Bottle Kicking and Hare Pie Country

We leave Great Bowden via the virutally traffic free Welham Lane and head for Slawston via Welham and Cranoe. We then venture out further than we've been before and take the road to Hallaton. There's quite a tough hill to get up on the way but don't worry, stopping and/or walking is all fine and there's Hare Pie Hill to whizz down as we come into the village.
The road from Hallaton to Medbourne is undulating and beautiful and from there we head back to Slawston where we can enjoy freewheeling down Slawston Hill back to Welham and home.

Bottle kicking, one of Briton's oldest customs, takes place on Easter Monday and is preceded by the parading of a Hare Pie. We will visit the two villages, Hallaton and Medbourne, involved in the annual competition and soak up the countryside sights and sounds between them.

We'll be riding on quiet country lanes with little traffic. The route is not all that hilly there is one quite tough hill.

We can stop for a drink and the very picturesque Nevil Arms in Medbourne - it features in the photo linked to this ride. We'll also stop for breathers along the way.

You must wear a helmet on this ride and it's a good idea to bring a bottle of water and some money

We always welcome new riders. We're a sociable group who chat as we ride and we never leave anyone behind.