Tuesday

Bicester to Shipston-on-Stour

(53 miles)

Todays Route

Minor country roads cross the rich agricultural  countryside of Oxfordshire, onto traffic calmed minor roads before following the towpath of the Oxford Canal to the A44. Cycle lanes alongside A44 make a safe journey to Woodstock.

 Between Woodstock and Banbury a mixture of minor roads and traffic-free paths takes the route over the rolling countryside of north Oxfordshire.

 A traffic free path takes the route around the edge of Banbury and a mixture of minor roads and tracks across the border of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire to reach Shipston on Stour.

Ready to go at Bicester

http://www.blackwellgrange.co.uk/

Between Coughton and Redditch the route is mostly traffic free before it reverts to minor roads through Bromsgrove to reach Catshill.

 From Catshill to the edge of Birmingham conurbation the route follows minor roads through Frankley and Longbridge.  From Northfield through Kings Norton to Cannon Hill Park the route is mostly traffic free but the last few miles into the centre of Birmingham follow a mixture of major roads, minor roads and some traffic-free sections.

 The route leaves the centre of Birmingham along the towpath of the Birmingham Canal and follows it all the way to Sandwell.  Leaving the towpath, the route crosses under the A4041 before more traffic free paths under the M5 and the M6 to the outskirts of Walsall.

 A mixture of minor roads and traffic-free paths continue to Walsall.