7 Reasons England Should Be On Your Bicycle Bucket List

For many, England is a bucket list destination. No other country on Earth is as dramatic, savagely picturesque, innately cultural, and makes a good beer at the end of the day. The wealth of English travel information for the adventurous bicycle explorer can sometimes be overwhelming. With so much to explore, uncover and absorb, how can you pick the very best bicycle travel tips for your England bucket list that are worthy?

When Ciclismo Classico Top Guide Enrico Pizzorni first started putting together his fabled Bike Across England, he had no idea where his quest would take him. It all began with an exchange Enrico had with a Ciclismo Classico guest, discussing the Cotswolds: a lovely rural area of England just north of London. Armed with no more than a pencil, a notebook and many maps, Enrico began his journey north. And his discoveries were endless.

If you’re looking for the ultimate bicycle adventure through England, be sure to check these adventures off your list through our Bike Across England adventure.

Lake District

England’s largest National Park is now a World Heritage site. But the area itself is far from natural. Over 12,000 years of human history have shaped the Lakes District into what we know today.

When the last ice-age melted, the climate grew warmer, giving light to new plants and tree species in abundance. For 6,000 years people moved as hunter-gather tribes through these lands. It was during this time early humans began clearing the land for grazing livestock and crop cultivation. The stone circles found in the park such as Castlerigg and Cockpit are testament to early man’s presence here thousands of years ago, as are the stone carvings in Copt Howe Rock. These should make it on your England bucket list.

The Lakes District was once populated with wolves, bears, lynx and beavers long before the Romans arrived.

The Roman presence in the Lake District is of significant importance. The Hardknott Roman Fort is a far-flung outpost of the Roman Empire guarding the pass on the road to Ravenglass. It was equipped with barracks, commandant’s quarters, parade ground and bath-house. The Romans also constructed one of their “highest” roads though the District, connecting fortresses at Brougham and Ambleside. Since it was Hadrian who constructed this infrastructure during the second century AD, it is worth mentioning a few words about his infamous wall.

Hadrian’s Wall

In 122 AD, the Roman emperor Hadrian constructed a wall delimitating the northern-most boundaries of the Empire. It stretched from villages near Newcastle, across England to the northwest Cumbria.

As a penetrable barrier, engineers constructed forts at seven mile intervals with guard posts at every mile. Two turrets were placed between each pair of guard posts, and in front of the wall soldiers dug a ditch. The whole structure crossed three rivers and countless miles of countryside.

The purpose behind all this engineering was to control the Picts and barbarian tribes in northern Scotland from entering Roman Britain. Alas, the initiative was too spread out along too far a distance to allow constant, dependable protection. Within 30 years the Scots breached the wall and destroyed it. It was subsequently abandoned for a new wall in Scotland ten years later. When that didn’t work, the Romans attempted to reconstruct Hadrian’s Wall, only to see it overturned by Scottish tribes multiple times over several years.

York

Very few cities have the historical juxtaposition that you find in York. Imagine a city with Roman ruins and a Viking past, but with an active modern heart. Ancient walls surround the contemporary independent shops in a city known – today – for its art and exhibitions. York is a must for your England bucket list.

But it’s the Viking invasion which calls our attention to the city. Ivar the Boneless renamed the town Jorvik in 866 AD. Oddly enough, the York Vikings were relatively peaceful compared to many of their compatriots. These nordic peoples farmed the land and were great craftsmen, traders, artists, engineers and ship builders. The city prospered immensely under the 100-year Viking rule. As a result, it became England’s “Second City” to London during the middle-ages.

Today, York is a bustling cultural center with live summer concerts and art exhibitions all year long. Fortunately, you’ll have a night in York to explore on your own along our Bike Across England.

Moors National Park

Our trip finishes near North Yorkshire Moors National Park. And for once, it is honestly a challenge to express in words the images you will see here.

Imagine endless dales and hills, covered in green, speckled with purple heather. This landscape differentiates the North Yorkshire Moors from any other picturesque view. It is a living record of the underlying geology and geography; reflecting on an inner-world filled with human history and heritage.

But what you may find surprising is not how the landscape astonishes in the daytime, but how much you will see at night.

The big open skies of the Moors is one of the best places in the country to see the stars because of low-light pollution levels and clear horizons. In the darkest areas of the park you can see up to 2,000 celestial bodies at any given time.

Whitby

And then, after the Moors, we end in Whitby.

This quiet little hamlet on the Esk River is home to lovely beaches along the North Sea and apparently has some of the best fish and chips in England. But that isn’t the only claim to fame.

In fact, such a picturesque fishing-village was also the birthplace of legendary sea Captain James Cook. This famous British explorer, navigator, and cartographer was captain of the Royal Navy, creating detailed maps of Newfoundland. And the locals built his ship in Whitby!

But it is possibly Bram Stoker’s Dracula that gave Whitby a more modern, gothic fame. Here, on the shores of Whitby, the vampire first appeared on England’s beaches, as a black dog. Even Dracula new where to start his England bucket list.

Whitby Abbey is as connected to Stoker’s Dracula as the town itself is. Here, the author stayed in the West Cliff area, overlooking the Abbey. Inspired by the structure’s Gothic splendor, it assisted him in creating his world-famous novel. The Abbey’s ruins, the church and tombstones, the local residential rooftops and bats occasionally flying overhead all added to Stoker’s legendary masterpiece.

Yorkshire Dales

Halfway through the Bike Across England bicycle trip are the stunning Yorkshire Dales. This is an amazing sanctuary filled with green pastures and bubbling waterfalls which – in Enrico’s words – “reminded me of the ‘Shaun the Sheep’ movies because the landscape was just as unreal as in the cartoon.”

Swaledale, for example, is one of the more northerly of these picturesque valleys. It is some of the wildest, most unspoilt scenery in the National Park. Many of the villages still carry the names given to them by the Viking farmers who settled in this vast fertile land over 1,000 years ago.

The heart of Swaledale is the River Swale, one of the fastest rising flood rivers in England. It flows through traditional hay meadows bright with wildflowers in the summer surrounded by miles of dry-stone walls and with carefully preserved stone field barns. A special breed of sheep (the Swaledlae Ram) and locally made cheeses have made the valley famous. No wonder Enrico saw Shaun in these hills!

Beer

It would be wrong to create this list of bests without including the fine English Ale at the end of a long day on the bike. Better yet, drinking that pint in a traditional English pub is one of the best ways to celebrate the end of the ride.

However, the Lake District Ales are making a serious name for themselves. For example, the Bluebird Bitter made by the Coniston Brewery won the Supreme Champion Beer of Britain in 1998 at the Great British Beer festival. That is a rather impressive accomplishment when you consider that over half of England’s population drinks beer.

Enrico Pizzorni

Our Bike Across England destination would be nothing if it weren’t for the dedication and passion put into its design by Enrico.

As the Ciclismo Classico Research and Development Coordinator (and a good colleague of mine), Enrico knows single-handedly what beers to drink, what birds to look for and what books to read. As an avid, voracious learner and lover of travel, he is the greatest companion. He is always looking for new destinations and new experiences. Enrico knows how to fill your England bucket list. As a guide, he has led many trips with hundreds of guests and they all say the same thing: “Let’s do it again, Enrico.”

It is one thing to travel to England and ride around on your bicycle. It’s a different travel experience if you journey with Enrico to a land he knows better than any other. Come to England and share a ride, a beer and a laugh.