Marcher castle way route (bikepacking content)

Hi,

I did a search and couldn’t find anything on here about the new marcher castle way so thought id start a new post. It looks to me to be very similar to King Alfred’s Way which I really enjoyed

Has anyone ridden it yet?

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/UM3JjH347di6RtKR/

Sign up for the newsletter to get an email with the gpx

https://www.cyclinguk.org/routes/long-distance/marcher-castles-way

And a really good video here

Ive booked it in for may next year.

Cheers @damascus

I’m up for that in 2025.

We’re thinking about it for 2025, after KAW on cross bikes in the wet in September just gone, with tents.  Looking to drop the weight and do pubs. Probably hit it on the bouncer TBH, or go ultra light on the CX with mud tyres.  It were hard on the CX bikes with gravel tyres on sticky mud and slippy chalk, bodged pannier mounts and too much stuff that was wet as it rained each night (tent packed wet). 3 days, one set of civvy clothes, warm weather.

Shrewsbury is within two hours from us, even with traffic. Only 85 miles away, and there is a train service from Manchester.

Looks good but there’s only so many times you can listen to Guy Kesterven saying ‘bee-yoo-tiful’

Still got pins and needles in hands after KAW – the canti brakes, even rear only, would control the speed and stop, but the pressure is loads more than using hydraulic disks – it was too much over four days.

PS It’s “brand new”, just been publicised today from what I can gather !

there’s only so many times you can listen to Guy Kesterven saying ‘bee-yoo-tiful’

I love history, roman stuff, castles, burial chambers, hill forts, henges etc and he points them all out so I put up with it. I think his videos are far better than most. Hopefully keep smiling adventures will cover it shortly.

It’s “brand new”, just been publicised today

Yes, looks that way, the route guy did in the video is different to the official route as it was over grown and a bit hikabike in places. Sounds a bit rushed. Hopefully it won’t have the same problems as the other routes they’ve done recently with access issues.

 It were hard on the CX bikes with gravel tyres on

Having watched the video it does look like there are some good hills so you need good gearing if your carrying gear. I think I’ll still be doing it on a rigid mtb with very fast rolling tyres.

At 19m51s on this video the track splits. Guy takes the right track and the descent looks great but he says after riding it, they decided to change the route to keep left snd go straight on and descend down the road. Does anyone with local knowledge know where this is and got some directions where the good descent brings you out? Thanks

@damascus He forks right a mile or so north of the summit of the Mynd, to drop down what’s marked on some maps as Motts Road. It takes you down into the Cardingmill Valley (National Trust centre, cafe, carparks etc) then emerges on the main road through Ch Stretton. To get to the town from there, turn right.

If he’d not turned right, he’d ikely have carried on along the Portway towards the road past Jinlye cottage, probably on what is a very fast grassy descent, then dropped down  into Gogbatch above All Stretton.

Interesting, definitely be looking at doing this.

Havent ridden the area before; any ideas on how weather proof the route is?

Did KAW camping with the family last summer, looks like this might be a good option for next summer

At 19.51 he drops down the Carding Mill valley (Jack Mytton Way) route which is tricky in sections.  If he takes the left instead and heads towards the road, then I think thats a bridleway parallel along the Shropshire Way, then I would say down Plush Hill and into Woodnall, then right at All Stretton and onto Church Stretton.  This IMO is better than the Carding Mill way down.