Wednesday 6th May Rugby
to Yate (N. Bristol) 88 miles
( Rugby - Shipston on Stour - Morton in the Marsh - Cirencester - Tetbury
- Yate )
Traffic-light all day even on Fosse Way.
Weather - fine am, rain pm, moderate head wind all day.
Lunch- Sandwiches made at home.
B&B - £31.50 ( not ES ) just ok
Evening Meal - Pub opposite £12 ok
Thursday 7th May Yate
to Tiverton 78 miles
( Yate - Bristol - Bridgwater - Taunton - Tiverton )
Traffic-heavy in Bristol, then light all day even on A38
Weather-fine am, rain pm, again head wind all day, not as strong as yesterday.
Lunch- Bridgwater Sainsburys £5.00
B&B - £35 ES good
Evening Meal - Wetherspoons £12 poor value ( drink cheap! )
Friday 8th May Tiverton
to Liskeard 66 miles
(Tiverton - Crediton - Okehampton - Tavistock - Liskeard )
Traffic- heavy especially between Tavistock and Liskeard, cut up numerous
times
Weather- Rain am, fine pm, but a very strong head wind all day, which together
with the many hills made it a tough day, had to pedal down the hills!
Lunch- Sandwiches
B&B - £32 ES good
Evening Meal - Pub £11 good
Saturday 9th May Liskeard
to Penzance to Lands End and back to Penzance 90 miles
( Liskeard - Bodmin - Redruth - Penzance - Lands End - Penzance )
Traffic- on advice of B&B owner used the A30, rode inside white line and
traffic was not a problem.
Weather- Dull am, sunny pm, into strong breeze all day.
Lunch- Sandwiches
B&B- £30 ES excellent. Offered to dry washing.( 2nd best B&B
)
Evening Meal- Pub £15 Very good.
Sunday 10th May. Spent
day in Penzance.
Weather- Sunny all day
Lunch- Pub £8.00 Watched Manchester United v Manchester City on big
screen
B&B- £30 ES ( as Saturday ) excellent
Evening Meal- Pub £12 Good.
Monday 11th May Penzance
to Launceston Very Tough 70 miles
(Penzance-Hayle-Redruth-Bodmin-Launceston on A30 )
Traffic- no problem on A30, rode inside white line.
Weather- Sunny all day. Very strong east wind, had to pedal down hills, 70
miles in 10 hrs!
Lunch- Sandwiches.
B&B- £27.50 ( not ES ) Good
Evening Meal- Pub £12 Good.
Tuesday 12th May Launceston
to Tiverton Tough 51 miles
(Launceston-Okehampton-Crediton-Tiverton )
Traffic- no problem on A30, or other A roads.
Weather- Sunny all day, again very strong east wind, still pedalling down
hills.
Lunch- Crediton café £5.00
B&B- £35 ES Good ( as Thursday 7th May )
Evening Meal- Different Pub to on way down, Good £13.00
Wednesday 13th May
Tiverton to Falfield (on A38 N of Bristol) 87 miles
(Tiverton-Wellington-Taunton-Bridgwater-Bristol- Falfield)
Traffic- all day on A38, Very light except in Bristol.
Weather- Light rain most of day, slight breeze behind me! Great, made a change.
Lunch- Bridgwater Sainsburys.£4.50
B&B- Motel £60, no choise, nothing else for miles.
Evening Meal- Sandwiches in room.
Thursday 14th May Falfield
to Bridgnorth 77 miles
(Falfield- Gloucester-Tewkesbury-Worcester-Kidderminster-Bridgnorth)
Traffic-Reasonably quiet all day
Weather- Dull all day, odd rain showers Practically no wind.
Lunch- Worcester café £5.50
B&B-Free, John and Jean met me at Bridgnorth and took me back to their
house at Gt Wyrley, Free evening meal as well!
Friday 15th May Bridgnorth
to Knutsford 68 miles (John took me back to Bridgnorth.)
( Bridgnorth- Shifnal-Newport-Market Drayton-Nantwich-Middlewich-Knutsford)
Traffic- no problem all day.
Weather- Rain am, sunny spells pm. Slight breeze behind me.
Lunch- Market Drayton café £8.00
B&B- 25.00 (not ES) ok ( had stopped doing B&B but took pity on me
) No cooked b/fast.
Evening Meal- Sandwiches in room.
Saturday 16th May Knutsford
to Kendal 84 miles
(Knutsford-Leigh-Chorley via CTC route, then Preston-Garstang-Lancaster-Kendal
on A6)
Traffic-Not much traffic on A6 except around Preston.
Weather-Fine am, heavy rain showers pm. Wind southerly, may it continue.
Lunch-Garden Centre near Garstang £9.20
No B&B`s vacant, had to use Travelodge, £51 room only, dident do
meals or breakfasts!
Evening Meal- Sandwiches in room.
Sunday 17th May Kendal
to Langholm 70 miles (climb over Shap 1500ft)
(Kendal-Penrith-Carlisle-Longtown-Langholm, now in Scotland)
Traffic-Light onA6 and A7 except in Carlisle
Weather-Fine all day. Wind south at first, turning east.
Lunch- Morrisons in Carlisle.£6.30
B&B- £30.00 ES. Offered to do washing! Excellent.
Evening Meal- Pub £12.00 Very good.
Monday 18th May Langholm
to Edinburgh 78 miles
(Langholm-Eskdalemuir-Tushielaw Inn-Innerleithen-Peebles-Edinburgh Barnton)
Traffic-Light except in Edinburgh.
Weather- Rain showers all day. Wind south (behind me)
Lunch- Peebles pub £10.70.
B&B- £40.00 ES Good ( Queensferry Road Barnton area.)
Evening Meal- Sandwiches in room.
Tuesday 19th May Edinburgh
to Pitlochry 69 miles
(Edinburgh Barnton-Cycle Way to Forth Bridge-Inverkeithing-Kinross-Perth-Pitlochry)
Traffic-No problems, all traffic on was on A90 and M90.
Weather- Rain showers all day. Wind south (behind me)
Lunch- Tesco in Perth £6.00
B&B- £37.50 ES Good.
Evening Meal- Pitlochry café £7.50 Good.
Wednesday 20th May
Pitlochry to Carr Bridge 65miles (Drumochter Pass 1170ft)
(Pitlochry to Aviemore on A9, then B9153 to Carr Bridge)
Traffic- No problems, traffic pretty light on A9
Weather- Rain showers all day. Wind south (behind me)
Lunch- Late lunch at Aviemore café £8.70
B&B- £25.00 (not ES) ok.
Evening Meal- Sandwiches in room.
Thursday 21st May Carr
Bridge to Brora 81miles ( Slochd Pass 1030ft)
(Carr Bridge-Inverness-Alness-Tain-Golspie- Brora, on A9 all day)
Traffic- No problems, traffic light on A9 except around Inverness.
Weather- Fine am, rain showers pm. Wind west (side wind)
Lunch- Café in Tain £8.30 ok
B&B- £35.00 (not ES) ok. Massive breakfast!
Evening Meal- Sandwiches in room.
Friday 22nd May Brora
to John o` Groats, then return south to Wick 83miles
(Brora-Helmsdale&Berriedale(2 tough hills)-Dunbeath-Wick- John o` groats-
Wick)
Traffic-Light all day.
Weather- Rain showers all day. West wind (side wind)
Lunch- Tesco in Wick £5.20
B&B- £35.00 (not ES) ok. Good breakfast.
Evening Meal- Sandwiches in room.
Saturday 23rd May Wick
to Tain 69miles (2 tough hills at Helmsdale and Berriedale)
(Wick-Dunbeath-Helmsdale-Brora-Golspie-Tain)
Traffic- No problems, light all day.
Weather- Odd rain showers but into a stiff southerly breeze all day.
Lunch- Café in Brora £8.70 Good.
B&B- £25 (not ES) Very good. 3rd best B&B
Evening Meal- Sandwiches in room.
Sunday 24th May Tain
to Carr Bridge 58miles ( Slochd Pass 1030ft)
(Tain-Alness-Inverness-Tomatin-Carr Bridge)
Traffic- No problems on A9 though heavy round Inverness.
Weather- Sun all day, strong south wind, pedalling down hills again!
Lunch- Pub at Tomatin £11.40 Good.
B&B- £25.00 (not ES) ok. Same B&B as going north.
Evening Meal- Pub in Carr Bridge £12.50 ok.
Monday 25th May Carr
Bridge to Pitlochry 64miles. (Drumochter Pass 1170ft)
(Carr Bridge-Aviemore then A9 to Pitlochry)
Traffic- Heavy at times on A9 but no problems.
Weather- Drizzle am, fine pm, into moderate southerly breeze.
Lunch- late lunch at Pitlochry £9.40. Good.
B&B- £37.50 ES Good. (same B&B as going north)
Evening Meal- Pitlochry Pub £10.50 Good.
Tuesday 26th May Pitlochry
to Edinburgh(Barnton) 68miles
(Pitlochry-Perth-Kinross-Kelty- Inverkeithing-Forth Bridge-Cycle Way to Barnton)
Traffic-Light on A9 and to Inverkeithing, heavy on A9 south of bridge.
Weather-Fine all day, wind west (side wind).
Lunch- Perth Tesco £5.50, early evening meal at Kelty café £5.20
B&B- £40.00 ES good (same B&B as going north)
Evening Meal- Sandwiches in room.
Wednesday 27th May
Edinburgh(Barnton) to Langholm 83 miles.
(Edinburgh-Peebles-Selkirk-Hawick-Langholm, a different route to going north)
Traffic-Heavy on Edinburgh Inner Ring Rd., light on A703,A72 and A7.
Weather- Drizzle am, fine pm, mod. southerly wind, pedalling down hills again.
Lunch- Pub at Innerleithen £7.40 good.
B&B- £35.00 ES, did washing, excellent. (Top B&B of the trip)
Evening Meal- Pub £12.60 very good. (Top Pub of the trip)
Thursday 28th May Langholm
to Milnthorpe 74 miles (Climb over Shap 1500ft)
(Langholm- Carlisle-Penrith-Kendal- Milnthorpe,S of Kendal)
Traffic- Light on A6 all day.
Weather- Dull/Rain am, Sunny pm, moderate SW wind (pedalling down some hills.)
Lunch- Carlisle Morrisons £5.20
B&B- £45.00 (Hotel) ES Good.
Evening Meal- Hotel £12.50
Friday 29th May Milnthorpe
to Knutsford 79 miles
(Milnthorpe-Carnforth-Lancaster-Garstang-Preston-Chorley, then CTC route to
Knutsford)
Traffic- Fairly light on A6 except in Preston area.
Weather-Sunny all day, light southerly wind.
Lunch- 2 burgers from van near Preston £5, late lunch in Pub at Heatley
£12.20
B&B- £25.00 (not ES) ok, Same B&B as going north. No cooked
breakfast.
Evening Meal- Sandwiches in room.
Saturday 30th May Knutsford
to Rugby 102miles
(Knutsford-Newcastle under Lyme-Rugeley-Lichfield-Tamworth-Atherstone-Rugby)
Traffic- Light on A50, A34, A51 and A5 (Cup Final day ?)
Weather- Sun all day, moderate south easterly wind.
Lunch- Sandwiches only today
Arrived in Rugby 6.pm.
SUMMARY
Rugby to Lands End 310
miles ( 4 days )
Lands End to John o` Groats
870 miles (12 days )
John o` Groats to Rugby
622 miles ( 8 days )
Total Miles 1802 miles
( 24 days ) = average of 75 miles per day
Shortest Day 51 miles
( Launceston to Tiverton )
Longest Day 102 miles
( Knutsford to Rugby )
Rainy Days 16 days out
of 24 (67%)
Head Wind Days 12 days
out of 24 (50%)
And finally,
I lost half a stone (
7 lbs ) in weight, 2 inches off my waist and £1700 out of my bank account.
Probably it would have been easier and cheaper to have gone to Weight Watchers
