The Cotswold Beano, 7-10 September 2023
A long weekend of easy cycling in lesser-known corners of the glorious Cotswolds.
The Cotswolds are flat! Well, not quite, but not as hilly as you might think. This three-day trip is based at the eastern end of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, where the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire meet – a lovely cycling area with all the prettiness of the western half of the Cotswolds but far fewer hills.
We used to live near here and it remains one of our favourite places to cycle.
This is a weekend Beano, starting with tea and cakes on arrival on Thursday 7th September. We have three days of cycling, finishing after the final ride on the afternoon of Sunday 10th, when there will be the opportunity to change and shower before you head for home. Each day we do a circular ride, ending up back at our base.
Along the way we’ll follow ancient roads that once carried salt from the midlands, cattle from Wales and stone from the Cotswolds, all being transported down to waiting barges on the Thames. We’ll cross the high Wolds, with their open skies and views all the way to the distant Wessex Downs, then dip into green valleys and cross crystal-clear streams. We’ll pass though green valleys and honey-coloured stone villages and historic market towns, perhaps stopping for coffee at a village shop or an old woollen mill. We’ll see the country home of William Morris, leader of the 19th century Arts & Crafts movement (with time for a visit if you like). We’ll explore the flat, quiet land around the upper Thames and cross the river itself by historic bridges.
The rides last all day, but there are plenty of reasons to stop along the way: a coffee break, a lunch stop at a pub or café, a breather to admire the view from the hill, a peek inside a village church to see ancient wall paintings… there’s no rush.
The main route each day will be 30-40 miles, but there will be optional shortcuts and detours to make it shorter or longer. We use mainly quiet country lanes, though there are one or two short, optional off-road sections available and a few short sections of main road where necessary to link the good bits up.
Each day we provide a route map, turn-by-turn route directions and a morning route talk to tell you about the options and the things you’ll see along the way. GPX files are available for those with GPS devices or apps.
There are no “leaders” as such – you can go at your own pace. Normally we end up in several smaller groups on the road, with riders of similar ability cycling together and helping each other with the route-finding. A helper will be cycling along at the back of the main route, ready to help with mechanical problems.
The venue
Our base for the weekend is a large converted farmhouse, part of an outdoor activity centre run by a charity. The accommodation is in comfortable twin-bedded rooms with ensuite bathrooms. In the evenings you can relax in the spacious lounge, or maybe take a short stroll into the village to visit the local pub. There’s secure overnight storage for the bikes.
Although it’s the first time this venue has appeared in the public Beano programme, we’ve previously used it to host weekends for a women’s cycling group and it gets their seal of approval!
When
Thursday 7 – Sunday 10 September 2023
Arrive Thursday evening. 3 night stay; 3 days of cycling; depart after the final ride late Sunday afternoon.
Rides
Basic ride each day is 30-40 miles (50-65 km) with optional detours up to 60 miles (100km). Ride at your own pace. Some hills. Mainly on quiet country lanes with some optional easy offroad sections.
Availability
Sorry, fully booked. We sometimes get late cancellations; contact us if you’d like to go on the waiting list.
Prices
Prices are per person and include dinner, breakfast, and tea & cake after the ride. They don’t include bike hire (most Beanoers bring their own bikes) or the cost of lunch/coffee stops during the rides.
Prepared to share? If you’re travelling solo but prepared to share a room, let us know. If we can find someone else for you to share with, we’ll charge you the shared-room rate. (Note: only if permitted by any any health regulations in force at the time.)
