Awayday May 2026
Downham Wednesday 20th May 2026
Route
| Starting Venue: | Downham, Ribble Valley |
| Route Length: | 37 miles |
| Climbing: | 3300ft / 1000m |
| Route Description: | A scenic tour of the Ribble Valley around the Cltheroe area. The ride is based on Route 1031 from the club archive which was last done in 2019. We’ve extended the route to include a bit of Pendle Hill and, more importantly, to avoid 2 crossings of a busy stretch of the A59. In addition the proposed new route is done in a clockwise direction in order to tackle the main hills before lunch. For the above reasons the new route is recommended but the original route (anti-clockwise) is also presented below (slightly updated) and would offer a slightly shorter ride with less climbing at about 33 miles and 2400ft of ascent. |
| Travel Time: | 1 hour 10 minutes (40 miles) from Harrogate. Downham is off the A59 just before Clitheroe. Turn right at the A59 junction signposted for Chatburn/Downham (What3Words: ///mindset.volcano.lessening) and turn left on Downham Rd in Chatburn. (SatNav has been known to get this wrong!) |
| Car Parking: | Downham village car park, opposite the ice cream shop. Parking is free. What3Words: ///heat.comical.cleanest |
| Facilities at Start: | Toilets are available at the car park, in a converted pig barn (possibly one of the highlights of the trip). There is no cafe at the start; the ice cream shop may/should be open in the afternoon and is recommended. |
| Coffee Stop: | None |
| Lunch Stop: | The Potters Barn Cafe in Ribchester at about 20 miles (19 miles on the shorter route) |
| Depart: | Assemble at the car park for a 9:30am start. |
| To sign up or for further information please email Doug Higgins at . |
