Day 8: May 25

Worcester to Ironbridge

74 km / 1050 m

Today is a relatively short ride following the River Severn north and passing through the old towns of Bewdley (stopping for a rest and a coffee down by the river) and Bridgenorth - time for further sustenance!  We pass through the small town of Much Wenlock, the place famous for the origins of the modern Olympic Games (the London 2012 Olympic mascot was called Wenlock!).  Our destination for the day is the "birthplace of the industrial revolution" - Ironbridge.

Another full day, although not particularly difficult.  I think we had a bit of a tailwind most of the way.  It took us a few miles to get out of Worcester.  Saw these lovelies waiting on an important letter, no doubt.

We still encountered some canal locks for the first few miles out of the city.

The first 20 miles were relatively flat, but we still got in a few rollers.

Peter was thinking that the smoke just to the left of centre might be from a steam train on its way to Bewdley.

I love these sections of road..........

I ran into a few of our riders stopped here.  I think maybe they were looking to upgrade their ride (or maybe just use the facilities).

There were a lot of caravan parks along our route today.  A vacation destination area perhaps?  Also - apparently it is a "bank holiday" long weekend so the roads were busy - bikes, motorcycles, convertibles, cars & trailers, etc.  And - everyone seemed to be in more of a hurry than we experienced during the week.  We were on main-ish roads quite a bit today so the traffic noise got a bit tiring after a while.  It also makes it more difficult to stop for pictures.  Not that I have a shortage by the end of the day.......

We had a lovely "tea break" spot in Bewdley at about 19 miles.  In addition to the nice park, there was a garden and a little outdoor museum which I thought was really well done. 

Soon after leaving tea break, we left Worcestershire and entered Shropshire.  Coincidentally (?) the day's climbing began.........

Beautiful forest for a while...........

Then the landscape opened up again, with villages or towns often visible in the distance.

Lots of ups and downs in the afternoon.  Inevitably there was a small creek to cross at the bottom of the down.  Hard to appreciate any beauty in the babbling brook when you know what comes next......

I went by a few fields with sheep clustered picturesquely in the shade beneath a tree.  The problem with sheep is, though, they scatter at the first sign of an approaching human.  In this case there were a few left by the time I got my camera out.  Mom looked pretty wary, but junior was hungry.

Next up - Much Wenlock, where we stopped at a restaurant for a bit of lunch.  We also took a look around - the town square, and the guildhall.

It was then a pretty easy (about) 10km in to Ironbridge.

As we approached the famous bridge we could see masses of people on the bridge deck.  Why?  Apparently this is WWII Weekend, and they were awaiting the overdue flypast of a Spitfire and a Lancaster.  Well - we found out later that the Spitfire crashed shortly after takeoff from RAF Coningsby, and the pilot was killed.  Very sad.....

I was really impressed with the number of people on the streets dressed in period clothing - either military or otherwise.  It was amazing to see everybody in the spirit.  After shower and chores I took a walk through Dale End Park and looked at all the exhibits before heading downtown for another look at the bridge. 

 

Not sure they had smartphones in the day.....

Excellent dinner at the hotel tonight.  Chance of some moisture tomorrow.  

Ironbridge:

Population:  2,600

The area around Ironbridge is promoted as the "Birthplace of the Industrial Revolution".  It was here that Abraham Darby perfected the art of smelting iron ore with coke in 1709, making it possible to mass-produce cast iron for the first time.  Abraham Darby's son, Abraham Darby II, invented a new forging process for producing single beams of iron, allowing Abraham Darby III to astound the world with the first-ever iron bridge, constructed in 1779.  The bridge remains the focal point of this World Heritage Site (1986), and 10 very different museums tell the story of the Industrial Revolution in the buildings where it took place.

Hotel:  Best Western Valley Hotel   www.thevalleyhotel.co.uk

Ah...Best Western Valley Hotel. A stunning retreat located in the breathtakingly beautiful World Heritage site of Ironbridge, just four miles from Telford. Words may not do the AA 3 star Georgian House justice, but when we tell you that the hotel overlooks the River Severn, is bordered by beautiful parkland, has 44 individual ensuite bedrooms, and full conference and banqueting facilities and lies within easy reach of museums and attractions that showcase this world famous area and its industrial heritage, the scene should be well and truly set! The 2 AA rosette awarded Chez Maw Restaurant offers a full á la carte menu with a selection of modern European cuisine, and offers views of the stunning valley (as does the adjoining bar area) to provide a unique and relaxing experience for all guests. Excellent service, award wining food in a fantastic location, make this hotel almost indescribable! Enjoy your stay.

Ride Stats:

74.5 km

1076 m (3530 feet)

The Route: