100 Climbs Route: Day 27, Ironbridge to Lechlade-on-Thames

In August 2018, three Cycling UK members - Dominic Millar, Graham Salisbury and James Findlater – cycled a 3,300-mile, 29-day route around Britain to take on all 100 hills featured in Simon Warren’s book ‘100 Greatest Cycling Climbs’. This route plots day 27 of the journey, 129 miles from Ironbridge to Lechlade-on-Thames, taking in the climbs of The Burway and Dover’s Hill.

There’s no let up in distance today with another ‘best-part-of-130-miler’. And while there are only two official climbs on today’s route, there’s also no shortage of lumpy terrain with visits to the Shropshire Hills, the Malverns and the Cotswolds all on the menu.

First, head south-west to Much Wenlock and onwards into the Shropshire Hills. There’s just enough opportunity to get your climbing legs warmed up by the time you reach Church Stretton for the first test: The Burway, taking you up onto ‘The Longmyd’. With sections of 20% and nasty-looking drops to the side, this is one for riders with both fitness and courage.

After sampling some more delights in the Shropshire Hills, it’s time to head south-east, past the historic town of Ludlow and on towards the Malverns. Ride through Droitwich Spa and around the northern tip of Evesham before entering the Cotswolds at Weston-sub-Edge.

There’s no time to admire the beautiful Cotswold scenery, though - immediately after Weston starts the climb of Dover’s Hill. This climb has been used for the National Hill Climb Championships on multiple occasions, so it’s not easy. But with a maximum gradient of 14% and enough picture postcard scenery to distract, you, it’s not impossible either.

Continue to the pretty market town of Chipping Camden if you need supplies or refreshments. Otherwise, continue south past Broadway Tower to pretty Bourton-on-the-Water (also know as 'The Venice of the Cotswolds'), the Barringtons, and finish at Lechlade-on-Thames.