Marcher Castles Way

Day 1

I joined Cycling UK last year, I think, and was intrigued when they published details of a new route on the Welsh Border: the Marcher Castles Way.

When Penny from the Turn Cycling gang (as Niel Copeland’s coachees are called) asked if anyone was interested in doing it I looked at the dates proposed and arranged for the dog to be looked after as my wife would be at a conference. Ok, she arranged for the dog to be looked after so I could join Penny, Niel and Jo mid week and do the route over three days.

I planned my rail journey from Shireoaks to Shrewsbury and enjoyed the different space given bikes on the Crosscountry train compared with Transport for Wales or my local Northern train to Sheffield. The Crosscountry train had space patently designed by someone who has no experience of any bikes other than drop handlebar road bikes without any luggage.

I got to Birmingham New Street and met Penny who was already on the train to Shrewsbury. Two fully loaded mountain bikes? Transport for Wales = no problem.

Disembarking at Shrewsbury we learnt that Jo and Niel had been held up as the M40 was closed following a very bad accident. They told us to press on. So we did.

Leaving alongside the river we made pretty good progress passing an old Roman Fort at Wroxeter. If you want insights into all the history and archaeology of the route then there is no better source than Guy Kesteven’s YouTube videos which are based on his recce of the route. You can download the full GPX files from the CyclingUK website and order the guidebook as well.

I began to realise that the route was going to take me back through parts I had ridden last year on the Solstice Sprint. Once more I went around the Wrekin, from which comes the phrase ‘going all around the Wrekin’. The phrase can also be used figuratively to describe someone who talks or explains things in a rambling or roundabout way, taking a long time to get to the point. Maybe I shouldn’t point that out….

The Solstice Sprint also took us through Ironbridge which even on a second visit is impressive.

What began to impress me even more, and continuously, were the views. This was a constant throughout the route, aided by the fact that it ‘undulates’ significantly. We soon encountered our first hike a bike section. Do not underestimate the climbing on this route. It was relentless and in some places quite savage but then you are rewarded with the descents and even the climbs had views to look back on.

Given the time of year and it being Wales we were surrounded by lambs, everywhere!

We made the top of the final hill just as the sun was setting and descended to Ludlow using our lights.

Meanwhile Niel and Jo had short-circuited a bit of the route to get to the Travelodge before us and made sure we could order dinner in the pub next to it. This is one advantage of the route, it can be shortened if needs must.

I do like it when the hotel lets you keep your bike in your room. After all, according to FlannO’Brien, the molecular interchange between you and the bike means that, by now, my mountain bike is part human and I am part bike…..

Day 2 It was a small Travelodge so breakfast was sourced from the Co-op across the car park. Our aim for the day was to get to Montgomery where Jo had booked a hotel room whilst Penny, Niel and I planned to camp.

Although the route could be done on a Gravel bike the three of us had elected to use full suspension mountain bikes. This is, undoubtedly, due to the influence of our coach, Niel Copeland. From my perspective it made for a very comfortable ride and the mtb gears helped on the ‘undulations’.

The terrain en route from Ludlow to Montgomery is very mixed and, although we were lucky with the weather, there were still some muddy bits to navigate and each day threw a bit of hike a bike at us.

Even though you are in a highly populated country the route can feel very remote and exposed with off road climbs and descents. There were significant gaps between resupply options. Resupply when available is essential.

We had a pavement picnic in Knighton and got our water supply restocked in Clun.

Pressing on towards Montgomery we were all feeling the strain of the incessant hills. Maintaining enough carb intake was also impacting on my gut. I was trying to make sure that I was eating enough to take in about 60gcarb/hour but my choice of nutrition meant I was experiencing some discombobulations in my belly.

Our progress was good but we knew we would probably not make Montgomery until about 7pm. We decided we should all eat together at the hotel Jo was staying at and then Niel Penny and I would head for the campsite. Penny made contact to let them know we would be late which is when we discovered the campsite had a burst pipe and the showers weren’t working. By then I had already silently decided I was going to ask if they had a room at the hotel and I made this thinking public.

Before Montgomery there is the most beautiful plateau ride. It is a haul to get up to it but worthwhile for the views. Before you get to descend to Montgomery there is a stinger of a climb again and then we were outside the hotel and wheeled our bikes through to the back and the laundry room where they would be stored for the night. I got to reception to discover that Niel was negotiating a good rate for three more rooms! I fear my weak will had a domino effect and we decided to all stay the night.

Bowel decompression, dinner, shower and then bed…….I didn’t have a shave 😉

Day 3 The hotel breakfast was served at 7.30am. I had woken at 3am with hunger. I had brought a Firepot Porridge and Banana breakfast with me so boiled a kettle, rehydrated it and ate it in the middle of the night before falling back to sleep with my hunger assuaged.

On the Turn Cycling Discord platform there is a thread dedicated to nutrition. I have been trying to up my game and have set an alarm on my Garmin to go off every 30m to remind me to eat something. This trip has made me realise the easiest thing is just to keep eating all the time. If I start a Twix (32.4g of carb) by the time I finish it, it will be time to eat some Haribos (handful = 20g) and then move onto a Turkish delight. I went back and had a look at some of the blogs I did on my early ultra rides and realised a big theme was constant hunger. In fact, in retrospect, I probably was hypoglycaemic at one point on the 2VS!

The fact some people aim for 90g or 120g of carb an hour flabbergasts me as I find it hard enough to get 60g in. Anyway, I switched to Twix, Turkish Delight, Haribos and Snickers today, which seems to work as my innards were quiescent.

Yet again the views were awesome, the weather perfect and the trails in good condition.

The climb up to Stiperstones was brutal, closely followed by one before the descent to Church Stretton.

I watched Guy Kesteven’s YouTube videos of the route after we had done it (doh!). To be honest, if you want to see everything he points out you would have to make a number of diversions. I did enjoy the standing stones and learning about the folklore surrounding them afterwards made more sense, as I probably wouldn’t have remembered owt due to oxygen deprivation at the time I passed them.

Church Stretton had a delightful cafe but looking at the time, the distance still to do and the climbs between me and Shrewsbury on the route meant I decided to leave the three amigos and main road it back in order to catch my train at 4pm. I did giggle when my Garmin flashed up a climb, the only one between Church Stretton and Shrewsbury, which was 590m long with an ascent of 13m….

Of course, on the way home, the guard on the Crosscountry train said I should have hung my bike up in the space provided. I suggested he try, given the weight and the handlebar width he agreed it was not possible. He said he would not have let me on the train if he had known. FFS!! When are the railway companies going to stop punishing cyclists?? It’s not the guard’s fault but the area reserved for bikes and ‘large luggage’ could be easily adapted to make it more bike friendly. I made it home, ate, and collapsed into a coma.

Niel, as well as being a coach, is a keen photographer and videographer. There may be a video of the trip if he can find the time to edit the shots he took (I mean he carried a camera, a GoPro and a drone!). Below are some of the pics he has shared so far. Memories of an incredible 3 day trip in great company and surroundings.

Thanks to Penny, Jo and Niel for always waiting at the top 🙂

Would I recommend doing the Marcher Castle Way? 100%!