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The Great North Road

London to Edinburgh: 11 Days, 2 Wheels and 1 Ancient Highway

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About this listen

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.

In 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.
"Weaving the history of the old road with the colour and the characters of today, Steve proves that any journey is an adventure if you know where to look." - ALASTAIR HUMPHREYS

©2021 Steve Silk (P)2022 W F Howes Cycling Europe Great Britain Travel Writing & Commentary England Scotland

Critic reviews

"Weaving the history of the old road with the colour and the characters of today, Steve proves that any journey is an adventure if you know where to look." (Alastair Humphreys)
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Cycling from London to Edinburgh can take many routes and for any number of reasons - Steve Silk narrates his journey following a guidebook that recorded the coaching inns of the Great North Road. Comparing the landscape and history - battles, mercantile, social and economic - as he heads North on his bike.
It's a gentle, self aware commentary on part of the UK from a perspective not often covered as motorways and fast A roads have constructed more rapid and auster communications.
Useful for those interested in a long distance ride (or this one) and interesting in its own right - a quality addition to cycling literature.

London to Edinburgh with Coaching Inns!

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Thoroughly enjoyed this trip up the Great North Road. I’ve travelled the A1 nearly every month for the last 45 years and this gave me background to the place names I see. Good to have the narration by the author. Am sorry the journey has come to an end.

Enjoyable road trip

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Loved the detail of the journey . Also the precise account of the detours want to read it again

The wonderfully accurate and atmospheric account of a road that I have known and traveled for the last 60 years. Thank you

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I enjoyed both the story and narration by the author. As a child I was fascinated by the thought of a road which went from London to Scotland and over a few years, my parents would take weekends to travel a section, so bit by bit, I covered the route Steve followed. I also lived in Grantham for some years and was a regular user of the road to travel south. I was particularly interested in that section and saddened to learn of the demise of The Ram Jam, a favourite haunt in the 1970s for a fun night out. This is a road trip story, well told and filled with fascinating snippets. Steve has a keen eye for detail and a way with words that makes this an enjoyable and informed read/ listen.

Fascinating

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Steve is very easy listening and the book is great with plenty of detail and interesting facts with out getting too weighed down on things.

Good history and a fun recognising all the places along the route

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