For more than a decade it has been an 8th Holborn tradition to go cycling at the May Bank Holiday weekend.
This was our twelfth such trip. In the past we’ve done:
- 2005: Thames Valley: Putney to Marlow
- 2006: Downs Link: Greenwich to Shoreham
- 2007: Coram’s Fields to Gilwell Park and back
- 2008: Thames Valley: Putney to Marlow
- 2009: Great North Way and Lea Valley
- 2010: Capital to Coast: Greenwich to Eastbourne
- 2011: Thames East: London to Gravesend/Tilbury
- 2013: Thames Valley: Putney to Marlow
- 2014: Great North Way and Lee Valley
- 2016: Thames East: London to Gravesend/Tilbury
- 2017: Putney to Bramley via Wey Navigation
This year we began in Islington and worked our way along the Regent’s Canal and up the Lee Navigation to Rye House, before heading up the side of the Lee Valley to Danemead Campsite.
As we were making good time, we stopped off at the Royal Gunpowder Mills at Waltham Abbey where there was a VE Day-themed 1940s weekend in full swing.
Once at the campsite, the Scouts pitched their tents, lit a fire and cooked dinner.
Day two involved a return to Rye House before taking a different route south on NCN 1 between Nazeing Mead and Waltham Abbey.
Once back at Victoria Park we took a southerly route south through Mile End Park – crossing the Green Bridge – before picking up Cycle Superhighway 3 in Wapping for the return leg to Blackfriars Bridge, which in turn led to an easy route back to Holborn.
The Scouts managed a very creditable 26 miles of cycling on the Saturday and 30 miles on Sunday – one of the hottest days of the year.