Wednesday, 14 August 2019

19th Century Cycle Routes

19th century Navigation for Cyclists

How did cyclists find their way around Great Britain in the early days of the Cyclists’ Touring Club, which was founded in 1878?

One-inch to the mile Ordnance Survey maps became available in 1891, but long distance cyclists would need to carry a lot of these and the more practical Bartholomew’s half-inch maps hadn’t been invented yet.

The discerning cycle tourist wanted to know much more.
  • Which is the best route between two towns? 
  • What are the roads like? 
  • Where are the hostelries along the way (including the local CTC Hotel)?