Gone for a Burton

Last Sunday saw the 6th edition of our summer 100 mile endurance off-road ride all the way to the Burton Dassett Hills inspired by the feed station on last year’s Solstice 100 ride (next Saturday from Northampton if anyone is up for it).

We set off at 6.30am at the top of the Brampton Valley way. Fortunately the day dawned bright after overnight rain, athough it was cool with a naggy southwesterly wind. Nothing would be muddy though after the weeks of dry weather. We headed south towards Pitsford Reservoir via a detour to the top of Haselbech Hill and round the back of Lamport Hall. Then we headed southwest in earnest. The first cafe stop was at Gasoline Juice in the Royal Ordnance Depot at Weedon Bec – an interesting slice of history where arms were manufactured for the Napoleonic wars and transported by canal (one on the list for further investigation).

We felt like old fashioned Tour de France riders on the next shop raid at Woodford Halse Co-op – although we did pay and red wine was avoided!

The Burton Dassett Hills feel very like an outlier of the Costwolds and we had views over the iconic Edge Hill, scene of many road racing attacks. Then we turned for home and had the wind at our backs.

Time for another shop raid at Braunston in lieu of the second cafe stop (no not the Leicester one with an “e”) before passing through Ashby St Ledgers where  the gunpowder plot was hatched.

Onto Crick for the classic run in towards Yelvertoft, but with a diversion via Winwick.

We then crossed the watershed – crossing the River Avon above Welford where it’s just a tiny stream before skirting the source of the River Welland above Sibbertoft.

We had another grand day out!