{"id":31737,"date":"2026-11-11T09:04:05","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T09:04:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/?post_type=bestemming&p=31737"},"modified":"2026-11-11T09:06:09","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T09:06:09","slug":"england","status":"publish","type":"bestemming","link":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/en\/bestemmingen\/verenigd-koninkrijk\/engeland","title":{"rendered":"England"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why cycle in England?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

England doesn\u2019t have Alpine passes, but it does have climbing that you won\u2019t soon forget: short, venomously steep and often with stunning views. In addition, you\u2019ll find rolling hills with villages of honey-colored stone, vast meadows, and an endless network of narrow country lanes and unpaved bridleways. And it\u2019s close by: with the night boat to Hull or Harwich, you\u2019ll be on your bike in the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most beautiful cycling areas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lake District<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Together with the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales, it is the most beautiful cycling area in England, and the steepest. Between the lakes and the fells lie Hardknott and Wrynose, the steepest roads in the country, and classics like Kirkstone Pass above Windermere. The climbs are short and treacherous, the views almost dramatic. In May, thousands of cyclists take part in the Fred Whitton Challenge, one of the toughest tours in England. And in July 2027, the second stage of the Tour de France will start in Keswick, towards Liverpool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Over the stone dam, with the lake and the fells in front of you<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Start your trip in Ambleside, for example at Copper Pot Caf\u00e9 (open from 09:30). Keswick is a typical Lake District town with plenty of places to have lunch, such as Merienda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Cyclist
Stone walls, wet roads and fell fields: typical of the Lake District<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
\"Cyclist
Rain is part of the experience, as are the views<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"Cyclist
Narrow roads through the forest between the lakes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
\"The
The fells disappear in the mist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Yorkshire Dales<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ten north-west of Leeds lies the Yorkshire Dales: green valleys, stone walls and rugged hills. The national park covers over 1,700 square kilometers, with good roads for the bike and plenty of unpaved terrain for gravel and bikepacking. The Buttertubs Pass is famous from the 2014 Tour de France, and the Kidstones Pass is also a classic. Sleep in Hawes or Bainbridge, where you can have a beer after the ride from the Yorkshire Dales Brewery. Read our story Enjoying cycling in Yorkshire: more than Harrogate<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peak District<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Peak District, the first national park in England in the 1950s, is located in Derbyshire between Manchester and Sheffield. In the north lies the rugged Dark Peak, with Kinder Scout (636 meters) as the highest point. In the south lies the lower White Peak, with limestone plateaus. The climbs have names to remember: Winnats Pass, Mam Tor, Snake Pass, the Cat and Fiddle, and Holme Moss, 4.7 kilometers at 7% with sections up to 14%, known from the 2014 Tour de France. For gravel there are car-free paths over old railway lines, such as at Tideswell and Millers Dale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bakewell (famous for the cake) is a nice start, at SUMMAT Caf\u00e9, with a group ride on Saturday at 9:00 am. In Hathersage you can have a good lunch. Read our story Cycling in the Peak District: peak hunting in England<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surrey Hills: cycling from London<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

South of London lie the Surrey Hills, which have become world famous since the 2012 Olympic Games. Box Hill, via the Zig Zag Road, is 2.5 kilometers at 5%: not a monster, but the region\u2019s most challenging climb, with a nice view at the top. Don\u2019t be fooled: a 60-kilometer round trip on Coldharbour Lane, Anstie Lane, and Leith Hill will take you up 1,000 meters. You start in Leatherhead or Dorking, about an hour from central London. In the city itself, you drive around in Richmond Park, a car-free loop of over 10 kilometers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read our stories Surrey: the cycling area south of London<\/a> and Cycling in London: our guide to a cycling weekend in the city<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The South Coast<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Along the south coast you drive over the chalk hills of the South Downs, with Ditchling Beacon in Sussex as the most famous climb: just under 10% average, with stretches up to 16% and on top views over the rolling countryside. Further to the west lies the New Forest, flat and wooded, with freely roaming ponies, and behind it the cliffs of the Jurassic Coast. Ideal if you come by boat via Harwich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Devon and Cornwall<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The southwest is rugged and steep. On Dartmoor and Exmoor you drive over open heather, along the coast the short, steep climbs from bay to bay follow one after the other. The north coast of Cornwall is one of the most beautiful and toughest stretches of England, with many meters of elevation per kilometer. Exmoor and the Quantock Hills are also beautiful on gravel. And right in the west lies Land\u2019s End, the starting point of the famous LEJOG<\/a> to John o\u2019Groats in Scotland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And more<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Cotswolds are ideal for relaxing bike rides from village to village, with honey-colored houses and a pub or tea house at every corner. The North York Moors have new gravel routes and are accessible by train. And along the Hadrian's Wall you cycle from coast to coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best climbing in England<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

English climbs are short but venomous. Box Hill is the most famous, but certainly not the hardest. A few that you should have ridden:<\/p>\n\n\n\n