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National Cycle Network route 2 runs between Dover in Kent to Dawlish, just west of Exmouth. In March 2020, literally a week before national lockdown, I decided to pack my panniers and ride 240 miles over 5 days from London to Exmouth along NCN #2. Day 1 - Sutton to Chichester #Muscle memory? For some reason I hadn’t been out on the bike that much over the previous six months. So, much of the first twenty miles were spent pondering whether my legs and perhaps more importantly my derriere were ready for the next two hundred plus miles. I chose to start the adventure at Sutton train station and ride cross country to pick up NCN 2 in Chichester, purely because I had another ride in mind that would take me along the Brighton stretch later in the year. The initial part of the route was mainly on roads, passing through a number of Green Belt towns and was pleasant enough just to get the legs working. After two months of almost continuous rain the sun had finally asserted its authority with bright skies, puffy clouds and the temperature just warm enough for cycling. As I weaved my way across the North Downs and descended into Shere, I felt a touch guilty when I elected to stop for a coffee in the Dabbling Duck and their lunch time menu relegated my packed lunch to a mid-afternoon snack. My route turned west for a while, onto NCN route 22, an off-road trail taking me cross country to Shamley Green where I’d turn due south again. An unhurried road route scooted me through the wooded lanes of Haslemere, Dunsfold (the home of the old Top Gear test track) and my first glimpse of the South Downs. Overall the route was quite undulating, perhaps not surprising as I had to cross the North and South Downs, so by the time I trundled into Singleton I was pretty tired. Thankfully, Regional Cycle Route 88, the New Lipchis Way / Emperor Way, took pity on me and rolled out a few miles of smooth tarmac all the way to Chichester. At the south west corner of Chichester I finally connected with NCN route 2, my guide for the next four days and an easy cruise into Bosham for an overnight stay at The Boat House B&B. Gammon, eggs and chips was courtesy of the White Swan, a ten minute walk away, then it was into bed for a well-earned first nights sleep. Thankfully my legs had woken up to the fact that they were going to be the engine house for the next four days, unfortunately the same positivity couldn't be said for the saddle sores I could feel brewing. Day 2 - Chichester to New Forest #Messing about in boats I suffered a slight delay to my departure after the Boathouse owners, Jane and Hamish, asked if I’d feature on their new website. Vanity getting the better of me, I adopted various poses with my bike for the next few minutes as photos were duly taken. It’s a great B&B, spotlessly clean with well-appointed rooms and caters for cyclists with secure bike storage and the route literally passing the front door. The flat roads out of Chichester, albeit slightly busy, allowed me to catch up the lost time. I passed through Emsworth, onto Hayling Island and enjoyed a beautiful ride along the nature reserve on the western edge, arriving with five minutes to spare for the scheduled 10:45am Hayling Island ferry departure. This was to be the first of five ferry crossings I’d make on this journey each one with its own quirks and peculiarities. It was also the only one I’d arrive at on time. An easy ride round the sea front, past South Parade Pier and numerous war and naval memorials brought me into Portsmouth. After taking a few wrong turns through a cluster of newly developed water front properties, I arrived at the Gosport ferry. Somehow I’d managed to forget to make allowance for the ferry crossing times into my route plan, so I’d ended up with only twenty minutes to cycle seven miles from the Hayling Island ferry to Portsmouth! Thankfully the ferry departed every fifteen minutes so only my pride was damaged and I made a mental note to alter the times on my route plan for the rest of the day. The “Millennium Town” of Gosport was looking a little tired round the edges as I arrived on the other side of the harbour. But a few miles west the coastal cycle way opened out to horizon bending views of the dark brown sea meeting the pale grey sky as I looked across to the Isle of Wight. The previous days bright sunshine had continued to around eleven o’clock this morning but was now struggling to fight its way out from behind a thickening layer of clouds. Coupled with an inshore headwind, it had me zipping up my jacket and tucking in my neck scarf. Lunch was a quick affair courtesy of shop bought sandwiches and eaten on a sea view bench at Lee-on-the-Solent. Another short ride took me to the River Hamble and the Wasash ferry. It’s difficult to miss in its barbie pink livery and thankfully I didn’t have to wait long for it to arrive. I was carrying all my gear in my two rear panniers, plus the tent on my rack which made the bike a little off balance and challenging to manoeuvre. Lifting it onto the ferry was a sorry affair and almost necessitated removing the panniers in order to get it onboard! The trip across the Hamble was only five minutes but it’s a pretty crossing point full of sailing boats and has great views up the river and out to sea. The Solent Way provided the route for the next stretch, linking the River Hamble to Southampton. Royal Victoria Park still has a slight regal feel to it with its open grass and wind swept Scots pines surrounding the gravel paths and brick built chapel. But the Itchen Bridge at Southampton with its exposed height and a gusty wind makes for a nervous ride next to the speeding traffic. Crossing the River Test is a functional activity and with its hourly crossings, timing your arrival is beneficial otherwise be prepared to make use of the motorway service style waiting room. Arriving at Hythe is a polar opposite. It’s a quaint if somewhat weather beaten green wooden building and six hundred metre long wooden pier served by a train which takes passengers from one end to the other. Unfortunately cycles are not allowed on the train and you can’t ride down the pier so I had a long walk overlooking the sea and watching the little train disappear into the distance. A ride through Hythe town, including a short stop to pick up some extras for my evening meal, saw me cross the A326 and into the New Forest. I’ve been visiting the New Forest for years but crossing the boundary cattle bridge never fails to humble me. It’s like two worlds; on the outside the hustle and bustle of every day life, urban sprawl and development; and inside, the calm serenity of unspoiled open rolling heathland, small pockets of woodland and the pony’s roaming free and easy where ever they please. My campsite was a few miles down the road where a hot shower awaited. Tent pitched and dinner on, I watched the sun go down as I sorted my kit and caught up with general admin. The temperature had been just the wrong side of cold today, I never really built up enough effort to warm up my extremities but sitting in my down jacket eating Pasta Bolognese washed down with a mini bottle of red wine, I was now warm and content. Day 3 - New Forest to Dorchester #Blame it on the campsite manager With all good intentions I’d planned to set off at 8am today. I had a long ride ahead and I was just leaving when a slightly over enthusiastic campsite manager got chatting. An hour later I wound my way up the camp site drive and out onto the road, cursing my inability to cut the (albeit interesting) conversation short. I felt like I had the whole of the forest to myself this morning. Aside from the odd car, I don’t think I saw a single person until I reached Brockenhurst. It felt slightly surreal, but I was enjoying the peaceful calmness as I trundled along the forest tracks talking out loud to myself. At one point I glanced back to find a mountain biker on my tail, the only person I’d seen for miles. The illusive figure stayed at a small distance off my rear wheel for around four or five miles until I made efforts to loose them as I snaked my way down towards Christchurch. For a brief moment I felt like Richard Hannay in the novel The Thirty Nine Steps being chased across the open moorland not knowing whether the follower was friend or foe. Christchurch is an interesting town, and if I had more time I would have stopped for longer. It’s a perfect blend of bustling activity, medieval ruins and pretty houses. But, with time pressing I passed through and onto the eastern end of Bournemouth beach. The route was a flat ride along the beach promenade and although I had the advantage of very few pedestrians being out, the headwind had picked up and the sand had been blown into a thick layer covering the path. I made it to Bournemouth pier, grabbed a bite to eat and took shelter. The headwind was relentless and the sand too loose to ride at any speed, so I made the decision to break from my flat route and head inland for some shelter and less treacherous surface. A steep climb up over Canford Cliffs followed by a long descent down the other side took me away from the headwind and brought me to the chainlink ferry at Sandbanks. My legs still felt good at this point but the same couldn’t be said for my rear end. A quick application of chamois cream in the toilets on the ferry would help me through the next few hours but I knew the sores were only going to get worse as I continued. Studland on the Isle of Purbeck is beautiful, rather like a cousin of the New Forest and the route was equally as good. It wound its way off-road on almost single track type trails, weaving in between the gorse and heather, and was quite muddy in sections as well. By the time I picked up smooth tarmac on the western edge I felt like I’d ridden for a day already. Unfortunately, I was only half way… The route west continued on country lanes, reasonably flat, passing through East Stoke, Wool and Moreton. I think the high hedged country lanes would be quite cheerful in the summer, but now, in March with the cold wind and the prospect of another twenty miles still to go it just seemed a little bleak. I rolled into Dorchester and skirted south of the main high street as dusk approached and I felt the first drops of rain. Lights and water proofs donned and a raisin Yorkie and a cup of tea still in reserve I pressed on. There was a fairly chunky hill ahead and I’d decided to chose whether to go over or round it when I arrived at the junction. Somehow I’d managed to pass the “go round it” turning so I was committed to an off road route taking me up and over. Darkness fell as I came off the hill. I pressed on, fog now settling in the valley and enveloping my silent journey. One final hill loomed, one of those with a number of false summits made worse by the fact I couldn’t see any more than fifty meters in front of me. I crested the hill top, the Hardy Monument looming out of the darkness and began a brake squealing decent down into Portesham. There was a distinct lack of street lights in the village and I had to use my GPS to locate the campsite entrance but it appeared soon enough allowing me to trundle in, straight into the middle of a bunch of caravans. I found a decent spot for my lonesome tent, locked my bike up, dived into the shower then headed over to the Kings Arms pub for dinner and a pint. Whilst I sipped my beer waiting for my home-made burger I wrote my diary and wondered how much easier this last leg would have been if I’d set off one hour earlier… Day 4 - Dorchester to Exmouth #Horsey, horsey, don’t you stop… At the pub the previous night I had been dragged out of my cosy corner seat (where I was drying my clothes and charging my various electronic devices) to join the locals at the bar. One too many beers later I crawled into my tent only to wake at 6am, bladder at bursting point. Deciding to go for the early start I hadn’t managed the day before, I packed up my wet tent, gobbled down a cold Wayfayrer breakfast and a carbohydrate drink. All not very appealing, but a kind lady offered me coffee for my flask as I was securing my panniers, which I gratefully accepted before setting off into the morning drizzle. And not three minutes later I was back off the bike pushing it up the first of many, very steep Devon hills. Despite it being a grey, cold, drizzly day, the scenery was trying its best to cheer me up. Swathes of green rolling hills, all very Devonish with low stone walls lining the narrow roads and the daffodils just coming into bloom along the hedgerows. But even this didn’t detract from my painfully cold hands and feet and the mud rivers washing across the road covering me and all my gear. I found some brief respite from the rain and cold outside an old telephone box which had been converted into a medley of hill walker's paraphernalia. "Please leave a comment in the visitor book" it said. At this point I thought it would be more useful to burn it to warm up! Despite the hills, they were actually a welcome distraction. Stomping up them gave me the opportunity to warm my feet up at the expense of making clipperty clop - horsey noises as my cycle cleats struck the tarmac. And so the cycle loop continued, down hill - freeze. Uphill - "clipperty clop" - thaw. To be honest most of the section from Portesham and through Bridport my head was down just battling the cold, potholes, mud and rain so lunch on the forecourt of a Tesco's petrol station in Axminster was a blissful haven for ten minutes. Thankfully the sky cleared a little after that and by about 3pm the sun was just peeking out of the clouds making the ride along the coast past the seaside towns of Seaton and Sidmouth quite picturesque. As I approached Budleigh Salterton I knew it wasn't that much further and also that the last leg was on a disused railway. However, as if to remind me that I was still firmly in Devon even the old railway line was steep! Thankfully it was only a short climb, giving way to a long straight descent, dodging evening runners and cyclists, leading me into Exmouth just as the sun was setting. Day 5 - Exmouth to Exeter #A distinct lack of planned preventative maintenance A well-deserved overnight stay at Premier Inn Exmouth was topped off with an "all you can eat" breakfast before setting off on today's leisurely ride up the river Exe. The sun was back out again, although it was still cold, it was bright and cheery and a welcome change from yesterday’s grim conditions. Now I wasn't worried about mud, hills or the cold, I was suddenly in tune to the awful sound of my gears grinding and chain squeaking; every turn of the pedals had me wincing in sympathy. It hadn't seemed appropriate maintaining my filthy bike in the hotel conference room last night. And anyway a glass of wine and a chicken pie was much more appealing. Should I stop and put some lube on now? No, it's stuffed in my spare shoes which are at the bottom of my left pannier, and it's only a few more miles to go anyway. It’s a delightful ride along the Exe, following the train line past the Commando training ground at Lympstone and the dog leg through Exton and on to Topsham. The boardwalks over the water also make for an interesting thrumming sound as my tyres rolled across the semi smooth surface. And it’s at this point that I departed NCN route 2, my friend for the last three days, and made a brief acquaintance with NCN #34 along the Exe Valley Way for the last few miles into Exeter City. I found I was taking it more and more slowly at this point. Was it perhaps because I had an hour to kill before the train departed, or perhaps it was because my legs were tired? I had a feeling it was probably because this mini adventure was coming to a close and I really didn’t want it to. Exeter St. Davids train station appeared on the left as my GPS predicted and it was journeys end to a great ride. But now both my bike and I needed a long rest and some much needed maintenance. And perhaps a saddle fitting session booked up as soon as possible. Tips for bikepacking NCN 2 Route: 240miles (385km), 4230m total ascent. The route starts at Sutton Station, SM1 1DE, which has plenty of great rail connections. Day 1 – Sutton to Bosham (Chichester) - 57 miles (92km), 1020m ascent. Leatherhead, Shere, Dunsfold, Lodsworth, Singleton. Day 2 – Bosham (Chichester) to Beaulieu (New Forest) - 45 miles (72km), 335m ascent. Havant, Hayling Ferry, Portsmouth (Gosport ferry), (Hamble ferry), Southampton (Hythe ferry), Beaulieu. Day 3 - Beaulieu (New Forest) to Portesham (nr. Dorchester) - 68 miles (109km), 837m ascent. Christchurch, Bournemouth, Sandbanks (ferry), Wareham, Dorchester. Day 4 - Portesham (nr. Dorchester) to Exmouth - 59 miles (95km), 1798m ascent. Pymore, Axminster, Brainscombe, Sidmouth. Day 5 – Exmouth to Exeter (Exeter St. David’s train station) - 12 miles (19km), 238m ascent. Topsham (Maps and images courtesy of cycle.travel) The attachment below is a .gpx file for the entire 5 day route from Sutton in Surrey to Exmouth. Please feel free to download the route and modify it to suit your own adventure accordingly. NCN route 2 can be viewed on the Sustrans website https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/route-2, which if you haven’t visited before is an excellent source of cycling information. You can also purchase the paper maps of the route here as well. My return journey was via GWR trains from Exeter St. David’s to London Paddington and took 2hrs 15 mins. They have dedicated bike storage on board but you do need to book your cycle in advance. Ferries: Hayling Island – The Hayling Ferry - https://www.haylingferry.net/ Portsmouth – Gosport Ferry - https://www.gosportferry.co.uk/ Hamble – Hamble Warsash Ferry - https://www.hambleferry.co.uk/ Southampton - Hythe Ferry (Blue Funnel Ferries) - https://hytheferry.co.uk/ Sandbanks / Poole - Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Co. - http://www.sandbanksferry.co.uk/ Accommodation: Day 1 – The Bosham Boat House. Main Road, Bosham, Chichester, PO18 8EH https://www.theboshamboathouse.co.uk/ Day 2 – Ferny Crofts Scout Activity Centre, New Forest (not open to general public) Day 3 – Portesham Dairy Farm Campsite. 7 Bramdon Lane, Portesham, Weymouth, Dorset, DT3 4HG. https://www.porteshamdairyfarm.co.uk/ Day 4 – Premier Inn. Exmouth Seafront, The Esplanade, Devon. EX8 2AZ https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/devon/exmouth/exmouth-seafront.html Eating: The Dabbling Duck. Middle Street, Shere, Guildford GU5 9HF. https://www.thedabblingduck.uk.com/ The White Swan. Station Rd, Bosham, Chichester PO18 8NG. https://whiteswanbosham.co.uk/ The Kings Arms. 2 Front Street, Portesham, Weymouth DT3 4ET. https://www.kingsarmsportesham.co.uk/ Premier Inn. Exmouth Seafront, The Esplanade, Devon. EX8 2AZ Equipment: Specialized CrossTrail “Adventure Bike” running Schwalbe Marathon Mondial 35c tyres 40 ltr rear pannier set + 5 ltr bar bag Sleeping: 1 person tent, sleeping bag, inflatable mattress and pillow Cycling clothes: Helmet, gloves, glasses, cycling shoes, overshoes, padded cycling shorts, cycling jersey, cycling gilet, arm warmers, windproof smock, neck warmer Spare clothes: 2nd set of cycling kit – gloves, jersey, shorts. Plus down jacket, zip off trousers, short sleeved shirt, socks, underwear, thermal top and leggings, waterproof jacket, trainers Wash kit and first aid items Collapsible seat and sit mat Stove, pot, gas, food 2 x 1ltr water bottles, thermal flask/mug Head torch, multitool GoPro, GPS, mobile phone, battery, cables Bike tools, innertube, pump, bike lock, lights Notes: The majority of this route is on tarmac roads, however some parts are off-road and across some fairly rough terrain. Any good gravel, hybrid or mountain bike would be suitable for this route, something with a reasonably wide tyre with some off-road grip. I wouldn’t personally take a road bike with slick tyres as the terrain is really not suitable. My route starts at Sutton train station in Surrey, however there is a good train service which runs from London Victoria to Brighton which takes just under one hour. It’s possible therefore to start cycling a whole section further back along NCN route 2 and ride along the coast from Brighton (Ovingdean) to Bosham, then onto Exmouth (Dawlish) as follows: Day 1 – Ovingdean to Bosham – 44 miles Day 2 – Bosham to Brockenhurst – 53 miles Day 3 – Brockenhurst to Moreton – 45 miles Day 4 – Moreton to Axminster – 43 miles Day 5 – Axminster to Dawlish – 47 miles

This was the second cycling adventure we’d been on as two families, the first being a cycle to the South Downs and back the previous year. So the bar had been set, the kids were all one year older and the lure of a two day trek across the wilds of the New Forest in Hampshire felt the right balance of distance, terrain and adventure. Day 1 - Normansland to Burley Our journey began in loose convoy, four bikes strapped to each car making our way out of London towards Hampshire. Our overnight accommodation was the Youth Hostel in Burley, and as it was located in the south west corner of the Forest, it was natural to start on the opposite side and make our route diagonally across the National Park from one corner to the other. We parked the cars in a small car park near the Lamb Pub in Normansland and by 10am were saddled up and ready to embark on our intrepid expedition. April can be a fickle month, I remember crowding round a barbeque to keep warm on an Easter camp some years earlier after it decided to snow, but this morning was a warm spring day, with blue sky stretching out across the tops of the tress and jumpers firmly relegated to the bottom of our bags. The first fifteen minutes of cycling provoked a few unspoken reactions from the group. A gut buster of a hill on a reasonably busy road saw red faces, bikes being pushed and a slight look of apprehension from a number of the adults about my route selection. But this was quickly dispelled as the road levelled, the trees receded making way for one hundred and eighty degrees of heather and yellow flowered gorse and a flat road stretching away into the distance. The New Forest never fails to amaze me. It’s a quiet, tranquil place, the real owners being the wild ponies and, as it has a distinct lack of fences, boundaries or significant hills across much of its seventy one thousand acres, much of it feels wild and expansive. We stopped for an early lunch under the shade of a small wood near Long Beach Inclosure campsite. We knew the key to the success of the trip would be an easy pace, plenty of stops for food and drink and clear waypoints that everyone could recognise as we progressed along our route. The kids really warm to the latter knowing they have a number of landmarks to count down as the journey unfolds. A small reward (preferably one that they can consume!) at each point really helps keep them involved and motivated from start to finish. We left the heathland behind us for much of the second half of the day as we passed through Newtown and slipped under the shade of the trees, enjoying the gravelled trackways that make so much of the route easy to cycle on. It’s still mildly undulating however, and a number of the inclines a little too steep for those with younger legs but a gentle push or a short walk was all that was needed in order to crest the rise and coast back down the other side. A refreshing lemonade in the Queens Head in Burley just before our arriving at our overnight accommodation was a welcome treat and a few minutes later we were bumping down the dusty track, over the cattle grid and into the welcome arms of the Youth Hostel. Youth Hostel's are amazing places to stay whether you’re travelling solo, with a group or as a family. Since their recent national refurbishment programme, they are bright, well decorated, friendly places, with great staff and plenty of modern amenities including WiFi and USB charging sockets at your bedside. We each had a family room, allowing us the space to spread out in privacy and the Youth Hostel supplied bedding was clean and fresh. Warm showers washed away the dust of the trails and soon after we regrouped in the lounge for a well-earned rest and a few rounds of Uno before our pizza dinner (and a bottle of red wine for the adults!) Day 2 - Burley to Normansland After a varied breakfast, cereal for some and a full English for others, we were back on the bikes and heading out into the warm but hazy morning. The route was pretty much a reversal of the previous day but in order to give the impression of continuing our journey we turned left out of the Youth Hostel instead of right to pick up the forest trail a little further north. The morning cloud had burnt off by now making way for a hot sun and blue skies once again. We’d passed the Canadian War memorial on our way to the Youth Hostel the day before but we decided this time to stop and learn a little more about the Canadian soldiers who were stationed in the New Forest prior to the D-Day landings. Everyone was still in good spirits and lunch time was approaching, but despite having food in our bags, the lure of “Acres Down Cream Tea’s and Ice Creams” was far too tempting and within minutes the bikes were slotted into the handy bike rack and we were stuffing our faces with tea, cakes, scones and ice-creams. Some of the younger members struggled with a few of the longer inclines but one particular incline, a long gentle downhill the day before, proved a test of mental strength as well as physical. Some walked, parents encouraged, but they all made it to the top in the end proud of their achievement. As the last few miles passed we hopped on and off the roads as the trail dictated, competent in our new found peloton riding skills. The final leg was a speedy decent down the "gut buster" hill we struggled up the previous day, across the green, avoiding the ponies to our waiting cars. Overall this was a brilliant route for families with younger kids. With the majority of the route away from public roads and set in a beautiful National Park it made for a great adventure and stress free cycling. Tips for cycling across the New Forest Route: Terrain: Gravel – 60%, Paved – 30%, Dirt – 10% (approx.) Total: 32miles (52km), 705m total ascent. Day 1 – Normansland to Burley - 16 miles (26km), 340m ascent. Normansland, Longcross Plain, Kings Garn Gutter Inclosure, Stoney Cross, Newtown, Canadian War Memorial, Outer Rails Inclosure, Burley. Day 2 – Burley to Normansland - 16 miles (26km), 365m ascent. Burley, Outer Rails Inclosure, Canadian War Memorial, Newtown, Stoney Cross, Kings Garn Gutter Inclosure, Longcross Plain, Normansland. Day 2 is slightly different to Day 1 around the Kings Garn Gutter Inclosure. Otherwise it’s pretty much a reversal of the previous day. (Maps and images courtesy of Map my Ride) The attachments below are .gpx files of the entire route, split over the two days. Please feel free to download and modify to suit your own adventure accordingly. Accommodation: YHA New Forest. Cott Ln, Burley, Ringwood BH24 4BB. 0345 371 9309. https://www.yha.org.uk/hostel/yha-new-forest Eating and Drinking: Queens Head Pub. The Cross, Burley, Ringwood BH24 4AB. 01425 403 423. https://www.chefandbrewer.com/pubs/hampshire/queens-head Acres Down Farm, Minstead, Lyndhurst SO43 7GE. 0238 081 3693 http://www.acresdownfarm.co.uk/cream-teas.html Evening meal, breakfast and packed lunch the second day were all provided by the YHA, details above. Equipment: Adults kit: Hybrid or Mountain bike (in good working order) 30 litre rucksack Cycling clothes: Helmet, gloves, glasses, cycling shoes / trainers, padded cycling shorts / shorts / leggings, cycling jersey / t-shirt, fleece / long sleeve cycling top, waterproof jacket Spare clothes: Underwear, socks, t-shirt, shorts / leggings, jumper, sandals / flip flops Wash kit, pack towel and first aid / medication items Mobile phone, battery, cables, charger Bike lock, lights, 2 x 1ltr water bottles Lunch and snacks for the first day We also carried between us: a GPS, bike tools, pump and bike spares Kids kit: Hybrid / Mountain bike (in good working order) 10-15 litre rucksack Cycling clothes: Helmet, gloves, trainers, socks, padded cycling shorts, t-shirt, fleece, waterproof jacket. Spare clothes: Underwear, socks, t-shirt, shorts / leggings, jumper, sandals / flip flops Wash kit, pack towel and first aid / medication items 1ltr water bottle Lunch and snacks for the first day The adults carried the kids spare clothes, wash kits, towels, and bicycle accessories. The kids carried their own water, lunch, snacks and waterproof jacket. The Youth Hostel supplies all bedding which significantly reduces the amount of kit required. Notes: Our party consisted of four adults and four children. The youngest child was seven and the oldest was thirteen. The youngest needed some assistance on the climbs but otherwise completed the adventure as well as everyone else. At first glance it may look as though there aren’t many bridleways in the New Forest and that off road cycling may not be possible. Thankfully this isn’t the case as the entire area is crisscrossed with dedicated cycle routes, many of them marked as orange dots on an Ordnance Survey Explorer (1:25.000) map. However, off road cycling is only permitted on these routes so if you’re planning to design your own route then it’s a good idea to get familiar with the rules and guidelines. Dedicated cycle trail routes and other cycling relating information can be downloaded here: https://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/things-to-do/cycling/cycling-routes/ Some of our route was on B or C roads. Aside from the first road out of Normansland they are all pretty quiet country lanes. However, please make sure all the members of your party are confident riding on public roads and there are enough adults to supervise.

On a Tuesday evening in June 2018, a mate sent round the following message to our lads WhatsApp group: “Inflatable canoes, Lidl, central isle, £40, I’ve bought 2”. By Thursday we all had one, and predictably when a group of like-minded people are in receipt of a bunch of newly purchased river craft, a water based adventure must swiftly follow. A river adventure had been on the cards for some time and a few months prior I’d bought a superb paddling guide called “Paddle the Thames” by Mark Rainsley. It therefore made perfect sense to pick a suitable section of this river, pack our kit and set off on a two day overnight paddle adventure. Day 1 - Ferry Lane, Aston to Ferry Lane, Cookham As is invariably the case when four guys all with young families decide to go away together, there’s degree of understandable faff and compromise before we get going. But come 10am on Saturday morning we were busy at our Aston launch point dividing up essentials, inflating the canoes and ensuring anything we didn’t want to get wet was inside something waterproof. The launch was easy enough via the gentle slipway and an hour later we were heading downstream. Navigation is a doddle on the river, you really can’t go that wrong, so it’s more a case of ticking off the landmarks as you go and keeping check on progress towards our destination. So it was fair to say that most of the morning was spent learning how the boats handled and what sort of cruising speed we could expect. The boats weren’t exactly rigid, it was more akin to paddling an enclosed lilo and the relatively low travelling speed was a result of their blunt and rather floppy design which was easily affected by the surface breeze or the wake of other passing river craft. But for a boat costing £40 and the fact they were facilitating a river adventure, we were absolutely chuffed to bits. The river at Aston was perfect for our adventure; it’s about 40m wide with plenty of space for all river craft to pass and good towpaths if an emergency exit was required. We were aiming for the campsite at Cookham Lock some 15km away and at 3km per hour we were confident enough of an arrival around 5pm. We passed the tree covered and mysteriously named Magpie Island and spent probably a little too long recounting scenes from an Indiana Jones film as we explored some of its narrow backwaters. After detangling ourselves from the drooping willow trees we pressed on, rejoining the main channel and quickly arriving at the churning weir at Hurley Lock. Keeping well to the right we avoided its magnetic-like attraction and found a suitable point to alight for our first portage of the day. Hurley Lock was a great place to stop and stretch our legs, grab a slice of cake and at hot coffee at the café and, for some of us, to dry off. We’d decided to take three canoes between the four of us, myself and Marcus in one and Dan and Tim paddling solo. Inside our boat was relatively dry as Marcus and I were using half a paddle each – Canadian style - but the paddle drip stops didn’t work particularly well and when the paddle was used with a double blade - Kayak style - the water ran down the paddle into the cockpit meaning both Tim and Dan were soaked from the waist down. A short paddle down the river brought us to Temple Lock with an alighting point to the left and fast flowing weir to the right. We carried the canoes around the locks once again and took full advantage of the public toilet facilities. I was pleasantly surprised with the Environment Agency run locks and facilities – ok they’re not the most salubrious - but they’re functional enough with toilets, hand basins and showers taking away the inconvenience of having to find decent facilities on route. The launch points are low enough for a kayak to easily enter and exit the river and the paths and steps are all well maintained. There’s quite a sense on grandeur to the next section of the river. It’s lined with mature trees and equally mature old houses and the swans look perfectly at home gliding gracefully across the foreground. Arriving at Marlow we’d happened upon a school regatta. It was quite comical listening to the event marshals struggling to get a bunch of eager young lads to line up their rowing boats on the virtual start line. But seeing an opportunity to test our new river craft, we felt a race was in order. We hung back, well off to the side of the river, confident in our age and experience over the younger rowers, waiting for the starting gun to fire... I think we kept pace for all of about three meters before their boats sped past us to shouts of encouragement from competitive parents on the far bank. Marlow is a pretty town, even when viewed from the river, and its crescent shaped weir is equally as impressive. The nearby lock demanded another portage and, after a day of wet shorts and continually bailing out their boats, Tim and Dan decided to rejoin the water in a single canoe adopting the somewhat dryer paddling style myself and Marcus had enjoyed throughout the day. The river opened out at this point, our boats feeling somewhat dwarfed by the expanse of flat water, but an hour after passing Gibraltar Island, we arrived at the slipway on Ferry Lane next to Cookham Lock pretty much on schedule. A well-deserved dinner at “The Ferry” pub topped of the trio of “Ferry” names for the day before heading down to the campsite on the island at Cookham Lock. Day 2 – Cookham Lock to Windsor None of us appeared to be hanging around this morning and as breakfast was planned for a later stop, we were back in the water by nine o’clock. Cookham Lock is a narrow shortcut across the main curve of the Thames with trees pressed hard up against the banks their boughs drooping low into the water. With a low layer of early morning river mist and just the sound of birds to accompany us, it felt like we were paddling down the Amazon. The National Trust's Cliveden House is just on the other side of the river and although the bankside trees block a direct view there are a number of pretty, mock Tudor buildings closer to the water. Soon we were approaching Boulters Weir, an impressively large tier of steps with crashing water and ominous “Danger” signs protecting its entrance. Staying well to the right we avoided the natural pull of the water and docked at our alighting point. Although this is an island, much like many of the other locks, it is connected to the riverbank and can get quite touristy. Nothing wrong with that, in fact it provided us with good toilets, a great café and plenty of seating. It was a beautiful morning, the sun was already hot and our bacon baguettes and coffee purposefully took that much longer to consume. We found departing the island quite tricky for small river craft. The banks downstream of the weir are quite high and necessitated sitting on the bankside and lowering ourselves down into the boat from above. It’s quite tricky for a canoe or kayak but one with a floppy hull made it that much harder. Nevertheless, we all managed to get in our boats without an early morning swim and were back on our way. The river is much busier on this stretch, with gardens backing onto the river and plenty of boats lining the banks. A little further on, the main Ray Mead road runs parallel at this point bringing pedestrians and cyclists within conversational distance and a look more akin to a canal in Amsterdam. Shortly after this we were greeted by Brunel’s viaduct, built in 1838 for the Great Western Railway with it’s two, thirty nine meter long arches, which are apparently the longest in the world. Whilst the history was great, we found more fun in indulging our childlike antics finding out what sounds made the best echo! Just beyond was Bray, the location of some significantly expensive houses and a number of multiple Michelin Star pubs. As you depart millionaires row, the river banks open out a little giving way to Bray studios on the right and, although you can’t see it, the almost runway like, Dorney Lake. The mornings hot sun had been rapidly fading throughout the last few hours and the head wind picking up. Speed was down to about 1.5kph at this point and with the first few drops of rain bouncing off our stretched polyurethane cocoons we decided to heed the words of the Lock Master at Bray Lock and call it a day. We dragged the boats out of the water a few kilometres short of Windsor and with a taxi ride to collect our cars we were packed up and heading home, weary, slightly damp but immensely smug at the success of our Lidl inflatable river adventure. Tips for canoeing the River Thames Route: Total 18 miles (30km) The route starts at Ferry Lane slipway, just north of the small village of Aston, Henley-on-Thames RG9. Day 1 – Aston to Cookham - 9 miles (15km). Aston, Hurley Lock, Temple Lock, Marlow Lock, Gibraltar Islands, Bourne End Railway and Footbridge, Cookham Bridge, (Ferry Inn slipway), Cookham Lock. Day 2 – Cookham to Windsor - 9 miles (15km). Cookham, Ray Mill Island / Boulters Lock, A4 (Bray) Bath Road Bridge, Guards Club Island, Maidenhead (Brunel / GWR) Railway Bridge, Bray Lock, M4 Motorway bridge, Monkey Island, Summerleaze Footbridge, Boveney Lock, A332 Road bridge, Windsor Leisure Centre. The attachments below are .gpx files of the entire route for Day 1 and Day 2. Please feel free to download and modify to suit your own adventure accordingly. Accommodation: Cookham Lock campsite, Odney Lane, Cookham, SL6 9SRH https://www.visitthames.co.uk/about-the-river/river-thames-locks/cookham-lock Eating and Drinking: Hurley Lock Tea Shop, 112A Mill Ln, Hurley, Maidenhead SL6 5ND. The Ferry pub, Sutton Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 9SN. 01628 525123. https://www.theferry.co.uk/ Ray Mill Island café, Boulters Lock, Ray Mead Rd, Maidenhead SL6 8PE Equipment: We had three Inshore 335 mk 5 inflatable canoes purchased from Lidl which come with one, split double paddle. You could equally use a canoe, kayak, paddle board, raft or rubber ring. 30 ltr, fully waterproof, roll top dry bag + 5 ltr dry bag to carry equipment needed in the cockpit. Sleeping: Tarp, Bug bivi, sleeping bag, inflatable mattress and pillow Paddling clothes: Buoyancy aid, wetsuit boots, swimming shorts, t-shirt, windproof smock, waterproof jacket, cap, glasses. Spare clothes: Complete change of clothes including down jacket and trainers. Wash kit and first aid items (including sun cream) Head torch, multitool Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 map in map case Mobile phone, GPS, battery, cables Snacks, 1 ltr water bottle Collapsible seat and sit mat Canoe maintenance kit: Pump, sponge, gaffa tape, puncture repair kit, rope, throw line and a selection of karabiners for securing equipment on board. Most of this was in another dry bag and carried as group kit between the four of us. Notes: The Thames section we were paddling on is managed by The Environment Agency. Some useful information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/river-thames-locks-and-facilities-for-boaters#camping-at-lock-sites We only took snacks and a 1 ltr water bottle each as there were plenty of places to eat and drink on route. Stopping is necessary for portages and also made for convenient occasions to stretch our legs and use the public toilets. You'll need a license to paddle on many of the UK’s rivers, including the Thames. We all joined British Canoeing which, for the single membership fee, granted us a license to paddle across the whole of the UK for a year. If you've never paddled down a river before then its also worth familiarising yourself with some do's and don'ts of river travel and some appropriate river etiquette in order to stay the right side of other (bigger!) boats. https://www.britishcanoeing.org.uk