Tour of Britain cycles the moorlands

Barks Holiday Cottage, self-catering accommodation near Alton Towers and Peak District

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Tour of Britain cycles the Moorlands

James made a deliberate visit to King of the Mountain – Wootton Hill and was given a flag to wave encouragingly at these keen cyclists as they powered up the hill to the ‘finish line’ (although there was no finish in the sense of them stopping). Three riders were clearly leading the pack, as announced by a van with loud speaker courtesy of ITV, heavily escorted by motorbikes. A few minutes later the peloton arrived, whizzed through en masse and that was it.

I caught the Tour of Britain inadvertently as I returned from a meeting in Matlock along the A52 between Ashbourne and Stoke. At the highest point of the ridge, with a grand view of most of Staffordshire and Derbyshire, I became stuck in a traffic jam. A traffic jam that is not causally linked to Alton Towers is such a rare occurrence it is almost worth blogging in its own right. I figured out it was the Tour of Britain when the motorbikes, 40 or more, roared past with lights flashing. Meanwhile the A52 in both directions gently filled with quarry lorries, the main traffic on this stretch of road. Then the pack of riders, tightly packed together and seemingly not in a rush to my inexperienced eye, breezed over the ridge and off in the direction of Blackbrook Zoo. The view and zoo would not have registered with the riders who were head down and intent on their mission. Before the quarry lorries and I could resume our journeys, there was the amusing spectacle of the 50 or so support vehicles with the cycles on the top. More cycles were visible on the top of 4x4s than in the peloton.

It’s quiet in these rural parts, can you tell?

Cycling holidays

Staffordshire County Council have produced a clear map on the many cycling and walking opportunities across the county. Please note that some of the best are available on our doorstep.

I cycled with my 4 year old on our tow-along bike from Moneystone to Denstone last weekend. The descent into Oakamoor needs brakes that work (ours aren't up to the job), but the disused railway track is an easy, quiet track which was lined with bluebells. There is a gorgeous farm shop in Denstone which has a cafe and sells yummy ice cream - we thought after 5 miles cycling we deserved to treat ourselves. I confess that we did get a lift back, but we had just played tennis in Denstone. This track is also a great dog walking spot.

There are many quiet picnic spots along the Oakamoor to Denstone disused railway. My favourites are the Oakamoor picnic ground and park area, Dimmings Dale (where there is a great tea room with gardens), and a lovely spot beyond Alton where you can either sit on a footbridge or paddle in the river. Guests can ask for more details on any of these if they want to make a day of walking or cycling in the area.

Other nearby cycle routes nearby are Manifold Valley, an easy trail from Waterhouses going into the heart of the White Peak, and the Tissington Trail, which has great views of the Peak District all along its route from Ashbourne Buxton. Both of these trails have local cycle hire.

The link to Staffordshire County Council maps is http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/transport/walkingandcycling/maps/ and I recommend the Staffordshire Moorlands map and the Key.