This tour was originally intended to be Oxford to Cambridge and back but lack of long-term car parking in Oxford meant this was less practicable and the Bicester start in fact made planning a four day tour with convenient overnight stops easier. The ROUTE followed the NCN51 to Cambridge and returned via the National Byway, promoted as Britain's secret cycle-touring network of a meandering signposted route following the quietest lanes through the sleepiest villages.
Monday 9th September – Bicester to Bedford – 53 miles and 588m ascent
So, it was early September when David, Lin, GrahamB, Carol, SueP, Vanessa and Alistair met up at the Holiday Inn Express car park in Bicester for the tour. The cars were parked there for the duration, the bikes unloaded, the panniers attached and we set off – though we only went a few hundred yards before stopping at the adjacent Garden Centre for a coffee. The weather was dry but markedly cool for the time of year and with a stiff westerly breeze. We cycled on the dedicated cycle paths beside the busy roads through Bicester to Launton where the route was then on mainly quiet roads, passing through Steeple Claydon and Winslow. After this there were some gravel tracks running beside the railway to the edge of Milton Keynes. The next 10 miles through MK were on cycle paths running through a series of country parks without riding on any roads. In Campbell Park we stopped for a group photo at the Light Pyramid on the top of the hill overlooking the valley below before descending and across the Grand Union Canal to the observation wheel that overlooks Willen Lake where we stopped for lunch at the cafe there.
Light Pyramid, Milton Keynes
After, we continued on the cycle path through Ouzel Country Park and past the Open University where the cycle path then continued through the suburbs to the edge of town and the road to Cranfield. At Marston Moretaine the route went through the woods in the Millenium Country Park but we missed our planned coffee stop at the Forest Centre as it was not visible or signed from the track. Not much further on we reached the outskirts of Bedford with the cycle path running beside the main road until we crossed the River Great Ouse and turned onto the riverside path that took us the short distance into the centre of Bedford and our overnight stop at the Premier inn on the quay beside the river. We took our bikes to our rooms on the upper floors - there was a lift and after settling in we met up an adjacent bar for a relaxing glass of wine before eating at Zizzi’s next to the hotel.
Tuesday 10th September – Bedford to Cambridge – 50 miles and 346m ascent
After a hearty breakfast we met up outside, well layered up against the chill wind, crossed the river and took the riverside cycle path that continued through Priory Country Park then past a series of old gravel pits then onto the road for a short section at Great Barford before it became a roadside cycle path again. It was then a quiet road into St Neots where we stopped at a café overlooking a lake in the Riverside Park for coffee. We diverted off the NCN51 to ride across the bridge and through the centre of the town then picked up the NCN51 again just after Little Paxton – this became a series of rough bumpy farm tracks until the reaching Grafham Water where we cycled across the dam and around the lake to Grafham and back on quiet lanes. As we left the village of Grafham, the road was closed with a barrier, but as the only other alternative was meant backtracking and another 3 miles we carried on. After a mile or so the road was completely closed off with barriers and scaffolding for the repair of an old railway overbridge. However, the workman was very good and got his spanner to dismantle the barrier and let us walk our bikes through. The cycle route skirted the edge of Huntingdon then across the Old Bridge and through Godmanchester and the upmarket village of Hemmingford Abbots.
We rode across the old St Ives bridge into the centre of St Ives and stopped in the centre beside the statue of Oliver Cromwell looking for a suitable lunch stop when we saw the adjacent Wetherspoons, so that was lunch sorted. At the edge of St Ives the NCN51 ran beside the guided busway, built on a former rail line, on a lovely smooth tarmac path for 13 miles virtually all the way to our hotel, another Premier Inn, on the Newmarket Road in the centre of Cambridge. In the evening, it had started raining so we caught the bus into the centre and dined at Cote. The rain had passed through by the time we left the restaurant so we did some sightseeing then caught a taxi back to the hotel.
Wednesday 11th September – Cambridge to Bedford – 50 miles and 513m ascent
Next morning it was dry and bright but windy as we set off and picked up the NCN11 beside the river and followed it south through the historic centre towards Addenbrookes Hospital. At Sawston we turned west into a stiff headwind, left the NCN11 and started following the National Byway. Shortly after we stopped at day’s Bakery and Café in Newton for coffee and cake and picked up sandwiches for later. The Byway wanders about the countryside and we passed through the villages of Thripwell, Foxton, Barrington and Orwell then passed through the NT Wimpole Estate on the estate roads, pausing close to the house for a group photo. As we came into Gamlingay it started to rain and we sheltered in the pub there until the shower passed. Continuing the shower clouds were bubbling up and at Everton Vanessa, Carol and I sheltered in a bus stop whilst the other hardier souls carried on. When the shower passed through, we carried on through the centre of Sandy then picked up the Greensand Way beside the River Ivel and we caught up with the others at the pedestrian bridge over the A1 dual carriageway. Another short lived shower came through as we carried the bikes up the stepped ramp and over the bridge. We passed through the pretty villages of Northill and Ickwell with it’s distinctive Maypole on the Village Green, a friend of Vanessa’s was waiting to wave to us as we passed by. Just After Old Warden we turned off the NB and headed for Bedford and As we approached Cardington on the edge of Bedford, the massive hangars that originally house the airships during and after WW1 [now film studios] came into view. We then cycled beside the lake in Priory Country Park and then the picturesque cycle paths that run beside the river all the way to our overnight stops at the Premier Inn, the same one as on the outward leg. In the evening, it was the same as the outward leg, not straying more than 1200m for the hotel, meeting up an adjacent bar for a relaxing glass of wine before braving a shower as we dashed to at Zizzi’s for our evening meal.
River Ouse in Bedford before setting off
Thursday 12th September – Bedford to Bicester – 53 miles and 830m ascent
For the last leg back, we followed our outward journey through the outskirts of Bedford on the NCN51 to Marston Moretaine where we picked up the National Byway again. This took us past Millbrook Proving Ground and then the route thereafter was fairly lumpy starting with a climb up to Woburn Forest Centre Parcs then down to the outskirts of Flitwick. It was then rinse and repeat as and when we climbed up to the top of the hill in the Woburn Estate there was a large herd of deer grazing beside the road. After a fast descent we entered Woburn Village and stopped there for coffee. The weather had been sunny up to then with a stiff headwind that made it hard going on the more exposed country lanes, but now the clouds were building as we left Woburn. At Great Brickhill there was along descent down to the river then a steep climb up to Soulbury. Just After this we sheltered as best we could under trees beside the road as a shower passed through. When we got to Whitchurch we stopped at a petrol station where we bought sandwiches for lunch.
After climbing over the hill at Oving the route then flattened out and as we got to Quainton we spotted a café, so stopped for tea and cake – just in time as another shower passed through. We had a quick look at the Quainton Windmill before continuing on leaving the NB there and heading to join the NCN51 used on our first outward leg just after Marsh Gibbon. As we were held up at the level crossing in Bicester we had another brief heavier shower but carried on as we were close to the end. Back at the cars we loaded up and headed home
Over the four days we rode 206 miles with 2300m of ascent.