English Counties Ride

Background

Details of how this ride came about can be found here.
After I had completed the rally. I had an email from Peter Boatwright. In June 1975 Peter completed a ride visiting 35 of the old county towns to raise money for a kidney charity, finishing the ride in 42 hours. After Peter had sent me copies of his newspaper clippings and photographs I felt they should be recorded for others to see - it can be found by following this link.

Completing the ride
Riders must visit specific buildings* in the historic county towns across England listed below.

Touring Ride - In each of the county towns you visit you must take a photograph showing the building*, your ride flag, and your motorbike. These may be taken and submitted any time and there is no time restriction for visiting the county towns, so may be visited over several trips, months, or even years. Visiting 15 towns will gain a bronze certificate; 25 towns for a silver certificate; and all 40 towns to gain a gold certificate.

Challenge Ride - Before completing the ride you must contact me (I suggest at least two weeks before intending to complete the ride). I will arrange to send you a number before you start the ride. You will need to take two photographs at each stop - one showing the building*, your ride flag, and your motorbike; the other showing your GPS unit showing the location's coordinates, the time, and a sticker with this number on it. (For further information see here). In addition, you will need to provide a copy of a printed receipt from where you start from; a printed receipt from where you finish; and printed receipts from some or all of the following locations - Truro, Chester, Carlisle, Alnwick, Norwich and Maidstone. Further details of Challenge Rides can be found here.
For a bronze certificate you must visit 15 towns, provide start & finish receipts and a receipt from at least two of the six receipt locations.
For a silver certificate you must visit 25 towns, provide start & finish receipts and receipts from at least four of the six receipt locations.
For a gold certificate you must visit all 40 towns, provide start & finish receipts and receipts from all six receipt locations.

Landmarks
* The list of buildings is advisory and meant to give you ideas and examples of the sorts of historic buildings which may be photographed. This is the list I used but had to change my plans several times because of roadworks, time restricted access to some, or because they could not be seen in the dark. The basic principle is that you must photograph a building or sign within the town which can be clearly identified, either because it names that town or because it can be clearly identified frm the internet as having historic, cultural or religious significance and be unique to that town.

  County County Town Building*
1 Bedfordshire Bedford Bedford Corn Exchange
2 Berkshire Abingdon Abingdon Museum
3 Buckinghamshire Buckingham Old County Gaol
4 Cambridgeshire Cambridge Senate House
5 Cheshire Chester Eastgate Clock
6 Cornwall Truro Truro Cathedral
7 Cumberland Carlisle Carlisle Castle
8 Derbyshire Derby Derby Cathedral
9 Devon Exeter Exeter Guilldhall
10 Dorset Dorchester Dorchester Shirehall
11 County Durham Durham Durham Cathedral
12 East Sussex Lewes Lewes Castle
13 Essex Chelmsford Chelmsford Shirehall
14 Gloucestershire Gloucester Gloucester Cathedral
15 Hampshire Wincester Winchester Cathedral
16 Herefordshire Hereford Hereford Cathedral
17 Hertfordshire Hertford Hertford Castle
18 Huntingdonshire Huntingdon Huntingdon Old Town Hall
19 Kent Maidstone Maidstone Town Hall
20 Lancashire Lancaster Lancaster Castle
21 Leicestershire Leicester Leicester Guildhall
22 Lincolnshire Lincoln Lincoln Cathedral
23 Middlesex Brentford Brentford Monument
24 Norfolk Norwich Norwich Cathedral
25 Northamptonshire Northampton Northampton Guildhall
26 Northumberland Alnwick Alnwick Castle
27 Nottinghamshire Nottingham Nottingham Council House
28 Oxfordshire Oxford Oxford Town Hall
29 Rutland Oakham Oakham Castle
30 Shropshire Shrewsbury Shrewsbury Market Hall
31 Somerset Taunton Tanton Castle
32 Staffordshire Stafford Ancient High House
33 Suffolk Ipswich Ancient House
34 Surrey Guildford Guildford Castle
35 Warwickshire Warwick Lord Leycester Hospital
36 Westmorland Appleby Moot Hall
37 West Sussex Chichester Chichester Cathedral
38 Wiltshire Trowbridge Trowbridge Town Hall
39 Worcestershire Worcester Worcester Cathedral
40 Yorkshire York York Minster

Link to pdf. of roadbook listing these landmarks with photographs and GPS coordinates

Paperwork

Application Form for Awards here.
Ride Record Sheet here.