Cycle the Bryson Line

Some background to the adventure:

​

Whilst taking his British Citizenship test, author Bill Bryson was faced with the question, "what is the longest distance you can travel in the UK?" The answer that would have given him full marks was Land's End to John o' Groats but, he felt this was a false answer for it is not possible to travel this route without several kinks or the crossing of salt water. (Incidentally it would also bypass all but the tiniest slice of Wales and the whole of England completely. Get a map out and check for yourself!)

​

Intrigued to discover what was the longest straight line distance in the UK he opened his map, placed a ruler across it and watched as it pivoted away from Land's End / John o' Groats and came to rest on Cape Wrath in the North and Bognor Regis in the South.

​

And so, as the discoverer of this new line of navigation he named it after himself and used it as a guide on his travels which came to be the excellent book, The Road to Little Dribbling. 

​

Realising that traveling in a straight line would involve climbing over fences and through people's gardens he used it as a beacon to guide his way. It is in this spirit that I endeavoured to do the same as I made my way north, sticking as closely as I could to Mr Bryson's marvellous discovery as I cycled the length of the Bryson Line.