Shropshire is a great place to cycle. Quiet, plentiful lanes and varied scenery. Bishops Castle has for years hosted the tandem triathlon so it seems appropriate to bring 10 families along to enjoy the area.
Having descended the steep main street of Bishops Castle we headed south towards Leintwardine in the company of the widest range of ages on this trip for some time. At the front were 3 lycra clad teenagers on stripped down bikes, so light that even a pump was surplus to requirement. Behind them trailed 3 tandems, a tag along and various solo bikes loaded down with packed lunches and spare tubes.
Morning coffee was abandoned as the fuses blew in the café, leaving us to munch sandwiches by the river at Leintwardine. Aardvark books beckoned in Brampton Bryan where we had dessert and checked out the second hand displays.
Onto Hopton Castle. Damaged during multiple sieges in the Civil War, it has recently been renovated, worth a free visit.
Up and over a steep climb, maybe Kevin will put gears on his bike for the LEL after that one. Through narrow lanes surrounded by cows and baying sheep we descended towards Clun. A side trip to Newcastle and back meant that we were just in time for the Morris Men cracking their sticks in the centre of Clun, the start of the Green Man Festival. The route back to Clun took us through 2 fords, both entertaining, whilst 8 year old Silvey completed 25 miles, quite an achievement.
The final day took us into Wales and Montgomery. Rain came and went in the morning as we took the back lanes to the 2 tearooms in the town square. A quick visit to the castle and back to Foxholes.