Ruin at Pen Y Bryn Ruin at Pen Y Bryn. Photo: Nigel Williams / Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Open the interactive map → Map of NCN 5 - Thames Midlands North Wales

Official route · Sustrans

NCN 5 - Thames Midlands North Wales

589 km 2693 m climbing About 6 days 13% off road Road cycling Cotswolds & Chilterns

The route runs from the Thames valley north through the Cotswolds, across the Chilterns and up through the Midlands to North Wales, so the climbing comes in waves rather than as a single sustained haul.

Around thirteen percent of the surface is off road, enough to matter on a loaded bike. The line passes through Cannock Chase, where the character changes and the road quieter stretches give way to rougher ground.

The figures

Distance589 km
Climbing2693 m
Off road77 km, about 13% of the route
Riding timeabout 34 hours, roughly 6 days at a moderate pace
RegionCotswolds & Chilterns
Route fromSustrans

Worth knowing before you go

Cannock Chase is the most remote section and the least well served for resupply. The route is tagged as road, but that off-road fraction is worth checking against your tyre clearance before you leave.

Put your own dates on this and TourTrax splits it into days at your pace, finds somewhere to sleep at the end of each one, estimates what it will cost and gets you to the start without flying.

Plan this route → Download the GPX

Other route guides

NCN 5 - Thames Midlands North Wales is an official route from Sustrans (their website).