Ironbridge
Added on Thursday, February 7th, 2008 by Carole Nash Editor
Here’s a scenic zig-zag across the Midlands which should please the history buffs, and the A roads scratchers, amongst you. Some great roads link the historic towns of the area and each Sunday sees a good turnout of bikes at the riverside in Stratford on Avon. A perfect route for a lazy Sunday afternoon…
The Route
Ironbridge - Bridgnorth - Stourbridge - Bromsgrove - Alcester - Stratford on Avon
Starting at Ironbridge, check out the 18th century bridge for yourself before riding away - it’s an incredible feat of engineering for its time. Bikers do hang out here on Sundays as well, but after checking out the machines parked up, head uphill out of town on the B4373 signed for Broseley, which has a pearler of a hairpin just across the river.
The B4373 then takes you to Bridgnorth, which is about 10 miles away, with some interesting twisty stuff along the way. At Bridgnorth pause for a while in the market square if it is a Sunday - weekdays sees very limited parking - where yet again, you may well find bikers chilling out.
Next, thread your way down the steep hill to pick up the A458 to Stourbridge, which soon opens out with a couple of nice long straights. There are some bendy sections too, plus a few villages, so take care. At the edge of Stourbridge, you’ll take a right turn onto the A449, signed for Kidderminster. The road gets busy here, with traffic building as you reach the town and the left turn onto the A448 leading to Bromsgrove.
At Bromsgrove stay on the A448, following the signs for Redditch. There are some lovely sections of carriageway here, which runs like a rollercoaster through some surprisingly nice scenery - the Black Country isn’t all rusting factories y’know ! Next, thread your way around a succession of groovy roundabouts, following signs for Alcester, A435, or Stratford. Don’t forget, it is an offence to constantly ride around a roundabout, especially with your knee extended - so don’t do it.
Signs for Alcester direct you off the main A435 and this lovely market town is definitely worth a visit. Then hook up again onto the A46 signed for Stratford on Avon, leading Eastwards from Alcester. This is a fast section of road, but on Sundays you will find loads of tourist traffic heading along it, so be careful. Once in Stratford, follow the signs for the riverside area - watch out for the one way loop system nearby - then park as directed.
The Sunday bike meet is regularly marshalled according to local bikers, but beware of parking tickets should you decide to establish your own hang-out amongst the hordes of camera-crazed Japanese tourists.
Police File
The local council at Stratford on Avon don’t seem too keen on welcoming any more bikers to the riverside area on Sundays, but with thousands of visitors to cope with at weekends, who can blame them? The result is that parking tickets, vehicle checks and speed traps near Stratford have all been reported by local bikers during the last two summers. Further afield, you’ll find many a Gatso lurking on the busy A roads of the Midlands and you are advised to use caution on the A46, A435 and A448 in particular. The B roads around Bridgnorth and Ironbridge are generally quieter.
Biker Beds
The great thing about riding in the Midlands is that it is easy to reach for most UK bikers. That said, if you are travelling from a great distance, try the Gordonhouse Hotel, on Comberton Rd, Kidderminster. It has 18 bedrooms, gardens and a licensed bar too!
Cheaper accommodation in the Midlands can be found at the Central Guesthouse, Coventry Rd, Birmingham, or The Hollies, located in the village of Hampton-in-Arden.
Pitstops
The Wenlock Edge Inn, located - surprisingly enough - on the Wenlock Edge ridge itself, offers traditional pub grub, and is just a few miles outside Ironbridge. Further along the route, try a pint and a pie at the Blue Boar Inn, Alcester. There again, eat your way around the world in Shakespearean Stratford-on-Avon, at the Tango Chinese Take out, or Lalbagh Indian, both located in Greenhill Street in this historic town centre.
