BRIEF:
End of the Lines visits four defunct local terminus towns; Calne, Malmesbury, Tetbury and Thornbury. Use some old railways, pass an old engine shed, eat cake at a goods shed, roll across the Cotswolds and into the Severn Valley.
WHEN: +iCal
Sat 8th May 2021 08:00 - 18:48WHERE:
Fishponds Fish Bristol & Bath Railway Path, nr Hockeys Ln Fishponds, BS16| Validation: BP |
Award Distance: 100 |
Total Distance: 135km |
Speeds: 12.5-25kph |
AAA: 0.00 Rainbow Flat |
Climb: 1379m |
Event Information
description:
End of the Lines was inspired mainly by two things.
Firstly was the appearance of a funky bridge over the A4 at Black Dog Halt near Calne that I remember happening when I was a kid. This resurrected the Chippenham to Calne GWR branch line as a traffic free shared path which you will get to enjoy.
Secondly The Whistlestop Cafe at the old goods shed in Tetbury as who doesn’t like cake!
There had to be something I could create in that.
Throw in the short GWR branch to Malmesbury with its solitary engine shed and road name as the reminder.
Then Thornbury, at the end of the Midlands Railway Co branch, where very little remains other than a few references to Midland in place names and a short bit of embankment; which you get to enjoy as a metalled cycle path.
Link them all up over the Cotswolds and across the Avon & Severn valleys and you have a nice amble through the countryside; of course there are a few #wills_hills in there for good measure!
details:
On street parking near the start.
The 8km along the Chippenham – Calne branch in unmetalled; mainly like the surface in the header photo. It can be stickier in a few places after prolonged rain. There are a couple of looser sections where holes have been filled. In general it is in better condition than some of the roads you may find. Red the Rocket did it on 23c tyres whilst route checking for you.
Type & Validation
- The route is advisory - you just have to visit the controls and gain proof of passage within time limits where specified; there may be parts that you'd like to take a different route and that is entirely up to you; the time limits for the controls don't change!
- Validation: Instant - you get to take your validated brevet card home straight away at the end of the event.
Reviews
What others think.
A wild day on Wiltshire!
Great ride out into Wiltshire in high winds and rain. Lots of fun, some beautiful lanes and some hills that were a challenge! A good one if like me you’re not a veteran Audax rider but want a taste of longer distance riding.
Amazing stuff
Thanks to daddy for making this route. It has hills to make it fun and is good for wildlife such as birds of prey. The birds of prey you will find are Red kites, Kestrels, Common buzzards and small chance of Tawny owl in the evening which I did not see. Most of the wildlife was found between Dyrham hill and Tetbury. In Tetbury at the cafe, we stopped and I had some blueberry frangipani cake which was the best cake I have ever had.
