National Parks Ride

Background

This was the first Grim Riders' ride and was the charity ride for 2009. Eighty people entered for the ride in that year, raising nearly £2400 to support the work of the Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance.

Completing the Ride
The aim of this ride is for you to visit some of the 15 National Parks of Britain. The parks may be visited at any time of the year and in any order. You do not need to visit more than one on any particular day or trip. You do need to visit a specific place within each national park, and provide proof of your visit by photographing your motorcycle at that place.

Touring Ride - In each of the county towns you visit you must take a photograph showing the the park building or sign, your ride flag, and your motorbike. These may be taken and submitted any time and there is no time restriction for visiting the parks, so may be visited over several trips, months, or even years. Visiting 5 parks will gain a bronze certificate; 10 parks for a silver certificate; and all 15 parks 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 park building or sign, 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 - Betws y Coed, Exeter, and Carlisle. Further details of Challenge Rides can be found here.
For a bronze certificate you must visit 5 parks, provide start & finish receipts and a receipt from at least one of the three receipt locations.
For a silver certificate you must visit 10 parks, provide start & finish receipts and receipts from at least two of the three receipt locations.
For a gold certificate you must visit all 15 parks, provide start & finish receipts and receipts from all three receipt locations.

Landmarks
No Park Landmark
1 Peak District Upper Derwent Visitor Centre, Hope Valley
2 Lake District Lake District Visitor Centre at Brockhole, Windermere
3 Snowdonia Snowdonia National Park Centre, Betws y Coed
4 Dartmoor High Moorland Visitor Centre, Princetown
5 Pembrokeshire Coast Newport National Park Centre, Newport
6 North Yorkshire Moors Moors National Park Centre, Danby
7 Yorkshire Dales Hawes National Park Centre, Hawes
8 Exmoor Exmoor National Park Centre, Dulverton
9 Northumberland Once Brewed Visitor Centre, Hexham
10 Brecon Beacons National Park Visitor Centre, Libanus
11 Broads Toad Hole Cottage Museum, How Hill
12 Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Gateway Centre, Balloch
13 Cairngorm Explore Abernethy Centre, Nethy Bridge
14 New Forest New Forest Centre, Lyndhurst
15 South Downs Seven Sisters Country Park Centre, Exceat

Link to pdf of roadbook for the British National Parks Ride

Paperwork
Application form for awards here.
Ride record sheet here.