Glorious mini-tour: NCN Routes 41 and 45

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TwoInTow

Active Member
Saw the forecast last week for decent weather this week, and noticed that my 10-year-old was huffing and puffing after about 6Km on the flat, so decided that a mini-tour to prepare for our proper one in August would be perfect. Got out into the countryside with the kids (10 and 12), and since my husband had to work, he drove out to the campsite at the end of the day with all the kit and had dinner with us.

Glorious glorious glorious!!! The 10-year-old turned out to be much better than I had feared (think she was just tired the other day), and they did a very happy 40Km on NCN Route 41 from Cheltenham to Frampton. Gloucester was beautiful (cathedral was fantastic for me and the kids), we saw a helicopter take off about 15 metres away over the fence, the bridge across the canal in Gloucester conveniently was raised just as we approached (more fun to watch), and the weather was perfect. Lovely, lovely campsite (Apple Tree Caravan Park near Frampton) and a good sleep.

Next day it was a more challenging 50Km on NCN Route 45, with one very good climb into Minchinhampton which sadly became two as we took a wrong turn, lost all our height and had to climb our way back! But the route was just beautiful - surprisingly, even the stretch between Stroud and Nailsworth was pretty (I think it must have been an old rail trail, and it was very pretty despite the traffic noise through the trees), but the section between Nailsworth and Cirencester was just magic. Children had the 'best ever' food at the cafe in Nailsworth (highly recommended - a new one called 'The Canteen', GL60DU), which was one of those moments when food never tastes as good as when you're cycle touring. Then onwards and upwards to Minchinhampton and eventually into Cirencester. Shopped at Waitrose (right on the path) and then out to the next campsite.

Sadly not as good a site as the previous one, and since our third day of cycling fell through (work reasons), my husband came and picked us up from there and we arrived home sweaty and greasy and dirty, and all slept really well!

I said to the kids yesterday: if I dreamed up my fantasy holiday which was perfect, then this would be it. Beautiful weather, beautiful countryside, beautiful cycling, beautiful food... Life is good! The kids are now swapping ideas for all the different places they want to cycle-tour: they came up with Asia, Africa, trans-Am, Sweden, Iceland, New Zealand, Austria... Just had to come on and share... ^_^

PS Road-tested my new B17 for the first time, and was impressed.
 

rollinstok

Well-Known Member
Location
morecambe
Well done to you all, it sounded idyllic
Quality time with the kids indeed, looks like they've got the bug already
 

Sara_H

Guru
Brilliant! Sounds fab!

Me and my nine year okd are doing a two night cycle camp "tour" in Derbyshire in a couple of weeks - dont know who's most excited me or him!!!
 
you could take them to Denmark - they would just love it and provided you don't mention legoland you'll be fine ^_^ (where I saw concorde for the frist time as a kid, very very close up view of it).
but seriously they would love it with all the beaches and then there is a network of free tent sites for cyclists/walkers/kayakers/horse riders where at alot of them you can have an open fire as well...
 
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