Our Route

Cycling the World - United Kingdom and Ireland Republic
UK and Southern Island Summary

We arrived in London – UK early July.   The plan was to bike tour across England, through Wales to Southern Ireland for a circuit of the Irish Republic, followed by crossing over to Wales then back to Northern England then Scotland.   The circuit of Southern Ireland did not happen, because the rain in both Wales and Ireland was horrendous.   It was a character building bike tour for both of us.

UK and Ireland Route - Itinerary
Day From To Distance
1 Sapporro Heathrow   0 km
2 Heathrow Hayes   8 km
3 Hayes Maidenhead 38 km
4 Maidenhead Newbury-Oakley Farm Caravan Park 77 km
5 Newbury Hungerford Newtown 22 km
6 Hungerford Newtown Delvies – Foxhangers Canalside 67 km
7 Delvies Bath -Bury View Camp Site 48 km
8 Bath Bitton – Boyd Valley Lake 14 km
9 Bitton Chepstow 54 km
10 Chepstow Rest Day   6 km
11 Chepstow Rest Day   0 km
12 Chepstow Rest Day   0 km
13 Chepstow Crickhowell Camp 73 km
14 Crickhowell Cardiff 75 km
15 Cardiff Cardiff  0 km
16 Cardiff Abercynon Glyncoorwg 26 km +   VAN
17 Glyncoorwg Gowa Pen Kennextone Camping VAN
18 Kennextone Gowa Pen Nicholaston Farm  VAN
19 Nicholaston Farm Pencelli Castle CP  VAN
20 Pencelli Castle Rest Day VAN
21 Pencelli Castle Cardiff via Abercynon VAN + Train
22 Cardiff Rosslare Harbour      BnB #1 Train/Ferry 5 km
23 Rosslare Harbour Rosslare Harbour BnB#2 10 km
24 Rosslare Harbour Castlebridge 10 km
25 Castlebridge Hacketstown 75 km
26 Hacketstown  Dublin – Camac Valley Camp 72 km
27 Dublin Rest Day  0 km
28 Dublin Rest Day  0 km
29 Dublin Rest Day  0 km
30 Dublin Holyhead 23 km/Ferry
31 Holyhead Bangor 53 km
32 Bangor Liverpool  9 km/Train
33 Liverpool Rest Day  0 km
34 Liverpool Rest Day  0 km
35 Liverpool Castle Douglas  Train
36 Castle Douglas Rest Day  0 km
37 Castle Douglas Rest Day  0 km
38 Castle Douglas Creetown  61 km
39 Creetown Garlieston 35 km
40 Garlieston Barr Hill 53 km
41 Barr Hill Ayr 73 km
42 Ayr Edinburgh Mortonhall CP 35 km
43 Edinburgh CP Rest Day  0 km
44 Edinburgh CP Bonnington 20 km
45 Bonnington Rest Day  0 km
46 Bonnington Dunbar 72 km
47 Dunbar Berwick-upon-Tweed 63 km
48 Berwick-upon-Tweed Beadnell 63 km
49 Beadnell Alnmouth Middlesbrough 20 km/Train
50 Middlesbrough Rest Day  0 km
51 Middlesbrough Hawnby – Blowgill Farm 52 km
52 Hawnby Rest Day 0 km
52 Hawnby Skewsby 42 km
53 Skewsby Rest Day 0 km
54 Skewsby Hambleton 75 km
55 Hambleton Cawthorne 53 km
56 Cawthorne Alton 75 km
57 Alton Loughborough 81 km
58 Loughborough Arthingworth 75 km
59 Arthingworth Woburn Sands 74 km
60 Woburn Sands Luton – Peters Green 44 km
61 Peter’ s Green London Bus
62 London Rest Day  0 km
63 London Rest Day  0 km
64 London Peter’s Green Train
65 Peter’s Green  London East End 60 km
66 London East End Rochester 65 km
67 Rochester Faversham – Dover 53 km/Train

 

UK and Ireland - Advice
  • Recently late spring, eg June, seems to be the better month (drier!) to tour on a bike. All other time, expect cool and overcast weather and rain.
  • Most campgrounds are basic in farmer’s paddocks.  Very few have undercover facilities.
  • Difficult to find public toilets, so target hotels, cafés and libraries.
  • Avoid busy roads without shoulders.
UK and Ireland Touring

UK has very few designated cycle routes, except for tow paths along side the canals.  We made our own route to take us around, as our trip was designed around visiting our friends.

We did find many single lane roads with hedges, but be wary of horses, farm machinery and oncoming vehicles, so you are constanly stopping to allow passing.
Also the hedges hide the views often.

Try to avoid busy roads with no shoulders, we found ourselves in horrible situations.

UK and Ireland Facts

                          UK                 Ireland

Population:  67 million      5 million
Language:     English           Gaelic
Capital:          London         Dublin

UK & Ireland Weather

We arrived in England early July and expected good weather as it was UK summer.  What happened is we were washed out many times, Wales was rain, rain, rain; follow by Ireland with more rain.

Be prepared for bad weather.

UK and Southern Island Summary

UK and Southern Ireland

We arrived in London – UK early July.   The plan was to bike tour across England, through Wales to Southern Ireland for a circuit of the Irish Republic, followed by crossing over to Wales then back to Northern England then Scotland.   The circuit of Southern Ireland did not happen, because the rain in both Wales and Ireland was horrendous.   It was a character building bike tour for both of us.

UK and Ireland Route - Itinerary
Day From To Distance
1 Sapporro Heathrow   0 km
2 Heathrow Hayes   8 km
3 Hayes Maidenhead 38 km
4 Maidenhead Newbury-Oakley Farm Caravan Park 77 km
5 Newbury Hungerford Newtown 22 km
6 Hungerford Newtown Delvies – Foxhangers Canalside 67 km
7 Delvies Bath -Bury View Camp Site 48 km
8 Bath Bitton – Boyd Valley Lake 14 km
9 Bitton Chepstow 54 km
10 Chepstow Rest Day   6 km
11 Chepstow Rest Day   0 km
12 Chepstow Rest Day   0 km
13 Chepstow Crickhowell Camp 73 km
14 Crickhowell Cardiff 75 km
15 Cardiff Cardiff  0 km
16 Cardiff Abercynon Glyncoorwg 26 km +   VAN
17 Glyncoorwg Gowa Pen Kennextone Camping VAN
18 Kennextone Gowa Pen Nicholaston Farm  VAN
19 Nicholaston Farm Pencelli Castle CP  VAN
20 Pencelli Castle Rest Day VAN
21 Pencelli Castle Cardiff via Abercynon VAN + Train
22 Cardiff Rosslare Harbour      BnB #1 Train/Ferry 5 km
23 Rosslare Harbour Rosslare Harbour BnB#2 10 km
24 Rosslare Harbour Castlebridge 10 km
25 Castlebridge Hacketstown 75 km
26 Hacketstown  Dublin – Camac Valley Camp 72 km
27 Dublin Rest Day  0 km
28 Dublin Rest Day  0 km
29 Dublin Rest Day  0 km
30 Dublin Holyhead 23 km/Ferry
31 Holyhead Bangor 53 km
32 Bangor Liverpool  9 km/Train
33 Liverpool Rest Day  0 km
34 Liverpool Rest Day  0 km
35 Liverpool Castle Douglas  Train
36 Castle Douglas Rest Day  0 km
37 Castle Douglas Rest Day  0 km
38 Castle Douglas Creetown  61 km
39 Creetown Garlieston 35 km
40 Garlieston Barr Hill 53 km
41 Barr Hill Ayr 73 km
42 Ayr Edinburgh Mortonhall CP 35 km
43 Edinburgh CP Rest Day  0 km
44 Edinburgh CP Bonnington 20 km
45 Bonnington Rest Day  0 km
46 Bonnington Dunbar 72 km
47 Dunbar Berwick-upon-Tweed 63 km
48 Berwick-upon-Tweed Beadnell 63 km
49 Beadnell Alnmouth Middlesbrough 20 km/Train
50 Middlesbrough Rest Day  0 km
51 Middlesbrough Hawnby – Blowgill Farm 52 km
52 Hawnby Rest Day 0 km
52 Hawnby Skewsby 42 km
53 Skewsby Rest Day 0 km
54 Skewsby Hambleton 75 km
55 Hambleton Cawthorne 53 km
56 Cawthorne Alton 75 km
57 Alton Loughborough 81 km
58 Loughborough Arthingworth 75 km
59 Arthingworth Woburn Sands 74 km
60 Woburn Sands Luton – Peters Green 44 km
61 Peter’ s Green London Bus
62 London Rest Day  0 km
63 London Rest Day  0 km
64 London Peter’s Green Train
65 Peter’s Green  London East End 60 km
66 London East End Rochester 65 km
67 Rochester Faversham – Dover 53 km/Train

 

UK and Ireland - Advice
  • Recently late spring, eg June, seems to be the better month (drier!) to tour on a bike. All other time, expect cool and overcast weather and rain.
  • Most campgrounds are basic in farmer’s paddocks.  Very few have undercover facilities.
  • Difficult to find public toilets, so target hotels, cafés and libraries.
  • Avoid busy roads without shoulders.
UK and Ireland Touring

UK has very few designated cycle routes, except for tow paths along side the canals.  We made our own route to take us around, as our trip was designed around visiting our friends.

We did find many single lane roads with hedges, but be wary of horses, farm machinery and oncoming vehicles, so you are constanly stopping to allow passing.
Also the hedges hide the views often.

Try to avoid busy roads with no shoulders, we found ourselves in horrible situations.

UK and Ireland Facts

                          UK                 Ireland

Population:  67 million      5 million
Language:     English           Gaelic
Capital:          London         Dublin

UK & Ireland Weather

We arrived in England early July and expected good weather as it was UK summer.  What happened is we were washed out many times, Wales was rain, rain, rain; follow by Ireland with more rain.

Be prepared for bad weather.

1)  Distance Cycled: 2,000 km
2)  Days in UK: 69 days
3)  Days Cycled: 41
4)  Average km/day: 49 km
5)  Camping days: 11 + 1 wild
6)  Rest Days: 23
7)  Rainy days: 30
8)  Punctures:  0
9)  Dog Attacks:
10) Ferry Crossings: 2
11)Other: Peter’s Cracked phone screen:1
                   Guest house from hell: 1
                   Van nights: 5