Thursday 11th June
Kenilworth to Bourton-on-the-Water
🚴ROUTE OVERVIEW
Distance: ~48 miles (78km) Elevation: ~1850ft Estimated time: 6.5 hours including breaks & publicity
Overview: In my comfort zone at the start of Day 6 with an area I know reasonably well. I'll start by cycling castle-to-castle from Kenilworth through Warwick and on to Stratford upon Avon. Optimistically I'm hoping for perfect weather then I'll stop for a well earned ice cream on the banks of the River Avon opposite the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. If it's raining (as per the current weather forecast) I'll change my plans! After my mini rest in Stratford I'll pick up a traffic free path called the Stratford Greenway; this is a 5-mile disused railway line and, other than having a couple of gates I'll have to lift my bike over, it is a perfect traffic-free wildlife-friendly route. From the end of the Greenway I'll head uphill towards Chipping Campden for lunch. After lunch it gets really hilly for a long stretch, I'll need to fuel and hydrate well today. At the end of today's ride I'm staying overnight in the heart of the Cotswolds next door to Bourton-on-the-Water's model village. If I pedal fast enough and don't have any bike mechanical issues I might get the opportunity to look around the model village as a nice distraction from all my Day 6 aches & pains, keep your fingers crossed for me.
Key Points
Start: Kenilworth. Mid‑points: Leek Wooton → Warwick → Sherbourne → Charlecote → Stratford upon Avon → Stratford Greenway → Long Marston → Mickleton → Chipping Campden → Cotswold Cycleway. Finish: Bourton-on-the-Water
Supporters / publicity breaks: (1) bank of River Avon or Quill & Cup Riverside cafe Stratford upon Avon. (2) Bantam Tea Rooms, Chipping Campden. (3) The Old New Inn, Bourton-on-the-Water,
How to follow the L2R Challenge
Click on the route page for the day you are looking for. On a mobile device click the 3 lines or dots at the top of this page. If you are in the neighbourhood feel free to look out for me at one of the supporters / publicity stops. Progress updates will be posted on my personal Facebook page, JustGiving and Strava. You can reach me on challengelouisa@gmail.com. Note that once the challenge has begun I will be busy cycling and might be slow in picking up messages.