{"id":1112,"date":"2021-06-23T11:24:52","date_gmt":"2021-06-23T11:24:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disabledfamilybreaks.com\/?p=1112"},"modified":"2021-06-23T11:24:52","modified_gmt":"2021-06-23T11:24:52","slug":"on-yer-bike-best-cycling-holidays-in-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disabledfamilybreaks.com\/on-yer-bike-best-cycling-holidays-in-the-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"On yer bike: best cycling holidays in the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"

For real escapism, get on your bike and feel the wind in your hair<\/h2>\n
M<\/span>ost foreign travel might be off the cards for now but for some true post-lockdown escapism you need only two wheels.<\/div>\n
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How does freewheeling down an ocean track next to Lindisfarne Castle and piling your bike basket with wild Isle of Wight garlic en route to the hotel sound? Cycling holidays are all about the journey (and the destination, if you pick your path wisely): exploring Suffolk\u2019s beach hut-lined coastline and the Yorkshire Dales\u2019 chocolate box villages at pedal pace gives you time to drink it all in, and Cornish cream teas and beer-battered cod taste better when you\u2019ve earnt them getting there under your own steam.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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From the two-day island circuit to the week-long castle crawl, this is your route planner.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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One day<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Bristol and Bath Railway Path: <\/strong>Bristol harbour to Bath city centre, Somerset<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Time from London<\/strong>: 1 hour 40 minutes<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Distance<\/strong>: 16 miles<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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USP<\/strong>: Train-spotting. Disused Mangotsfield station gave Dad\u2019s Army star Arnold Ridley the inspiration for his play The Ghost Train.<\/p>\n

Refuel<\/strong>: Afternoon tea at former station cafe Warmley Waiting Room. Its bathroom in an old police box is in Lonely Planet\u2019s top 100 toilets in the world.<\/p>\n

A cycling pub crawl. This flat, wide, traffic-free route was Sustrans\u2019 first ever major project and connects the foodie hotspot of Bristol with the handsome Georgian streets of Bath via a disused railway line. Start at Bristol\u2019s historic harbourside (you can pick up a Brompton folding bike at Bristol Temple Meads station) and just follow the little red signs through Avon Valley Park, Saltford and Bitton via sculptures, working steam engines and plenty of pub stops. Catch the train back or pedal both ways.<\/p>\n

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Two days<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Round-the-island: <\/strong>Isle of Wight, Hampshire<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Time from London<\/strong>: 1 hour 50 minutes to Portsmouth, then 45 minutes by ferry<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Distance<\/strong>: 68 miles<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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USP<\/strong>: Garlic, the only thing the IOW does better than cycling. Newchurch\u2019s 60-acre The Garlic Farm, cafe and restaurant is day one pitstop highlight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Refuel<\/strong>: Ventnor Bay Crab Salad from The Beach Shack in Steephill Cove.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Bike-friendly B&B<\/strong>: The award-winning Royal Hotel, Ventnor. Doors reopened last month with a distinguished new head chef and a locked storage room for bikes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Minibreak mode starts the moment you ask for a ticket to Ryde at the ferry office. Nearly half of this southern isle is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Lonely Planet named it the best place in the world for cycling, so it\u2019s a loop for every rider\u2019s bucket list: white cliffs, seawall promenades, rolling English countryside and old smugglers inns in quaint villages. Head clockwise and follow the blue and white signs for the best vistas and quiet lanes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Three days<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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South west coast-to-coast: <\/strong>Ilfracombe to Plymouth, Devon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Time from London<\/strong>: 4.5 hours<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Distance<\/strong>: 99 miles (33 a day)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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USP<\/strong>: Old railway bridges and Thomas the Tank Engine-style signal boxes<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Refuel<\/strong>: A roast Devon pork baguette from Fremington Quay Cafe. Call and collect in advance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Bike-friendly B&B<\/strong>: Meadowlea Guest House, Okehampton. Hosts Mark and Lesley welcome wet cyclists (there\u2019s an overnight drying cupboard) and make a mean full English breakfast.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Enjoy the scenery of northern coast-to-coast rides with fewer of the hills, thanks to a labyrinth of former railway lines. Devon\u2019s mostly-flat National Cycle Route 27 skirts Exmoor and Dartmoor national parks via quiet country lanes, Victorian viaducts and a section of the famed Tarka Trail, Britain\u2019s longest traffic-free cycle route. Enjoy views over Cornwall, the Exe estuary and the lush green valleys of West Country rivers before arriving in historic Plymouth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Four days<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Tyne to the Forth: <\/strong>Newcastle, Northumbria to Edinburgh, Scotland<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Time from London<\/strong>: 3 hours<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Distance<\/strong>: 200 miles<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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USP<\/strong>: Seven castles in four days. This route takes in Bamburgh, Warkworth, Alnwick, Dunstanburgh, Lindisfarne, Norham and Edinburgh Castles.<\/p>\n

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Refuel<\/strong>: Fish and chips on the harbour wall from Foulis, Berwick-upon-Tweed, the northernmost town in England.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Bike-friendly B&B<\/strong>: St Valery Boutique B&B, Alnmouth. The handsome Victorian villa stores bikes, dries clothes, prepares picnic hampers and has deep bathtubs in all the rooms for post-ride soaks.<\/p>\n

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Epic views, less epic on the legs. This four-day, surprisingly-flat coastal ride takes in castles, nature reserves, Areas of Oustanding Natural Beauty and the world-famous Lindisfarne, a tidal island also known as Holy Island, reached by a paved causeway covered by the North Sea twice a day. Finish with views over the capital of Scotland and the Firth of Forth as you cruise into Edinburgh.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Five days<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Heritage coast tour<\/strong>: Needham and back via Southwold and Aldeburgh, Suffolk<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Time from London<\/strong>: 1 hour 20 minutes<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Distance<\/strong>: 123 miles<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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USP<\/strong>: Windmills and wild dunes<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Refuel<\/strong>: A glass of Suffolk sparkling wine from Shawsgate Vineyard near Woodbridge.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Bike-friendly B&B<\/strong>: Windmill Lodges\u2019s self-catering log cabins near Framlingham each come with their own hot-tub.<\/p>\n

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If you want flat, head to East Anglia. Suffolk\u2019s unspoilt coastline makes a gentle ride, taking in RSPB reserves, winding creeks, market towns and the lost city of Dunwich. Spend a night by Southwold\u2019s timeless beach-hut studded seafront, watch the fishermen haul their boats onto the beach at Aldeburgh and explore Woodbridge\u2019s working water-wheel Tide Mill. Cyclebreaks.com has a pre-written itinerary.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Six days<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Way of the Roses<\/strong>: Morecambe, Lancashire to Bridlington, East Yorkshire<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Time from London<\/strong>: 4 hours<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Distance<\/strong>: 170 miles<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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USP<\/strong>: Ancient spires and dry stone walls<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Pitstop<\/strong>: Coffee at Dancing Goat cafe, York. Cappuccinos have bikes stencilled into the froth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Bike-friendly B&B<\/strong>: The Royal Station Hotel in Carnforth offers secure cycle storage and packed lunches on request.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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One for a challenge. Climbs on this coast-to-coast route reach 402m in places but it\u2019s worth it for the panoramas of some of the best natural beauty in northern England. Hotspots include Ripon Cathedral, Morecambe\u2019s seafront and York Minster but the real magic lies in meandering through lesser-known towns like Pateley Bridge, tea rooms in Clapham and pubs in Appletreewick. Ride east to west to catch the prevailing tailwind.<\/p>\n

Source:https:\/\/www.standard.co.uk\/escapist\/travel\/best-british-cycling-holidays-a4527416.html<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For real escapism, get on your bike and feel the wind in your hair Most<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[11,16],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disabledfamilybreaks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/bristol-bath.jpg?fit=990%2C660&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/disabledfamilybreaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1112"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/disabledfamilybreaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/disabledfamilybreaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disabledfamilybreaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disabledfamilybreaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1112"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/disabledfamilybreaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1112\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disabledfamilybreaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/disabledfamilybreaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disabledfamilybreaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disabledfamilybreaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}