September will be a month of two distinct halves. From 1st to 13th, I have been taking time out to be with my wife and family, including an 8 day trip to Slovenia, which was delightful. I thoroughly recommend it if you haven’t been. This period is also a time to catch up, carry out essential tasks, and plan for the remainder of this adventure. That is no small task, since it covers more than half of all the maps! But I need to have firm plans in place for September at least, and ideally beyond, because time hereafter is going be in pretty limited supply. And here is why.
From 14th September onwards, right through October, it will be cycling with no let up until the whole task is complete. Or at least that is my hope and intention. I will head out on 14th to map 95, the Isle of Man, followed by a 3 day crossing of the country from Walney Island, beyond Barrow, to Flamborough Head, the first of the remaining 13 coast to coasts ahead of me. By the end of September, I should have 9 crossings, or 82 maps, left to go. And I intend to get through as many of those as I possibly can in October – all of them if it goes well – or as close as I can get.
Below is the plan from 14th to 30th September, which is now close to confirmed:
Wed 14th Sept – train and ferry to Isle of Man, stay in Douglas
Thu 15th Sept – ride perimeter of Isle of Man, evening ferry to Heysham, stay in Heysham
Fri 16th Sept – train to Barrow-in-Furness (map 96), cycle via south Lake District to Sedbergh, stay in Sedbergh
Sat 17th Sept – cycle via Dentdale, Wensleydale to South Stainley, near Ripon.
Sun 18th Sept – cycle to Flamborough Head (map 101), train home to Hathersage.
Mon 19th Sept – train to Blackpool (map 102), cycle to Skipton
Tues 20th Sept – cycle Skipton to York, stay in York
Wed 21st Sept – cycle to Withernsea
Thu 22nd Sept – cycle to Spurn Point (map 107), cycle west to Hull, train home to Hathersage
Fri 23rd Sept – rest day, stay at home
Sat 24th Sept – train to West Kirby, Wirral (map 108), cycle via Mersey Ferry and Trans Pennine Trail to Hathersage (stay at home, map 110)
Sun 25th Sept – cycle to Cleethorpes (map 113), train home
Mon 26th Sept – train to Holyhead (map 114), cycle to Llandudno
Tuesday 27th Sept – cycle to Middlewich
Wed 28th Sept – cycle to Chesterfield, stay at home
Thu 29th Sept – cycle Chesterfield to Skegness (map 122), train home / Nottingham
Fri 30th Sept – train to Blaenau Ffestiniog / Pwllheli, cycle to end of Lleyn Peninsula (map 123), stay at Edern, near Nefyn
That means I will be starting my ride eastwards from the edge of map 123 on 1st October, heading for map 134 and Lowestoft – the most easterly point in Britain – and then the other 70 maps by the end of October. Probably. More or less.
2 replies on “My plan for the rest of September”
Hi Mark, my son “follows” the Ordnance Survey (whatever that means) and pointed me towards your website last week. Since then I have been reading the posts to catch you up. Now looking forward to enjoying your excellent writing about your brilliant (if slightly bonkers) venture, in real time. Wishing you all the best (whilst trying to hide the envy) for the remaining miles of fun. Simon (OS187)
Hello Simon, and thank you. OS 187 seems a long way off, but all being well I should pass your way in the second half of October. Glad you are enjoying it. Much work to do before then!