Cotswolds

Bourton on the Water - Wheeling in the Wolds

This popular and lively village is an ideal base from which to discover the many country lanes that cross the rolling Cotswold landscape. From glorious hilltop views to secret wooded valleys, every few miles takes you through another picture postcard village of mellow stone cottages or past a handsome manor house. The routes also visit the small towns of Stow on the Wold, Burford and Northleach and take to the to the edge of the Cotswolds for wonderful Views from Broadway Tower. Farm parks and museums tell the recent history of the area and Britains best Roman villa site is a reminder of earlier inhabitants.

More Attractions- Bibury, Bourton Model Village, Cotswold Heritage Collection, Cotswold Pottery, Mechanical Music Museum, Motor and Toy Museum, Old Mill Museum, Sherborne Estate, Snowshill Manor

Up to 4 days. 20 to 30 miles, moderate

Hedgerows full of flowers through the spring and early summer

Severn Vale

Slimbridge - Bikes, Boats and Birds

Lying between the Cotswolds and the wide River Severn is a strip of country with a timeless feel where the pace of life is still affected by the ebb and flow of the tide and the coming and going of the seasons. Two days of easy riding take you to the ancient battlements of Berkeley Castle, past the half timbered cottages of Frampton’s village green (the largest in England) and to the wonderful habitats of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. Another more energetic trip leads to the Cotswold village of Uley nestling beneath the ramparts of its Iron Age hillfort.

More attractions- Butterfly Collection, Jenner Museum, Oldbury Visitors Centre, Owlpen Manor, the Severn Bore, St. Augustines Farm

15 to 30 miles easy plus ½ day energetic

Lots for the kids in summer, migrating birds and the best Severn Bores early winter and spring.

Up to 3 days cycling. Distances 15-30 miles. Mostly easy

Tewkesbury

The stout square tower of Tewkesbury’s Abbey, the finest Norman church in England, is still a dominant landmark in the gentle farmland of the Vale between the Cotswolds and the Malvern Hills. The town’s streets of Tudor and Georgian buildings with narrow alleys between make this a fascinating base for the rides. These explore the banks of the Rivers Severn and Avon, the picturesque villages that encircle the foot of Bredon Hill, the ancient Saxon borough of Winchcombe with the splendours of Sudeley Castle and the Cotswold escarpment.More attractions- Ashleworth & Bredon Tithe Barns, Beckford Silk Printing, Bredon & Conderton Potteries, GWR Steam Railway, Odda’s Chapel

25 miles, easy to moderate with a few energetic miles to Cleeve Hill

Burford

An affordable Family break based in this delightful Cotswold village. Unspoilt scenery is just a short ride away along quiet country lanes. This break has an abundance of family attractions suitable for all ages.

1 night 2 day and 2 night 3 day Distances 11 - 21 miles

Bath

Beyond Bath

This wonderful World Heritage City, amongst the finest in Europe, offers all the benefits of a lively cosmopolitan centre combined with beautiful countryside on the doorstep. Bath is full of attractions from the famous Roman Baths to costume and building museums as well as a wide range of shops, bars and restaurants yet remains compact with the surrounding hills always in view across the rooftops. Traffic free cycle ways, canal paths and quiet lanes take you out into them where you can enjoy peaceful villages and historic towns like Bradford on Avon and Corsham and take in some excellent views.

More attractions- Corsham Court, Underground Quarry, Abbey, 18th century aqueducts and pumping Station, Beckford Tower, - Avon Valley Steam Railway, Barton Farm Country Park 16 to 25 miles mixing easy and energetic

Great all year as there is so much to see and do.

South Cotswolds

Malmesbury

This small, attractive market town was an important borough in Saxon times and the remains of the great abbey, with the tomb of Athelstan, first king of England, still dominate its skyline. From here easy rides wind along lanes into the gentle surrounding countryside. Visit pretty little villages like Castle Combe and Ashton Keynes, the handsome market town of Tetbury, home of Prince Charles, and such diverse attractions as the lakes of the Cotswold Water Park and England’s finest collection of trees from around the world at Westonbirt Arboretum.

More attractions- Abbey House Gardens, Chavenage House, Hookhouse Pottery, Luckington Court

Up to 3 days. Rides from 20 to 30 miles

Lovely for spring flowers and autumnal colours

Bibury

The most beautiful village in England according to William Morris and it provides the setting for the delux accommodation which is your base to explore the quintessetial Cotswold village and traditional inns with a variety of attractions to satisfy every interest. Up to 4 days of gentle cycling

1 night 2 day and 2 night 3 day 3 night 4 day Distances 13 - 31 miles

Shakespeare Country

Mickleton

Ideally located between the beautiful countryside of the north Cotswolds and the Shakespearean attractions of Stratford upon Avon this break has wonderfully contrasting scenery and a wealth of rewarding features. Within a few miles you will travel from the half timbered, thatched cottages of the vale to the honey coloured stone buildings of the Cotswold Hills. A short ride away from the lively bustle of Stratford, Broadway or Moreton in Marsh you will find the tranquillity of a sleepy village or a glorious garden.

More Attractions- The five Shakespeare houses & three theatres, Chipping Campden, Snowshill Manor, Batsford Arboretum, Stanway House, Hidcote & Kiftsgate Gardens

Up to 4 days. 15-35 miles, half easy, half energetic

Spring and autumn to avoid the crowds

Lake District

Cockermouth - The Other Side Of The Lakes

A mix of leisurely rides around the beautiful coastal plain of West Cumbria with the option of some challenging but richly rewarding excursions into the Lake District National Park. The area is rich in wildlife and history and, as the birthplace of Wordsworth, has many literary associations. Above all it is the spectacular scenery that makes these rides special with views across the lakes of Bassenthwaite, Derwent Water, and Loweswater against the backdrop of Skiddaw, Grasmoor and Grisedale Pike.

More attractions- Keswick, Mirehouse, Mineral, Printing & Toy museums, Lakeland Wool Centre, Teapottery, Whinlatter Forest Exhibition

25 to 35 miles moderate to energetic

Spring or autumn for a peaceful wilderness experience

Cornwall

Helston - Cornish Contrasts

More Attractions- St. Michael’s Mount, Pendennis Castle, Lizard village and Lighthouse, National Seal Sanctuary, Goonhilly Earth Station, Poldark Mine, Trevarno Estate, huge pasties and cream teas!

20-35 miles, moderate to energetic

Take advantage of the early spring and summer to see it at its most peaceful

Mountain Bike Breaks

Mountain biking has made a big impact, with tough races, daring downhills and spectaular stunts. We know there is another side to mountain biking altogether, and this is what we offer with the following three breaks. It is almost as if this countryside was made for mountain biking, virtually traffic free, challenging and breathtaking, without pushing you to the limits. Our routes are fully researched along legal bridalways, and the route packs you are given make navigation simple.

Cheltenham

Bourton on the Water

Marlborough

Cycling Holidays

A leisurely way to discover all the different aspects of an area visiting towns and villages and seeing them in the setting of their surrounding landscapes. These tours offer a careful balance of quiet lanes, the best scenery, the most interesting attractions and the most leisurely routes together with pleasant lunch stops and, of course, friendly comfortable accommodation

Plenty of shorter alternative rides are available throughout the trip so you can tailor the tour to suit you. Clear, easy to follow directions with informative notes give background to the sites along the way and there’s plenty of time spare to stop and see anything that grabs your interest or relax over a long lunch. The tours mix place to place rides, with your luggage transferred between hotels, and circular routes that let you explore all the best parts of the area. Bike hire is available if required.

The Classic Cotwolds

6 nights 7 days Any Day Start Start and Finish in Cheltenham Full English Breakfast Tour Packs Route Guide and Map Luggage Transfers

The rolling Cotswold countryside, a glorious patchwork of meadows, fields and woods divided by hedgerows and dry-stone walls, has come to epitomise all that is good about traditional England for many people. Countless delightful little village nestle amongst these green hills, their honey coloured stone cottages, churches and manors merging harmoniously into the landscape.

Peaceful winding lanes lead you through this pastoral scene to many of the well known villages such as Chipping Campden, Stow on the Wold and the Slaughters, also visiting country houses, gardens, farm parks, and fascinating collections and museums. In between you will explore other places off the beaten track where you can really enjoy the plants and wildlife and appreciate the timeless tranquillity of the area.

This tour offers an interesting and relaxing experience of the countryside with the reassurance that you are never more than a few miles from the next delightful village.

Main Centres- Cheltenham, Moreton in Marsh and Bourton on the Water

More Attractions- Batsford Arboretum, Broadway Tower, Burford, Chedworth Roman Villa, Cotswold Farm Park, Cotswold Falconry, Cotswold Heritage Centre, Hidcote Manor gardens, Kiftsgate Court, Mechanical Music Museum, Old Mill Museum, Sezincote Manor, Snowshill village and Manor

18-31 miles, moderate with a few energetic sections

Bath & Wiltshire

Valley, Wolds and Downs

Starting in the Georgian splendour of Bath you follow the 19th century Canal along the Avon Valley passing the handsome villages that stand along its wooded slopes. Beyond Bradford on Avon the country opens out until you reach Devises on the edge of the open, rounded hills of the Wiltshire Downs. From here you can explore this land of ancient stones, white horses carved into the hillsides and mysterious crop circles. Next you head past large, aristocratic country estates into the gentle farmland of the south Cotswolds where the Saxon town of Malmesbury makes an excellent base for a ride around the unspoiled stone villages and market towns. Finally the ride back to Bath takes you past historic Houses and through some of England’s most photogenic villages.

Main Centres- Bath, Devises and Malmesbury

More Attractions- Abbey House Gardens, Avebury Stone Circle, Bowood House, Castle Combe, Corsham Court, Costume Museum, Fox Talbot Museum, Kennet and Avon Canal, Lacock Abbey, Roman Baths, Tetbury, Westonbirt Arboretum

18-35 miles, easy to moderate with a few energetic sections.

West Cumbria

Lakes and Coast

From long shingle beaches to high craggy mountains, this tour lets you enjoy a wide range of spectacular scenery while careful route planning means you don’t need to climb all the way up and down it.

Along the coast are bustling Georgian harbours with Roman origins, and the scenery ranges from the rugged cliffs of St. Bees to the low lying sweep of Allonby Bay, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Wildlife flourishes throughout and the sunsets across the Solway Firth can be remarkable. Further inland is undulating farmland with little market towns and villages and numerous reminders of early industry that now provide havens for wildlife and peaceful routes for cyclists. All this is set against the backdrop of the Lake District mountains and a few optional routes into the National Park offer the rewarding challenge of visits to Keswick and Bassenthaite, Derwent Water and Crummock Water.

Main Centres- Egremont town & Castle, Maryport, Cockermouth and Cleator Moor

More Attractions- Florence Mine, Maryport Maritime Museum & Aquarium, Mirehouse, mineral, printing & toy museums, Lakeland Wool Centre, Senhouse Roman Museum, Siloth, Teapottery, Uldale, Whinlatter Forest Exhibition, Wordsworth House.