LEJoG in June 2012 - camping?

Specific board for this popular undertaking.
nappy501
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LEJoG in June 2012 - camping?

Post by nappy501 »

Hi Everyone,

My daughter and myself are doing the above in 19 days. We want to camp. I have checked out the CTC information and it appears to be youth hostels or bed and breakfasts.

Can anyone recommend a suitable camping route? Or give me a link.

Thank you.
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robgul
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Re: LEJoG in June 2012 - camping?

Post by robgul »

Not a specific link ... but the Journals at www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk have loads of camping-centric stories ... and while you're there, why not list your ride in the calendar?

Rob
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HoECC http://www.heartofenglandcyclingclub.org.uk
Cytech accredited mechanic . . . and woodworker
EllieMay968
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Re: LEJoG in June 2012 - camping?

Post by EllieMay968 »

I don't think there is a specific camping guide to the route, although I may be wrong. I couldn't find one though, so I think you may have to plan your own. Have you a rough idea of the route you want to take?

There is a new Cicerone Lejog Guide out soon which should have some up to date information about campsites - out 15 March 2012 (just after mine :D )

Campsites I have used or noticed on various occasions (roughly north-south) include Bettyhill, Melvich - attached to the Halladale Inn, Dornoch Head, Inverness municipal, Fort William, Glencoe, Lochranza (Arran), Hesket Newmarket (northern lakes), Glenridding, Delamere, Bucknell (back of pub), Bishops Castle, Church Stretton, Grosmont in the Marches (was closed but we used the playing field with permission), Walnut Tree Farm, Winford, Priddy on Mendip. As for the south west - there's a campsite on every corner, no problem.

Also quite a few YHAs will also let you camp in the grounds and use their facilities.

There is one at JoG although I didn't use it - I went to Orkney and used the facilities at Pickacoy, Kirkwall which were tremendous - best appointed campsite I have ever come across!


Ellie
http://elliestravelstories.blogspot.com/
nappy501
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Re: LEJoG in June 2012 - camping?

Post by nappy501 »

robgul wrote:Not a specific link ... but the Journals at http://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk have loads of camping-centric stories ... and while you're there, why not list your ride in the calendar?

Rob


Thank you, I will take a look at that.

Regards
nappy501
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Re: LEJoG in June 2012 - camping?

Post by nappy501 »

EllieMay968 wrote:I don't think there is a specific camping guide to the route, although I may be wrong. I couldn't find one though, so I think you may have to plan your own. Have you a rough idea of the route you want to take?


I thought it was just me. I didn't want to reinvent the wheel. I am a member of CTC so I was hoping to find one in the maps section, but they didn't seem relevant.

We are doing it over 19 days, so we don't want A roads, not too windy or we will get lost. It would be nice if it isn't too hilly. I have looked at some previous posts, there is some good advice about towns and cities to miss out or routes to use.
There is a new Cicerone Lejog Guide out soon which should have some up to date information about campsites - out 15 March 2012 (just after mine :D )

Campsites I have used or noticed on various occasions (roughly north-south) include Bettyhill, Melvich - attached to the Halladale Inn, Dornoch Head, Inverness municipal, Fort William, Glencoe, Lochranza (Arran), Hesket Newmarket (northern lakes), Glenridding, Delamere, Bucknell (back of pub), Bishops Castle, Church Stretton, Grosmont in the Marches (was closed but we used the playing field with permission), Walnut Tree Farm, Winford, Priddy on Mendip. As for the south west - there's a campsite on every corner, no problem.


This will be a great help, thank you.

Also quite a few YHAs will also let you camp in the grounds and use their facilities.

There is one at JoG although I didn't use it - I went to Orkney and used the facilities at Pickacoy, Kirkwall which were tremendous - best appointed campsite I have ever come across!


Ellie
http://elliestravelstories.blogspot.com/


Thank you for your thoughts.

Regards
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robgul
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Re: LEJoG in June 2012 - camping?

Post by robgul »

Reality is that the number of routes for the E2E is almost infinite ... and potentially bizarre - e.g. the bloke who did it and only stayed at pubs called the Red Lion ... or the rider that visited all of the Premier League football grounds ...

There are number of established corridors that most riders will mix and match for whatever reason.

It really is a matter of taste - as the Journals I suggested make very clear .... whilst the CTC has a "pack" photocopies (and a long-awaited "guide book" that, AFAIK, has yet to emerge) as an organisation it's not in the business of prescribed routes as is (perhaps) Sustrans.

To me, much of the fun with the JOGLE and LEJOG (as well as other long-distance cycle journeys) was the planning and working out the route, stops, transport etc. - I started out with some lines on a map, bought a few guide books with routes and then blended my own route to suit .. rode JOGLE - then was persuaded to ride it the other way .. and used pretty much the same route. IF I did it again* I'd probably go to the east side of Scotland and via Bettyhill - rather than Glasgow - Fort William - Loch Ness - Dingwall - Helmsdale.

Rob

* I have an embryonic plan to do the double - leave home at Stratford-upon-Avon - ride to JOG - ride to LE - ride home again (negotiations for a kitchen pass have been opened.
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southamptonadi
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Re: LEJoG in June 2012 - camping?

Post by southamptonadi »

robgul wrote:To me, much of the fun with the JOGLE and LEJOG (as well as other long-distance cycle journeys) was the planning and working out the route, stops, transport etc. - I started out with some lines on a map, bought a few guide books with routes and then blended my own route to suit .. rode JOGLE - then was persuaded to ride it the other way .. and used pretty much the same route. IF I did it again* I'd probably go to the east side of Scotland and via Bettyhill - rather than Glasgow - Fort William - Loch Ness - Dingwall - Helmsdale.



+1 I too am doing the trip in june, camping and have spent the last two months stooped over the computer trying to absorb all the great info on this forum and with the uk campsite website and google maps have pretty much narrowed down the route, i have rather enjoyed plotting it all(the better half hasent though) and now cant wait to actually cycle the route.

ive stayed at the C&CC site at priddy and thought it was an excelent site but cycling up from wookey was a nightmare, i have tried so hard to avoid any hills like that on my e2e


EllieMay968 wrote:Campsites I have used or noticed on various occasions (roughly north-south) include Bettyhill, Melvich - attached to the Halladale Inn, Dornoch Head, Inverness municipal, Fort William, Glencoe, Lochranza (Arran), Hesket Newmarket (northern lakes), Glenridding, Delamere, Bucknell (back of pub), Bishops Castle, Church Stretton, Grosmont in the Marches (was closed but we used the playing field with permission), Walnut Tree Farm, Winford, Priddy on Mendip. As for the south west - there's a campsite on every corner, no problem.


ive stayed at the C&CC site at priddy and thought it was an excelent site but cycling up from wookey was a nightmare, i have tried so hard to avoid any hills like that on my e2e
EllieMay968
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Re: LEJoG in June 2012 - camping?

Post by EllieMay968 »

southamptonadi wrote:
+1 I too am doing the trip in june, camping and have spent the last two months stooped over the computer trying to absorb all the great info on this forum and with the uk campsite website and google maps have pretty much narrowed down the route, i have rather enjoyed plotting it all(the better half hasent though) and now cant wait to actually cycle the route.

ive stayed at the C&CC site at priddy and thought it was an excelent site but cycling up from wookey was a nightmare, i have tried so hard to avoid any hills like that on my e2e


Yes, I mentioned on another thread that hill is a sod. From the south I would only go up to Priddy via Cheddar - the climb up the gorge is steady but not terrible and the gorge is spectacular. Of course one could avoid hills altogether and stay in the campsite at Cheddar (or the YHA) and go up the Strawberry Line...

Ellie
http://elliestravelstories.blogspot.com/
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trogg
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Re: LEJoG in June 2012 - camping?

Post by trogg »

Hi, as 'southamptonadi' mentioned, the Uk campsites website is ideal when looking for camp-sites http://www.ukcampsites.co.uk/
Use the map search so you can see which ones are near to your chosen route... and don't forget to look at all the pages (number of pages are shown below map) as not all the camp sites will be listed on one page.

Good luck :wink:
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PW
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Re: LEJoG in June 2012 - camping?

Post by PW »

My mad JOGHome Scottish trip was no bother. In England I used the pages from the Phillips atlas which has campsites on it (AA doesn't) plus wild camping is legal in Scotland and there's no shortage of sites anyway. When I got the occasional drowning I B&Bd for a night to dry out. Over 830 miles that was at Ullapool, Kyle of Lochalsh and a place called Carsphaig in Dumphries & Galloway so it's hardly going to break the bank.
If at first you don't succeed - cheat!!
vernon
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Re: LEJoG in June 2012 - camping?

Post by vernon »

PW wrote:In England I used the pages from the Phillips atlas which has campsites on it (AA doesn't) plus wild camping is legal in Scotland and there's no shortage of sites anyway.


I too used the Phillips atlas for my LEJOG and JOGLE rides. It's not infallible. The occasional camp site turned out to be caravans only but it was good enough to plan a route around camp sites in England and Scotland.
EllieA
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Re: LEJoG in June 2012 - camping?

Post by EllieA »

Hello, our trip last year was almost exactly the same, we took 19 days and B&Bed in a few strategic places. It is definately do-able (if you can both get a decent sleep in a tent) but I'd say definately book a B and B for the start/finish or any city finishes. For example, we stayed in a premier inn in Warrington. We pre-booked our campsites for the first section JOG - Worcester (where we live) and had lists of campsites we had found with directions and addresses for the rest. Any questions about our trip please do ask :)
Naughton
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Re: LEJoG in June 2012 - camping?

Post by Naughton »

Phil Horsley's LEJOG book is (we found) excellent as a base. We ended up doing 1150 miles in 19 days and camping every '50' miles but with less miles in Devon and Cornwall - North Coast. Doing it with Philips map pages and a pre-written route and pre-booked campsites and with two B&B's suited us but it should be a persoanal balance of risk and planning and route to suit the individual. The isle of Arran is a wonderful part of the route and the Berridale Braes after Helmsdale and the wonderful restaurant in Dunbeath was a particular highlight with full camping load ! But three weeks alone with rural britain and a companion with whom to meet the many people en route is the true joy of cycling Lejog.
nappy501
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Re: LEJoG in June 2012 - camping?

Post by nappy501 »

robgul wrote:Not a specific link ... but the Journals at http://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk have loads of camping-centric stories ... and while you're there, why not list your ride in the calendar?

Rob


Hi Rob,

Just added it.
nappy501
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Re: LEJoG in June 2012 - camping?

Post by nappy501 »

EllieA wrote:Hello, our trip last year was almost exactly the same, we took 19 days and B&Bed in a few strategic places. It is definately do-able (if you can both get a decent sleep in a tent) but I'd say definately book a B and B for the start/finish or any city finishes. For example, we stayed in a premier inn in Warrington. We pre-booked our campsites for the first section JOG - Worcester (where we live) and had lists of campsites we had found with directions and addresses for the rest. Any questions about our trip please do ask :)


Yes, we are used to camping, as long as we are not cold. One night a couple of years ago at Studland Bay in June, my children had gone to bed at 9 pm and I was sat with the rest of the adults around the campfire. Just after midnight we felt the temperature drop. My children had started to wake up because it was so cold. I was in the tent throwing coats and beach blankets over them. When we checked the next day the temperature had dropped to just below zero, which is very unusual for June in the south, but it does happen.

Was your route very hilly?

We are planning to get off the sleeper train and cycle to Land's End and start riding. We were planning on using a sleeper train to come back from Scotland.
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