The Great North Road : London to Edinburgh – 11 Days, 2 Wheels and 1 Ancient Highway

Author: N/A

United Kingdom, Great Britain

Published on 1 January 1800 by Octopus Publishing Group (Summersdale Publishers) in the United Kingdom.

Other | 256 pages
429 x 218 x 22 | 216g

The Great North Road is Britain's Route 66 - we've just forgotten how to sing its praisesIn 1921, Britain's most illustrious highway, the Great North Road, ceased to exist - on paper at least. Stretching from London to Edinburgh, the old road was largely replaced by the A1 as the era of the motor car took hold.

A hundred years later, journalist and cyclist Steve Silk embraces the anniversary as the perfect excuse to set off on an adventure across 11 days and 400 miles. Travelling by bike at a stately 14 miles per hour, he heads north, searching out milestones and memories, coaching inns and coffee shops.

Seen from a saddle rather than a car seat, the towns and the countryside of England and Scotland reveal traces of Britain's remarkable past and glimpses of its future. Instead of the familiar service stations and tourist hotspots, Steve tracks down the forgotten treasures of this ancient highway between the two capitals.

The Great North Road is a journey as satisfying for the armchair traveller as the long-distance cyclist. Enriched with history, humour and insight, it's a tribute to Britain and the endless appeal of the open road.