My 17-year-old son Adam has moderate learning difficulties and some physical limitations. He loves cycling and I'd like to take him on a tour for a few days. Please could people here give me recommendations for places we could go? I'd really like suggestions either for a place-to-place route of about 100 miles with a different stop each night, or for an area where we could stay in one place and do day trips of 25-40 miles. Firm off-road tracks are great (disused railway lines like the Marriott's Way in Norfolk are perfect). Very, very, very quiet roads are OK for a very few miles. Muddy, sandy and steep tracks are too difficult for Adam.
Touring with son who has learning difficulties
- Thread starter Paw Broon
- Start date
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rollingthru
Active Member
- Location
- Wasilla Alaska
There didn’t seem to be any safe way to get to Virginia Beach from Wheeling.
We ended up renting a vehicle to get us from Wheeling West Virginia to Virginia Beach. ( perhaps “chicken”, safe, or combination of the two) I wish you the best of luck, and if interested in coming to my home state of Alaska, would help you in anyway possible. AGAIN BEST OF LUCK!
What great idea I don't have enough knowledge of cycle routes to say which one to do. But I know someone who took her group of SEN students on a trip alone the full length of the trans pennine trail they love it camping on route but they plenty of off route placers to stay. They did it on foot though but maybe worth a look. Some of it can be a bit ropey I believe and not all of it is off road. But you can contact them see if they can help plan something that meets his needs.
https://www.transpenninetrail.org.uk/cyclists/traffic-free-cycling/
The Peak District have access for all information which maybe of help with some route ideas too though only short ones but maybe possible to make them longer. Again you can always contact them and see if they can help.
https://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/access-for-all
Good luck.
https://www.transpenninetrail.org.uk/cyclists/traffic-free-cycling/
The Peak District have access for all information which maybe of help with some route ideas too though only short ones but maybe possible to make them longer. Again you can always contact them and see if they can help.
https://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/access-for-all
Good luck.
amasidlover
Guru
- Location
- Gatley
We haven't done 100 miles yet, but have done plenty of 50-60 mile 1 night camping tours with my son who is 9 (he started at 7). We use a mix of former railway routes and canal tow paths around Manchester.
Noteworthy sections and campsites that I can think of:
Mersey section of TPT is generally good and then connects to the High Peak Canal just east of Stockport.
High Peak Canal goes down to join up with Macclesfield Canal and the Middlewood way (the latter would be my preference).
Along the Middlewood way/Macclesfield Canal near Lyme park is 'Elm Beds Campsite'
Rochdale canal from the center of Manchester goes right out towards Halifax - it does have some climbs but they're not that steep (it is a canal after all) - you can camp at Todmorden cricket club (!) and at Elland Farm Park (beyond Hebden Bridge).
In the High Peak you can start at Ashbourne, camp at the Royal Oak (also has a 'camping barn') at the end of the Tissington / High Peak trail then go back south to Cromford on the High Peak Trail (issue with this one is that Ashbourne doesn't have a train station).
The Canal network and Sustrans' site allow you to get a reasonable idea; the thing I found a challenge is finding any kind of complete listing of campsites.
Noteworthy sections and campsites that I can think of:
Mersey section of TPT is generally good and then connects to the High Peak Canal just east of Stockport.
High Peak Canal goes down to join up with Macclesfield Canal and the Middlewood way (the latter would be my preference).
Along the Middlewood way/Macclesfield Canal near Lyme park is 'Elm Beds Campsite'
Rochdale canal from the center of Manchester goes right out towards Halifax - it does have some climbs but they're not that steep (it is a canal after all) - you can camp at Todmorden cricket club (!) and at Elland Farm Park (beyond Hebden Bridge).
In the High Peak you can start at Ashbourne, camp at the Royal Oak (also has a 'camping barn') at the end of the Tissington / High Peak trail then go back south to Cromford on the High Peak Trail (issue with this one is that Ashbourne doesn't have a train station).
The Canal network and Sustrans' site allow you to get a reasonable idea; the thing I found a challenge is finding any kind of complete listing of campsites.
Welcome to the forum, @Paw Broon. Where do you live? That will make it easier to recommend somewhere.
How are you planning to get to the start? Or will you set off from home?
How are you planning to get to the start? Or will you set off from home?
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Freiburg im Breisgau
Nothing useful to add, except that I agree woth other posters: it's a great idea. I'll be following for ideas so please tell us what happened. With Pictures if appropriate.
Tigerbiten
Guru
I know lots of short (10 miles or so) good off-road cycle routes but no real joined up long distance ones in the UK.
And real quiet back roads tend to be around the scottish borders and northwards.
I found that to get real long distance off-road cycle routes then the start is the overnight ferry Harwich - Hook-of-Holland.
Once on the continent then just take your pick as most out of town cycle routes are off-road.
It's just that you may have to watch out for the other cyclists using them .......
And real quiet back roads tend to be around the scottish borders and northwards.
I found that to get real long distance off-road cycle routes then the start is the overnight ferry Harwich - Hook-of-Holland.
Once on the continent then just take your pick as most out of town cycle routes are off-road.
It's just that you may have to watch out for the other cyclists using them .......
Thanks for the great ideas. One reason Adam loves cycling is that he isn't too good at walking very far. 5 miles is pretty much his upper limit. Well, 5 miles with a parent - I'm pretty sure he did 7 miles with his Duke of Edinburgh group!
This sounds good - many thanks. I'll investigate your suggestions. We have friends in Halifax who may be able to advise.
We live in Norfolk but I'm happy to put the bikes on my car. Suggestions anywhere in England are great. Elsewhere is good too, as we can hire bikes in most places - Adam doesn't have any specific needs as far as the bike is concerned.
Thanks - I was anticipating that someone would say, "try Holland or Belgium". I did six trips to Holland, Belgium and neighbouring bits of France and Germany with my older son, so that's definitely an option. I can honestly say there were only two roads in Holland where I felt unsafe with a nine-year-old child: a road along a canal near Schoonhoven during the afternoon school run, and the diplomatic quarter in The Hague, where the streets were too narrow to make a bike lane. Otherwise - so easy with children.I know lots of short (10 miles or so) good off-road cycle routes but no real joined up long distance ones in the UK.
And real quiet back roads tend to be around the scottish borders and northwards.
I found that to get real long distance off-road cycle routes then the start is the overnight ferry Harwich - Hook-of-Holland.
Once on the continent then just take your pick as most out of town cycle routes are off-road.
It's just that you may have to watch out for the other cyclists using them .......
I might have a think about the south of Scotland - good idea.
Tigerbiten
Guru
Heltor Chasca
Out-riding the Black Dog
Kennet and Avon Canal between Devizes and Bristol and back?
The Ridgeway (Southern Section for bikes) from Avebury?
Both have miles and miles of off-road smiles.
The Ridgeway (Southern Section for bikes) from Avebury?
Both have miles and miles of off-road smiles.
Thanks. The K&A canal from Bristol to Devizes sounds good - I'll look into it.
Somewhat belated update: I had two cycling holidays with Adam this year: in Hertfordshire! Strange but true. But there are plenty of canal banks, river banks and disused railway lines to choose from. Day trips included the Grand Union Canal between Leighton Buzzard and Bletchley, and between King's Langley and Rickmansworth, the River Lea between Rye and Tottenham, and the Flitch Way between Bishop's Stortford and Braintree (pretty good apart from a mile on busy street through Great Dunmow). Accommodation was the Ibis in Stevenage and the Premier Inn at South Mimms services (seriously! - not too bad, in fact). I'm hoping to do a point-to-point trip with Adam next year and your suggestions above have given me plenty to think about. Thanks.
