UK touring suggestions for a Plan B if France is off the agenda

[chillmoister]

Hi Folks ....currently I have plans to go cycle camping in Brittany for 10 days with my adult daughter at the start of September. However there is no guarantee that this will pan out as we hoped due to the COVID19 situation.  So I think it's wise to have a Plan B up my sleeve for cycle tour of similar duration in the UK.  So if you have some suggestions for a tour that fits the 'approx 40-50 miles per day and not too lumpy' remit I would be very happy to receive them.   We live in Portsmouth so South'ish of England would be handy but would be prepared to travel to a location pretty much anywhere if the suggestion was too good to miss! Thanks!

[Polar Bear]

Much depends upon when restrictions are lifted in the UK outside of Endgland.  I would always recommend the north of Scotland and/or the islands.  I love the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland.

What sort of accommodation do you have in mind?  Yet another potential issue.  Wild camping in Scotland is mostly fine but not in England and Wales in my experience.

[Nick H.]

I wonder if Nordic countries might open up before France etc?

[Cudzoziemiec]

A complication with Nordic countries is they (not just Nordics, everywhere) might open up internally or bloc-wise but not internationally. We just don't know yet and if we're going to have rolling lockdowns and relaxations, it's going to be very hard to plan more than a couple of weeks ahead.

[Nutbeem]

The Mercian Way, Salisbury to Chester. Not to lumpy, plenty to see and explore, and a historical theme to your travels.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercian_Way

[quixoticgeek]

East Anglia? scenic, not too lumpy, relatively close?

J

[chillmoister]

The Mercian Way, Salisbury to Chester. Not to lumpy, plenty to see and explore, and a historical theme to your travels.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercian_Way

thanks - that does look like a good route 

[Nutbeem]

The Mercian Way, Salisbury to Chester. Not to lumpy, plenty to see and explore, and a historical theme to your travels.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercian_Way

thanks - that does look like a good route 

Leaflets & maps for some of the route are available here:

http://www.shropshiresgreatoutdoors.co.uk/cycling/long-distance/mercian-way-national-cycle-network-route-45/

[chillmoister]

The Mercian Way, Salisbury to Chester. Not to lumpy, plenty to see and explore, and a historical theme to your travels.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercian_Way

thanks - that does look like a good route 

thanks!

Leaflets & maps for some of the route are available here:

http://www.shropshiresgreatoutdoors.co.uk/cycling/long-distance/mercian-way-national-cycle-network-route-45/

[Solocle]

Another option is heading towards Land's End and back - bit hilly, but would be doable from Southampton, just about.

[Paul H]

The Mercian Way looks good, I hadn't heard of it and have put it on my to do list, the Chester start is easy for me to get to.
Really I don't think you can go wrong, put two points on a map, use some decent mapping, maybe add a theme that interests you and it'll be a good tour.  That's been my experience anyway, some of my nicest rides have been where I least expected it.

[perpetual dan]

Train to the Scottish border and ride home would allow for them having different rules still.

[chillmoister]

The Mercian Way looks good, I hadn't heard of it and have put it on my to do list, the Chester start is easy for me to get to.
Really I don't think you can go wrong, put two points on a map, use some decent mapping, maybe add a theme that interests you and it'll be a good tour.  That's been my experience anyway, some of my nicest rides have been where I least expected it.

 

[Lightning Phil]

A loop towards the edge of London and back would probably fit into approx 400 miles, so 40 miles a day. Maybe pass through New Forest on the way out and edge of Cotswolds on the way back.