BikingBridges

BikingBridges, a set on Flickr.

Bridge 20 of 20 - the Sound Bridge, Kenmore with other Kerry Bridges on the way.

Mission accomplished!  I have now biked 20 bridges, with quite a lot of others thrown in along the way.  I have had great fun, had the company of great people and was able to talk to lots of new people about the Mamie Martin Fund.


For the final bridge I went to Ireland.  With my sister and two close friends we started at Ross Castle in Killarney where we travelled the first section by boat, with the bikes. We crossed Lough Leane, stopping briefly at Inisfallen, and then went under Brickeen bridge to the Muckross Lake. Our boatman, Robbie, skillfully navigated between the rocks, where the water was very low.  Then we went through the Meeting of the Waters and up to The Old Weir Bridge, where we had to get out of the boat and pull it against the current to the other side.  


Robbie had assumed that he picked the short straw getting four women passengers with their bikes but we proved our worth so well that he changed from calling us 'Maam' to 'girls'.  This might not be an improvement in normal circumstances but indicated acceptance in this situation. 

We motored up the 'Long Range'' for five miles before reaching  The Upper Lake and our destination, 'Lord Brandon's Cottage'.  So many of the places around Killarney are leftover from the British occupation that  it feels quite weird when you are not used to it.

Support team at top of Gap

After a lovely lunch we laboriously cycled/pushed our way up to the Gap of Dunloe and took a victorious photo at the top.  At this stage we had long been overtaken by a walking group going the same route.  But victory was ours as we freewheeled all the way down the other side.  Even allowing for stopping to take photos at each bridge we crossed, we still beat them to Kate Kearney's Cottage, even if only just!


After a well-deserved refreshment we cycled the remaining 8 miles to our starting point, braving the scariest road situation which I have ever cycled.  If on a bike between Fossa and Killarney, be very careful and think about just walking, although even that is dangerous on that road.  It's the nonsense of the random bike lane markings which make is so dangerous.  I was far too terrified to take a pic.

The Sound Bridge in Kenmare

We headed off to Kenmare for the evening and that's a lovely town to visit if you are in the area.  Next morning, half the support team left to get on with their weekends and Eilish and I went out to the 'Sound Bridge' which I duly biked.  I think the story of it being 'sound' as opposed to 'unsound' is a bit of blarney, because that stretch of water was marked as a sound on the map and the nearby road is called the 'Sound Road'.  There is a lovely stone sculpture of a musician group nearby.

So that's the completion of this project.  Thanks to everyone who supported in a wide range of ways.  Check my donations page for updated information on the total raised - it is not quite complete as yet.

Bridge 19 - The Humber Bridge

Isn't it long?

This extraordinary bridge spans the River Humber, linking the English counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.  It is very long - was, until very recently, the longest single span bridge in the world. I understand that China now has a longer span bridge.  The bridge is 2.2 kilometres long - 1.4 miles.  That's pretty long.

Support team (missing Janet)

Image courtesy of Neil Holmes Photography

There's a lovely country park/nature reserve below it on the North side and the mudflats of that estuary are important in terms of birds, seals and plants.  The park is particularly noted for the range of butterflies as well as for important birds and for bats.  The area is not noted for coffee shops although we were grateful for the burger stand which supplied us with same on the way there and back.  There had been a nice coffee place ('Mrs B's') but Mrs B became ill and the Council will only offer a one-year lease so no-one feels able to take on the setting up of another one.  This is amazing given the huge number of people who come there to walk or cycle across the bridge or to explore the park and shoreline.  There are two huge car parks and the only refreshments available are this burger stand.  Hard for me to understand, given my priorities for a day out!

Image courtesy of Neil Homes Photography

Thanks to Janet for this pic

Anyway, back to the bridge-biking.  I was thrilled by the support of Richard Bearman, a Green Councillor from Norwich, who came up from Norwich with his wife to cross this bridge with me.  He had chummed me, and provided chocolate brownies, on Bridge 8, Nottingham's River Trent. Travelling all this way after a late-night birthday party (his 60th) is real dedication to our cause - thanks Richard and Janet. Janet walked across and took photos at the other end.


Jon Bolton, a colleague from Scotland, came by with his family to support the crossing and brought his friend, Neil Holmes. Neil is a professional photographer and very generously took great shots of us with the bridge behind.  I was so impressed that he knew exactly the best place for photos.  He even enlisted some passing cyclists to add ambience to the shoot.  It felt a bit like getting married so it was probably best that Richard's wife had gone on ahead to walk across the bridge :-).

Off we went, again a pair on Brompton bikes.  I am told that the collective noun for Bromptons is a 'fold'.  I love that.  Thanks again to everyone involved in this lovely outing.

Bridge 18 - Crossing the Tyne - the Newcastle Bridges, England

With Alan on the 'Eye'

All four bridges biked

I was lucky to have the support of Alan Brice, the manager of the Freedom from Torture centre in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, for the crossing of the Tyne.  Newcastle has six large bridges, four of which were cycle-able and we did all four on Saturday 20th July.  Reasonably we were unable to cycle across the rail bridge or the motorway bridge.

I came down by train and we started our adventure with coffee at the Pink Lane, an independent café with great coffee, lovely flapjacks and better service!  All so wonderful that we came back there for lunch.  It's just across the road from the train station so do check it out when you are next in Newcastle.

The High-Level Bridge

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Swing Bridge

The High-Level Bridge  is a beautiful structure.  The motorway bridge is now higher but this was named because it is higher than the Tyne Bridge which is the oldest of the bridges, I suppose.  Alan gave me a wealth of information about all these bridges but I was too engrossed in the fun to retain the detail.

All bridge-biking involves a cafe!

We met some very interesting people as we biked around the city. Folk were interested in our Brompton bikes - we looked a bit like a comic duo but they (the bikes) are highly efficient and Alan has travelled the length of the country (UK) on his as well as the London to Paris ride.

Our lovely interlude finished where it started - the Pink Lane Café where the staff allowed us to bring our precious Bromptons in and were interested in our project.  Thanks!

The final push

This bike has done 16 of the 17 so far and is being rested now.

I am nearly finished now, though suspect that I have become addicted.  This is what is happening over the next two weeks:

The Newcastle Bridges - July 20th with Alan Brice from Freedom from Torture. 

The Humber Bridge, the longest single span bridge (1.4 miles) in the UK - to be biked 21st July with Richard Bearman, Jon Bolton and friends.

The Sound Bridge in Kenmare, Co Kerry.  Well, the locals call it that. You might think it's something to do with a whistle or some such sound that the bridge will make when the wind blows.  Wrong!  It's the sound bridge, as opposed to the unsound bridge that was swept away in bad weather.   26th July with Eilish Roche to whom I am indebted for that description!

Bridge 17 - The Bridge over the Atlantic

Bridge over the Altantic

After the Connel Bridge we chose a single-track back road through 'undulating' countryside to Kilmore, south of Oban. When the owner of a Range Rover tells you that a road is 'undulating' be afraid - be very afraid! While it was challenging, it was mostly a lovely road and nicer than having to navigate the Oban metropolis and the big hill out of it. Where the landscape was open it felt quite safe as we could see approaching traffic and take evasive action in good time.

Steep enough!

The scariest moment of the whole trip happened just before a blind corner when a Jewson's delivery lorry came around far too fast. I had thought that I had seen something so paused just before the bend. It came around at speed and took up the whole road width. As it braked on spotting us (good to have the new high-vis shirt) the fixings on the load came undone and a length of wood flew by me as if it was plastic. No harm done though I didn't consider that the load was particularly safe as he belted off over the 'undulating' countryside.

Success! 

Couldn't ask for better lodgings

There were a few miles on the 'main road' before turning off for Seil Island.  By now the sun was shining and I (at least) was glad I had packed suncream.  Bill is not afraid of sunstroke, of course, so took his chances without it. When we arrived at the Bridge over the Atlantic it was quite as stunning as people had said. It's a steep bridge, especially when you've just cycled nearly 40 'undulating' miles.

We stayed at the very comfortable and highly commendable Tigh-an-Truish Inn where we had good food and a well-deserved sound sleep before heading back to Oban for the easy way home - by train. It was an amazing trip and I just need to find another excuse to do something like it again next midsummer.

Bridge 16 - The Connel Bridge

Getting on the ferry to Mallaig

Steam train at Glenfinnan

Day two of the trip started with the first ferry to Mallaig.  Bill doesn't normally acknowledge that 9.30 am exists so for him to look so cheerful must have been a big effort, particularly given that it was a Sunday.
From Mallaig we took the train to Glenfinnan where the steam train had stopped for photos, or perhaps for coal and water! Resisting the temptation to explore Glenfinnan we set off - it was almost noon by the time I'd had my coffee and we hadn't cycled more than half a mile yet.

On the Corran Ferry

Fortwilliam in the background

After four miles on the 'main' road we had a wonderful 20 miles on single track road by the loch.  It was calm and scenic and just quite magic. If all cycling could be like this, everyone would cycle.  At the end of that gorgeous run we took the little Corran Ferry where passengers and bikes were free.

Not much of a bridge - sorry!

In no time at all we were on the A82.  Enough said.  At least there was a footpath for the specially scary bit from Corran to Ballachulish.  There was a bridge there but I didn't think it merited being counted.  We took a pic anyway as it becomes a habit to take pictures of bridges and to cycle over them. 

Creagan Bridge

Braving the Connel Bridge

From Ballachulish we were on the wonderful Sustrans' 'Caledonia Way' which they are trying to create from Oban to Fortwilliam.  The parts that are complete are lovely and we had a nice short ride down to Kentallen, where we met friends of Bill's (he knows someone everywhere) at the Holly Tree Hotel and had a well-earned drink.  Setting off the remaining three miles to our B&B, we didn't realise that this was the only eating place for a long way.  However, the B&B was lovely and the hostess drove us and our bikes back to the eatery after we had showered and put on our other set of (dirty) clothes.  A nice meal and a wonderful sunset later, the distance back to our B&B in Cuil Bay didn't seem much at all.

The next day we biked the Creagan Bridge after a great coffee stop at the Creagan Inn  The coffee and scones were more impressive than the bridge, which looks better in this pic than it did that day.  Clearly I am getting very picky about my bridges at this stage.  

Connel Bridge - not so smiley in that traffic!

Well, the Connel Bridge did not disappoint, although the traffic was a bit scary. The 'Falls of Lora' below it are impressive.  The tide starts to go out before it has fully come in and vice versa, creating a flat area of 'falls'. 

That was three bridges in a day and our next objective was the famous Bridge of the Atlantic.