Day seven: Gloucester to Kidderminster

The bumpy paths and heavy loads are taking their toll on the bikes, and Mark has popped a spoke. So our first stop will be at the bike shop in Gloucester. It’s a 7-odd mile ride along the Gloucester-Sharpness canal, and it’s a bright morning, and the towpath has a good surface this time so we are flying along. The docks emerge slowly and there are old warehouses, lift bridges and a lightship, as well as a Wetherspoons in an old dockside building, which we use for breakfast while we wait for the bike shop to open.

It doesn’t take long to fix the spoke, and we’re joined at the shop by another Ian, bringing our Ian count up to three. This Ian lives near Kidderminster so once he’s ridden us almost all of the way there, he’ll turn for home.

It’s quite a long day and I’d anticipated a hilly ride, but the hills are undulating rather than steep and it’s much easier than we thought. That’s definitely the right way around: better to anticipate a hard day and for it to be easy, than to think it’s going to be easy and for it to be hard. 

It feels appropriate to be following the Severn on our seventh day, and we wander through the river valley towards Upton upon Severn where we have coffee and cake at a bakery. The high street is lined with Tudor buildings, and there’s an old church tower with a lantern on the top like a crown, known to locals as ‘the Pepperpot’. It’s all extremely pretty. One of the advantages of exploring by bike is that we need to stop a lot for food, so we get to discover these charming places.

Most of the time we’re navigating using Google Maps, then checking this against our Ordnance Survey apps to see what the roads might be like. But nothing beats having a local guide. Ian takes us into Worcester on a fabulous route, along tiny hidden roads and through astoundingly pretty settlements. The approach to Worcester takes us beside a canal basin and through the old industrial streets where chimney stacks rise to the sky – more industrial and maritime heritage. Our lunch spot is right next to the porcelain works and the Museum of Royal Worcester, which celebrates the porcelain and ceramics history of the town.

In Worcester we collect another rider, Shivaji, then take another delightful route out of the city, along the river, past the cathedral, through the racecourse and into the hills. After a single stiff climb we are soaring along the ridge, on roads which barely see any traffic, with the Malverns to our left and the Wyre forest in the distance. The sun is strong but it’s not too hot. We couldn’t have asked for a better afternoon.

Ian leaves us just before Kidderminster (which he has informed us should actually be called Kiddy). He had wondered if he should even come today – you definitely take a chance when you spend the whole day riding with strangers. But I’m so glad he did, not just for the fabulous route finding and the interesting company, but the different perspective he and all our ‘day trippers’ have brought. Every person had a different knowledge of Tim, and unique interactions, and that’s why we’re here: to pay tribute to the man who touched so many people’s lives without knowing it.

The day ends as it started: on the canal, this time the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal, meaning our canal count now outnumbers our Ian count. One night in a real bed as a reward for surviving seven days on the road. One week down, two weeks to go.

Stats for the day: 100km riding, 623m climbing

Accommodation: A night off the tents, so we’ve all taken separate digs.