Bikepacking Cycling UK’s NEW Marcher Castles Way – Final Day

THE MARCHER CASTLES WAY : https://ridewithgps.com/trips/279062334
A 290km/180-mile off-road adventure filled with stunning beauty and rich history of the English-Welsh border

At the beginning of May 2025 it was time to head out on Cycling UK’s Brand New Bikepacking route the Marcher Castles Way. The route was announced in the Autumn of 2024 and it was much anticipation I finally got to ride the entire route over the early May bank holiday. Joined by a couple of friends, Brandon and Adi; our challenge was to complete the Marcher Castles Way of 3 days of the long bank holiday weekend.

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Marcher Castles Way offers a perfect blend of challenge, reward, culture and natural beauty; making it an exciting adventure for cyclists. While it may not feature the towering peaks of Traws Eryri or the length of the Great North Trail, this route brings its own unique tests.

Starting in the historic town of Shrewsbury, you’re immediately immersed in rich history and beautiful scenery, from the Roman ruins at Wroxeter to the industrial heritage of Ironbridge. As you leave Ironbridge, the hills begin to rise, with steady climbs and rolling terrain. Each climb rewards you with breath-taking views, from the mythic Wenlock Edge to the Clee Hills, offering panoramic views across Wales and England.

The beauty of Marcher Castles Way isn’t just in its historical landmarks and scenic trails, but also in the physical challenge it presents. The constant hills and gradual climbs make it a ride that will keep you engaged from start to finish. Setting achievable daily goals will allow you to truly enjoy the journey, taking in the landscapes, ancient castles, and quiet countryside at your own pace. Embrace the challenge, and you’ll find Marcher Castles Way a truly rewarding experience.

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– Cycling gear –
Coros Dura Bike Computer
Tailfin Top Bag
Tailfin Aeropack + Carbon Rack
RedShift Quick Release Aero Bars
Redshift Suspension seat post and Stem
Charge Spoon (saddle)

– Bivvy / Camping gear –
Naturehike Mongar 2 Person Tent – https://amzn.to/3ColHBZ
Hunka XL Bivvy Bag – https://alpkit.com/products/hunka-xl?variant=41470529667177
UL80 Trekology Sleeping Pad – https://amzn.to/3ZGQLtT
Traveller 50 Lightweight Sleeping Bag – https://www.mountainwarehouse.com/traveller-50-lightweight-summer-sleeping-bag-p13098.aspx/yellow/
Sea to Summit Reactor Plus Compact Themolite Mummy Liner – https://amzn.to/3SUMUDk
Down Cargo Pants – https://amzn.to/4ibpRBr
Down Boots – https://amzn.to/41c7zd1

– Video / Audio gear –
DJI Action 4 – https://amzn.to/3QpekT7
HoverAir X1 – Self Flying Drone – https://uk.thehover.com/
Camera Windshield Housing : https://amzn.to/2KBy6vb

// Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/8627950
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// SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/richard-lake-5

#bikepacking #marchercastle #cyclinguk

Contact me: richardlake45@gmail.com

well good morning folks welcome to day three bike packing the March March Castle’s way it is rather chilly this morning very cold yeah I’m reluctant to get out me bag i’m reluctant to get out my sleeping bag but I do need to uh take care of business [Music] [Applause] [Music] trying to do all this in my sleeping bag it is cold so I’m I’m in charge of my porridge and we got AD boiling some waters for some coffee so that’s taken care of yep got a bit of mess around me not that eager to move slowly slowly this was our hotel for the evening this is my living room toilet was up over there somewhere [Music] hey view [Music] [Music] final day is underway and it is a very cold one i think we got out to about 3° last night if they call it to the weather man Brandon the weather man and my ends my fingers are freezing uh it’s May believe it or not hit that anyway so what are you saying where we slept last time is going to be a another stone circle so what was Mitchell’s fold circle this place is Mitchell’s fold all right the stone circle it was Phil and Grant was it [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] this camera work is sometimes very difficult especially when it’s like that you can’t ride that but me Tank’s been over it it’s like waves so sent a picture there i don’t know if you see on the ridge line there that’s our next destination later on this morning that’s the Stiper Stones we’re going to be running all the way across there sun’s out it’s very cold though just popped past a guy in his jeep and he was like you know British thing you talk about the way of notice straight away as you’re going uphill you know go further further back and he said it was like 6° i’m like yeah more like three it’s very cold it’s just been shoving my uh hands in my pocket just to uh you know warm up a little bit off I go again you know I never thought I’d find a use for wearing this Albian jacket in May but it’s a godsend especially down the hills oh it might be my uh in my essential kit i think it is it’s I’ve taken on a few trips but this is lush this is brilliant i wish I could show you that descent i did have me full camera on if I can remember to play the right clip but uh yeah there’s been some beautiful descents in this i’m sure you’ve seen a few for yourself and I’m looking forward to uh watching them back with you so Cyber Stones is actually a lot closer before just heading to a place called Snail Beach there’s no beach and I’m pretty sure snails aren’t a problem so I’ll mine in here in Snail Beach back in the day when they used to mine snails you see the snail carrier in the middle of the picture there they used to drag them up from the ground [Music] [Music] [Music] it’s a giant climb Now up out the snow beach as we went towards the stab zones i wish I could have told you more about the the mines there but need to catch the guys up so no Wikipedia today it’s been a beautiful ride so far i’m sure Brandon or Edy will say the same science moments bit of a challenge at times but altogether lots of fun certainly not one of Cycling UK’s easy routes so if you’ve not been a bike packing adventure before this might not be might not be a good place to start if I was starting out bike packing uh okay it depends where you live I guess but I’d think about Rebellion Way Wolf Way and King Alfred’s Way there would be the three we had to think about starting with first as for gravel bike or mountain bike well as you’ve seen we’ve all done it on gravel bikes this weekend and yep it has been a little bit difficult at times for sure uh but that’s probably more down to gearing and the fact you know we’re going fully laiden sleeping outdoors taking taking camping gear you don’t have to do the same tell you what what do you want to do might want to go to the lightweight option going to take minimum gear book bs B&Bs in advance which I definitely do this is a tough climb brandon I’m sure I say his name cuz I’m sure he’s taking this way on Lord Axe hope you enjoy the extra footage guys because I’ve got cuz no one’s with me i’m having to open the gates for myself now so where’s this welcome to the Holl trees within trees that don’t make sense so um these holly trees uh they reckon they’re about 400 years old which I’m assuming is very old for for holly trees but see how this is actually bent over it’s hard for any old tree is it it is keep it PG keep it PG yeah yeah yeah no it’s uh it is it’s There’s a number of them around here which I think is quite spectacular because they’ve actually put a sign at the bottom so I don’t know a massive amount about holly trees but well if anybody wants to uh find out a little bit more just wind back about 10 seconds and you’ll see the picture of the sign that’s it this one’s called Buddy isn’t it is it yeah buddy Holly no folks folks folks folks there’s been so many jokes this weekend but I’m trying to trying to keep it bad jokes but trying to keep it PG rather than X-rated lots of bad jokes yeah good job wy clean jokes that you can share with the viewers right now i don’t on the spot you’ve been telling jokes just here all day but now the camera’s in your face none of them are clean yeah none of them are clean yeah oh god yeah yeah we’re talking uh Yeah what’s the guy with the big old hat what’s the guy chubby brown we’re talking chubby brown chubby brown standard yeah anyway yeah so these are Holly trees aren’t they trees within trees yeah so I say it’s um Yeah very pretty isn’t it should I get moving it’s chilly yeah yeah wind’s uh wind’s got a chill to it this morning i’ve taken me coat off cuz I coming up the hill so it better get going yeah chase Brandon down yeah yeah won’t take us long he’s holding that gate for me again thanks Mule you don’t see many of them dear fire beaters these days like paddles yeah used for damping putting fires out if there’s wildfires wildfires yeah i say if you have a really really have a call like before and you really really must go that’s it bury it somewhere yeah it’s all right got it yeah give me one of those [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] the the rocks in the distance i don’t know whe Can you see them from there they’re they’re the stiper stones wow so uh that did you say that’s a burial mound of the gravel riders that’s it yeah last gravel riders through was uh was there that’s that’s as far as he made it [Music] [Music] [Music] hey hey so the final hopefully the final hike for this trip yeah so pushing up the final bit it’s all broken road road closer at the bottom grass running through the middle can you see it i turn the camera down towards the road a bit perhaps you can catch it really nice road we have less than 700 m back to our Shrewsby next stop is a church strutting i boil some water have some lunch this is good for sex here it’s the long minge long ming very good is it yeah it looks like long mind long mind mind is pronounced oh long mind do not leave litter lightning fires or damaged trees or plants to keep your dogs under close control and Ordax is I I love the path must ride yeah it’s a bit rough isn’t it yeah just a little bit it’s Yeah I don’t think that’s ridable on a gravel bike with um pas on i think be tricky on a mountain bike just m the math [Music] what an exciting weekend that has been it’s been really really [Music] good [Music] [Music] heat heat [Music] heat heat heat [Music] heat [Music] heat heat so ad um you know I’m going to ask Go on why’d you bring Oh wow why’d you bring some jet so many gels if you tend to easily just just insurance um Yeah I was going to show you on this table but you put them away now but they came out with like four four gels four gels yeah just just in case you never know when you might need them but three days four gels i thought I might need them towards the end of the day if we’re pushing on a bit but uh I haven’t needed them no they don’t and uh we’re just in the Holly Bush just in the Holly Bush Cafe now and having a small breakfast of course deprived of small breakfast we’ve all got different kind of cake school cake victoria sponge victoria sponge okay so anyway so it’s um I’m serious [Music] it’s brilliant really really good that last bit was a bit treacherous wasn’t it yeah yeah it really was after the after the board flew over straight down it just went straight down off a cliff face didn’t it yeah literally down a cliff yeah it really was and if full on full suspension mountain bike you would have been all right but fully loaded gravel bike sugar no no I’m all right yeah it was a bit tricky that it was what should What What would you say what’s been your favorite moment of the of the weekend oo favorite moment oh god there’s there’s been a lot hasn’t there there’s been it’s been some great great roots not sunken yet no just trying to think i mean coming down from the top there up until we got to the boardwalk was brilliant wasn’t it that was lovely that was and across the top of um uh the long men was was beautiful yeah it was it was a long climb up there was it it was a bit of a walk there but I think honestly I think the the best the best part of it from the long men there you can see more or less everywhere that you’ve that you’ve been where you started day one what you left behind day two you know and day three as well so w that bit yeah so I’ll ask you the same question then how many gels did you did you eat how many what gels gels they hadn’t had any gels what’s your opinion of people off jails oh I think they have the place you know if they get you that last 10k to your next control worth 100 pound aren’t they you know when you’re on your knees they just It’s just bit of a lifesaver is it yes what What did you finish think to the actual route itself then the route so far i think it’s bad for me it’s nearly over isn’t it near can’t believe can’t believe it’s nearly over yeah yes there’s lots of bits that I wouldn’t have filmed but again who cares what I think you know there’s the bits that I didn’t like there’ll be people that love and you just got to take the root as it is and ride it yeah did you have favorite what was I probably too soon to think of the question same question as what what’s your favorite moment oh just spending time with Richard Lake really yeah well yeah totally 2 and a half days immersed you know we we know everything about Ricky Lake now wild camping was good fun wasn’t it yeah yeah yeah that was It’s been a real adventure hasn’t it yeah it has good the wild camping shame it was so cold last night it would have been more comfortable if it wasn’t it’s been so dry you know the the whole trail’s been dry yeah you imagine doing that on a wet weekend after it’s rained for raining for 3 weeks and that sometimes made it quite tough didn’t it cuz it was so dry yeah it made it very bumpy in places but also I think that if it’s been raining you’ve got to be prepared to to hike a load of It’s going to be a tough slog ain’t it so what what what have you ordered here i’ve ordered English breakfast yeah i’ve had a veggie breakfast piece of cake i’ve had a bacon bree and cranberry panini oh lovely so let’s turn let’s uh turn the camera off shall we and just a talk into a breakfast and celebrate C’s way what a fantastic bike packing adventure it’s been it’s been a been a real advantage left to go 35k still yeah could there could be some uh who knows what’s up next we must be at the top now [Music] we see where he’s going [Music] i’ll go get the gate hey what there’s a thing halfway down it you pull and it releases it yeah okay so uh I’ve taken over the filming on the March Castle’s way because there’s a Cheers thank you we We’ve got a puncher all right okay catch you in a bit we got to we got to punch it so hopefully a bit of tape yeah a bit of sidewall damage isn’t it yeah pinch the sidewall we had a punch on day one which was a great big sort of flint wasn’t it yeah got straight through the uh sidewall looked like an arrow head and it pinched the sidewall as well as the tread so we’re hoping this will do it so we got this really good pump yeah Brandon’s uh lent him a pump we can use that to get it going and I’m going to use the electric one just to top it up top it up but not a bad place to have a have a puncher we just uh put a bit more tape on there actually come up come up one of the last hills of the ride brandon’s just rolled on as soon as there’s the last hill as well I’m just could put an extra bit of tape on before we go we’ve only got what about 20 something K left to do yeah I reckon so so hopefully it’s uh it will hold out till the end any sponsors like to donate a new tire to Ricky there we go look at that it’s incredible incredible [Music] reach out to AD for waiting just had more tire issues just to uh take the tape off and put it on again it’s uh it lost its stickiness due to some puddles and Fords so no more getting the tire wet rolling in our last 5k to go that tire is just holding out just uh I’ve run out of tape and just wrapped it all the way around the tire and the wheel and put sort of 40 PSI in so just kind of limping towards the end now it’s amazing how it’s just held all the way through but what disturbed it was going through some puddles and things it’s a tape losses adhesiveness nearly done not far to go now i would put my uh front camera on but the battery is running dead but I’ll describe it to you we’re going along an old disused railway lines there’s 2.5 km to go so nearly done and then I’ve got to limp 3 miles back to the van what do we think to it guys very good i’m glad i’m glad I’ve done it i wouldn’t do it again uh if I did I’ I’d take out the bits I didn’t like tough tough ride go around the cat park tough ride i mean we’ve done it just over just over two and a half days haven’t we yeah yeah full itinerary isn’t it yeah yeah we There was no uh doing We had a couple cafe shops didn’t we yesterday and today one at that little bridge got to feed the machine aren’t you yeah you got to feed the machine that was a nice place that where the festival was on Club yes yeah yeah that was it there’s a castle there the route doesn’t go past it for some reason no no no we We kind of marched on past that one didn’t we yeah we did yeah what What do we think of that one Ed yeah what was you It was great i I thought there was some real tough off-road bits and I think if it had been wet it would have been much much harder you know looking at the Shall we finish the video by uh perhaps showing viewers my tire oh yeah yeah yeah yeah so um you want to come around the other side that we This is temporary uh tubeless repair there can you see that yep that’ll get me home i’ve only got three two miles to go so bit of insulation tape there so can’t go wrong but it got us back well that’s the main thing it’s amazing that uh it did so well um just got it wet compromised it that’s the That’s the finish there the abbey where we started yes uh Saturday morning so long ago yeah two and a half days ago so you know what to do if you enjoyed watching this video give it a thumbs up hit that subscribe button and comment down below are you looking forward to doing the Marchers Castle way later this year or in the future let me know down below i’ll see you in the next one soon take care bye guys [Music] [Music]