Something I have come to realise this last year is the value of a theme when planning a trip. It was brought home to me by the fact that despite not being ornithologists, the guys who I took on the Five Eagles tour all enjoyed that aspect. In fact having a theme that is a bit away from you normal interests makes it work even better. Consider bridges, one of the commonest architectural items on any road to anywhere.
A number of people have mentioned the Millau bridge as being worth a visit, and it is a spectacular sight. But what about all the ones in between. Just thinking of my route from Aberystwyth to the Severn bridges there must be dozens, from the humpbacked ‘Pont Wan’ (weak bridge) over the railway a few hundred yards from my house to the many arches of Builth Wells. I have never specifically stopped and looked at them. As soon as I can get the time and my bike back from it’s broken cam-belt I am planning to do so. A bridge theme trip will I think require the buying of a Ladybird book of bridges, it would be good to brush up on the engineering involved and look at them in terms of loading and stresses and the different ways in which these problems are solved down the years. A bit of history will creep in as one finds out the oldest and newest bridges on the trip. And the rivers… I know that about 15 miles out of Aberystwyth I cross over a little stream, which I cross again here and there, it runs into the Wye which runs into the Severn, and here I am crossing it again to enter England. As you can see I like to sketch them to.
There are of course any number of things one can think off to theme a trip. I think I will perhaps start offering an extra service from my Guided Tours site at www.bikingandbirds.co.uk, for a small fee I will research and plan you a self-ride tour, though don’t expect me to give away all my favourite off the beaten track places.
Duncan Gough
A number of people have mentioned the Millau bridge as being worth a visit, and it is a spectacular sight. But what about all the ones in between. Just thinking of my route from Aberystwyth to the Severn bridges there must be dozens, from the humpbacked ‘Pont Wan’ (weak bridge) over the railway a few hundred yards from my house to the many arches of Builth Wells. I have never specifically stopped and looked at them. As soon as I can get the time and my bike back from it’s broken cam-belt I am planning to do so. A bridge theme trip will I think require the buying of a Ladybird book of bridges, it would be good to brush up on the engineering involved and look at them in terms of loading and stresses and the different ways in which these problems are solved down the years. A bit of history will creep in as one finds out the oldest and newest bridges on the trip. And the rivers… I know that about 15 miles out of Aberystwyth I cross over a little stream, which I cross again here and there, it runs into the Wye which runs into the Severn, and here I am crossing it again to enter England. As you can see I like to sketch them to.
There are of course any number of things one can think off to theme a trip. I think I will perhaps start offering an extra service from my Guided Tours site at www.bikingandbirds.co.uk, for a small fee I will research and plan you a self-ride tour, though don’t expect me to give away all my favourite off the beaten track places.
Duncan Gough
Bridging the gap.
Ancient bridge to nowhere Rio Najerilla
Segovia’s roman aqueduct
Rio Najerilla
Zamora’s bridge over the mighty Duero
Footbridge to the ‘hanging houses’ of Cuenca