) is beautiful along the Birmingham canals, and the newly thatched cottage in Market Bosworth with the two foxes – how on earth did the thatcher get such expression into bundles of reeds? Stunning.

September 2nd – Pleased to see the vegetation has been cut back, restoring the fascinating view of Cloud Quarry from the Cloud Trail, near Worthingdon on the Leicestershire/Derbyshire border.

It seems like a well run quarry, mining limestone for a variety of industry. Everywhere you look machines are busy moving, breaking or grading stone, and some of the driving on the shelves and roads is very impressive.

I could watch this for hours.

September 2nd – The oncoming darkness made me crave a century, and with improving fitness and a day off I went for it. The rain mean a late start, but the sun soon came out, and I headed from Whittington to Linton, then Donisthorpe, Packington, Newbold Verdon, Cloud Quarry, Breedon on the Hill, then into Derby on cycle trail 68. From there, I followed the trail out through Mackworth to Egginton, then through Burton, Drakelow, Croxall and home. 106 miles, and a nice night ride from Burton was exhilarating too.

I made a healthy pace, and wasn’t too tired when I got back. A satisfying ride.

August 28th – Staunton Harold is a beautiful reservoir, created in 1966 to supply water for the growing conurbations of Derby and Leicester. Unlike its partner Foremark which is a creation of the 1970s, Staunton is more secluded and in rolling countryside – and the construction is architecturally more engaging with a surprisingly ornate pump head. 

From the south, one can descend the steep banks to a secret-seeming beach shore, which gorgeous views of the lake; from the north, a nice visitors centre with playground and other facilities overlooks the water from a high position. In-between, the impressive dam.

I hadn’t been here for a very long time. I forgot how lovely it was. I must come back soon.