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I'm starting to investigate the practicalities of riding the riding the old route of the Great North Road from London to Edinburgh.
Since a sizeable chunk of the current A1 is now motorway and I don't fancy riding along much of the rest of it because of the traffic I'd like to ride the route as it was pre-war (say, 1930s) so it will (probably) be on mainly A and B roads and go through towns and villages rather than round them.
This plan should also allow me to use B&Bs rather than camping.
I'm currently working on identifying a suitable route that's as close to the GNR as possible.
Has anyone on here done this? Do you have any route recommendations?
Does anyone have any good online resources you could point me at?
http://www.cassinimaps.co.uk/ do reprints of old OS maps re-sized to match the modern stuff. It would be expensive to buy the whole route though.
How about route of the LEL?
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LEL looks interesting.
I'd like to follow the route of the GNR as closely as possible, not sure how closely the LEL does that (have signed up to the newsletter just in case...)
I'd like to follow the route of the GNR as closely as possible, not sure how closely the LEL does that
It doesn't. Given that it's missed out the entire NE.
That's true but the section up as far as Thirsk/Darlington looks fairly close so would be good as a starter for 10
It doesn't follow the GnR, but its a reasonable way of riding from London to Edinburgh (and back)
Not that I intend to ever do it again. Have a massive hatred of riding over the fens.
Actual route: https://www.strava.com/activities/71463012. I can send you the gpx if you're interested.
Given the GNR didn't go across the Humber Bridge it's not too close further south either.
To be fair I think the great north road refers to a number of different routes that were used at different times. I live in York and commute to Castleford and my route crosses a number of roads which are either London road, north road or great north road (not to mention Roman Ridge and the odd street or two). Looking at the alignments they probably all were major North-South routes historically.
I think you would have to define it as, say, the capital to capital route circa 1920 or 30 and then research that.
It doesn't. Given that it's missed out the entire NE.
...and is well to the East of the GNR through Lincolnshire and East Yorks.
Go to Google Maps and put together something close to the current A1. It's alignment hasn't changed much from the old GNR.
We got a portion of it Tuxford - Newark-on-Trent.
There is also an 'old' Great North Road too!
I think you would have to define it as, say, the capital to capital route circa 1920 or 30 and then research that.
I think this is probably what I'll do.
Given the A168 passes the end of my road not that far from the mid-point I may be able to engineer a night out at my local en route 8)
By the way "London Road" at Towton is actually a nice bit of singletrack bridleway inside what is best described as an overgrown hedge.
I suspect it was the original line of the A162 which goes from Tadcaster to Ferrybridge and was probably part of the York to London road.
Go to Google Maps and put together something close to the current A1. It's alignment hasn't changed much from the old GNR.
It's changed massively.
Think CTC have a touring helpline, might be worth a try, seems such an obvious classic route you'd think someone would have done it.
Sounds a great idea. Ride up, train home.....
Combination of
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https://www.pinterest.com/pin/514465957406486010/
and
http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map
Sounds a great idea. Ride up, train home.....
That's exactly my thinking (although in my case it would be train, ride, train)
lemonysam, is that a tea towel? 😉
Time for a thread of "What's the longest route you could ride using only souvenir kitchen equipment as navigational aids?"
Edit, good call, will check it out in more detail...
It's changed massively.
Depends how far back you go. What GNR are you comparing it with? If it's the original coach road to York then fair enough I agree. But as a lad growing up near Doncaster t'Great North Road was the A1.
Time for a thread of "What's the longest route you could ride using only souvenir kitchen equipment as navigational aids?"
Yet another reason one should always know where ones towel is.
Very good *applauds*
I'd get the Sustrans routes out too
But as a lad growing up near Doncaster t'Great North Road was the A1.
As a young lad growing up in Northumberland it was the A1 too, which has changed massively.
I also guess when he said 1930s he meant in the errr! 1930s. 😀