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Four Corners of Great Britain self guided motorcycle holiday

Four corners of Great Britain Self guided motorcycle tour with Fine country pubs, charming market towns and all-but-forgotten Roman highways and byways.

Join the Four Corners of Great Britain self-guided motorcycle tour and experience all that’s great about this fantastic country.

Visit great historic cities, take in great inspiring landscapes and above all, ride great biking roads. Uncover thousands of years of history riding scenic roads through all four corners of mainland Britain. This evocative full-circle journey includes some of the most beautiful parts of England, Scotland, as well as Wales.

Your journey of discovery starts with a visit to Bletchley Park. It was once the home of the WW2 code breakers. You also might choose to spend a few hours in Cambridge, the oldest university town in the UK.

The next morning your tour continues towards the cathedral city of York. Along the way, you will ride the magnificent route along the Lincolnshire coast. In York, there is plenty to interest any sightseer.

Leaving York, you will join the Roman Imperial trail towards Scotland. It is hard to define the magic of Hadrian’s Wall. So please allow a bit of time to take a slight deviation to visit Chester. Here you can visit the beautifully reconstructed Roman Fort and Museum. For the rest of the day, you will be traversing the rolling hills of the Northumberland National Park. Continuing to explore the most northern frontier of the Roman Empire, you will enter Scotland at the Carter Bar. It is also one of the UK’s most remote and scenic border crossings.

No holiday to these parts would be complete without a visit to Edinburgh. Tarry here for two days and indulge yourself in fascinating Scottish history and culture. The capital city has old medieval quarters as well as the elegant newer Georgian part. You will have ample time to visit some of the popular tourist attractions.

From here, your route turns North West towards the Lake District. However, on your way there, allow some time to visit the Borders Whisky Distillery in Hawick.

Lakeland is the land of towering hills and mountains, sparkling lakes and pretty villages, as well as breathtaking biking roads. Furthermore, it is home to England’s most striking scenery and an area whose beauty has inspired many poets and artists.

You leave the lakes the way you arrived by meandering through the rolling hills of Cumbria towards the Welsh mountains. Ponderosa Café is a famous biker meeting place. It is also conveniently located on the Horseshoe Pass and a great place to stop for a break. From your hotel, you can visit the principal attraction in Welshpool, the medieval Powys Castle.

Indeed, there is no more fitting end to your British odyssey than a visit to the beautiful Cotswolds. Spend your last few days in the quintessential English countryside. Ride over gentle hills and the undulating country lanes. Stumble upon honey-coloured villages complete with babbling streams and historic churches as well as cosy country pubs.

The native Britons riding their own motorcycles can start and finish at any point of this fantastic circle. However, if you are coming from overseas, we would suggest that you follow our itinerary and also allow an extra few days to explore the city of London as well.

For more day-to-day information about the Four Corners of Great Britain self-guided motorcycle tour, please spend some time studying the below tour itinerary.

PLEASE NOTE: On rare occasions, the itinerary might slightly change depending on hotel availability.

If you wish to extend the Four Corners of Great Britain self-guided motorcycle tour, please use this link: Scottish Highlinads

If you require a motorcycle rental for the Four Corners of Great Britain self-guided motorcycle tour please get in touch with our partner, RoadTrip.

Please visit our Facebook page for up-to-date information regarding the Four Corners of Great Britain self-guided motorcycle tour.

When to go:

April to October

Price

Includes

Excludes

Countries:

Great Britain

Motorcycle rental:

Available

Book now:

Tour highlights

Bletchley Park
University cities of Cambridge and Oxford
Shambles in York
York Minster
Jorvik Viking Centre
National Railway Museum
Roman Fort and Museum
Edinburgh Castle
Gin Distillery
National Museum of Scotland
The Borders Whisky Distillery
Ponderosa Café
Roman Baths in Bath
Stonehenge

Day by day tour itinerary

Day 1 – Bletchley Park to Peterborough (Approx. 100 miles)

Your first port of call on this fantastic Four Corners of Great Britain self-guided motorcycle tour is the historic Bletchley Park. It was once the top-secret home of the World War Two Codebreakers. Here you’ll learn how the small group of very bright people helped shorten the war by up to two years.

Continuing with your journey, you’ll take a leisurely cruise to the prestigious university town of Cambridge. Some of the most famous tourist attractions are the Fitzwilliam Museum, Bridge of Sighs, Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Mathematical Bridge and King’s College Chapel. Your comfortable hotel for the night is just outside the historic market town of Peterborough.

If you are coming from abroad after collecting your rental motorcycle and before visiting Bletchley Park, you can swing it by to the Super Sausage Café. It is one of the most iconic biker meeting places in this part of the UK. It has plenty of motoring memorabilia, a fantastic British menu, friendly staff and a welcoming atmosphere.

“In England, one can be jailed for life if they placed a postage stamp with the Queen’s head upside down. That is considered a treason”

Day 2 – Peterborough to York (Approx. 150 miles)

The next morning after your first full English breakfast, you’ll be ready to continue your Four Corners of Great Britain self-guided motorcycle tour to York. You’ll jump the county border and enter Lincolnshire. Your route will take you towards the coastal fishing towns of Skegness and Grimsby.

Both towns are convenient and interesting places to stop for lunch or drink. They are also perfect places to have your first portion of fish and chips on this tour. The coast of Lincolnshire runs for more than 50 miles along the North Sea. This route will take you towards the River Humber estuary and over the famous bridge. If you wish to include some historical sites, then a good option is to take an inland route and visit Heckington Windmill, Tattershall Castle or Gainsborough Old Hall.

The last stage of your ride will include a section of the Yorkshire Wolds Way. It passes through the delightful scenery of the North Yorkshire Moors and the Yorkshire Wolds.

“The first speeding ticket was issued in the UK In 1896 a person was caught driving 8 miles per hour in a zone where the maximum limit was 2mph”

Day 3 – Free day

Today is your first free day of the Four Corners of Great Britain self-guided motorcycle tour. So, you could choose to visit some of the main tourist attractions in York. A handy hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus takes in most of the significant points of interest that might be on your “thick the box list”.

You can start by taking a stroll to the city centre and have a few good crisscross-rumbles through the Shambles. It is a labyrinth of narrow medieval streets with many shops, cafes and restaurants. You can continue your walk along the medieval city walls and river Ouse. The city is also famous for its York Minster, Clifford’s Tower, Jorvik Viking Centre and National Railway Museum. Just a short bike ride from the city there is the magnificent Castle Howard. It is set in 1,000 acres of parkland and richly furnished with antiquities and treasures.

York also presents you with your second fish and chips opportunity. In our own experience, the fish and chips at Drake’s Fisheries is the best one we ever had.

“Tea is by far the most popular drink among Brits. It is estimated that they drink on average, 165 million cups of tea every day. This is 20 times more than anywhere else in the world”

Day 4 – York to Edinburgh (Approx. 200 miles)

Today, the Four Corners of Great Britain self-guided motorcycle tour continues. Your journey heads towards Edinburgh across the stunning Northumberland National Park. It is worth stopping to visit one of the Roman Empire’s most northern outposts. Chester Roman Fort is the most complete Roman cavalry fort in Britain. Wander around the well-preserved baths, steam room and the officers’ quarters. There is an amazing collection of Roman objects, inscriptions and artefacts.

More of Britain’s treasures are also displayed at another nearby Roman site of Vindolanda. The writing tablets are perhaps Vindolanda’s most significant discovery and have been voted by experts and the public alike as ‘Britain’s Top Treasure’. The museum also houses a rare collection of 2,000-year-old wooden finds, including a toy sword and a toilet seat.

There are several convenient places around Hexham to admire the stunning views of the Hadrian’s Wall and surrounding hills. Your destination for today is a town hotel near the city centre in Edinburgh.

“Although Triumph is now best-known for its motorcycles, it also has a history of selling cars, sewing machines and bicycles”

Day 5 – Free day

Today is your second rest day of the Four Corners of Great Britain self-guided motorcycle tour. However, it does not mean there is nothing to do. This day will enable you to explore this lively city. Scotland’s most famous landmark, Edinburgh Castle, is one of the most visited tourist attractions.

The Royal Mile is lined with charming townhouses, churches, shops (including kiltmakers), inns, museums, cafés, and restaurants. The National Museum incorporates collections of natural history, geology, art, science and technology. Busy Princes Street extends for almost a mile and is lined with colourful gardens and elegant shops. It includes the Jenners of Edinburgh, the world’s oldest independent department store. If you start feeling a bit peckish and like fish, then lunch or snack at the Café Royal Bar might just hit the spot.

On the other hand, if you prefer to spend your free day on your bike, then you can take a ride further north. This circular route will take you along the shores of Loch Lomond, through the Trossachs National Park and back to Edinburgh. Dumbarton castle and Balloch castle are both worth a visit.

“Apparently, there’s a fine of two cans of beer for any Scotsman caught wearing underwear under his kilt”

Day 6 – Edinburgh to Lake District (Approx. 150 miles)

Today is about the halfway point of your Four Corners of Great Britain self-guided motorcycle tour. It’s also relatively short ride to the Lake District. You will plenty of time to stop and explore this stunningly beautiful part of the country. With winding scenic roads, it is no wonder this area attracts travellers from all over the world.

On your way, you can visit the Borders Distillery in Hawick. It is the first Scotch whisky distillery in the Scottish Borders. They have been capturing the spirit of the Borders since 1837. The town of Hawick also has a long history of manufacturing cashmere and tweed. As you cross the borders, you’ll enter the Lake District. It is the largest National Park in the UK and is home to Scafell Pike – the highest mountain and Wastwater – the deepest lake.

Your final destination today is a traditional hotel located in a charming Lakeland village of Grasmere. Enjoy a cosy and relaxing atmosphere with a pint of hand-pulled traditional beer and a tasty evening meal that will satisfy even the heartiest of appetites. If you have half an hour to spare, pay a visit to the smallest gingerbread factory in the UK.

“The traditional food of the UK is roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. However, according to some food magazines, the Brits actually voted the Chicken Tikka as their favourite national dish”

Day 7 – Lake District to Welshpool (Approx. 180 miles)

The Four Corners of Great Britain self-guided motorcycle tour continues. The route begins by riding a southwesterly direction through the Forest of Bowland. This spectacular area of outstanding beauty is crisscrossed with fantastic country lanes which pass through a landscape of ancient woodlands and rolling hills.

The Horseshoe Pass is short but one of the most spectacular riding routes in the UK. The Ponderosa café at the summit of the pass is an excellent place for lunch and to take in the stunning views. It is one of the most famous biker meeting places in the UK and has a great menu and a welcoming atmosphere. Welshpool is a traditional market town with main streets lined with elegant Georgian buildings.

Situated just a short distance from the town centre your hotel is ideally located to explore the old town. Apparently, the small, hexagonal building tucked behind Broad Street was an 18th-century cock-fighting ring.

“The Welsh village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is the second-longest place name in the world meaning: St Mary’s church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool of Llantysilio of the red cave”

Day 8 – Welshpool to Cotswolds (Approx. 140 miles)

Today the Four Corners of Great Britain self-guided motorcycle tour heads towards the beautifull Cotswolds. And it is cross country all the way, not a single motorway in sight. Using a mixture of country lanes, back roads and A-roads, you’ll make your way towards the beautiful Cotswolds.

Your route will take you across the scenic county of Shropshire and Malvern hills. The historic town of Ludlow is an excellent place to stop for a break. It has a charming high street lined with half-timbered houses and parades of shops and restaurants. Also, the impressive ruins of the medieval castle occupy the oldest part of Ludlow.

Malvern Hills is the area of outstanding beauty crisscrossed with some fantastic biking roads. There are numerous lay-bys and viewpoints to stop, stretch your legs and take photos. There are also many country pubs and cafés along the way for lunch and refreshments. For the next two nights, in the Cotswolds you’ll be staying in a charming country inn.

“It is estimated that there are about 60,000 thatched-roof cottages in the Cotswolds”

Day 9 – Free day (Approx. 150 miles)

Today is your last free day of the Four Corners of Great Britain self-guided motorcycle tour. And you are free to create your own agenda or follow our suggested itinerary. There are two options that would show you some of the best sites in this part of the country.

The first option is a round trip that will include visits to the Roman spa town of Bath and the World Heritage Site of Stonehenge. This is a longer ride and involves more sightseeing, so an early breakfast is recommended. But as you’ll be visiting the two of the main tourist attractions, it is worth an effort.

The second option is another perhaps slightly shorter ride that will incorporate visits to Blenheim Palace, Burford, Broadway and Bourton-on-the-Water. You can use your last stop in Bourton-on-the-Water to visit the Cotswold Motoring Museum & Toy Collection. Here is also your third and perhaps the last chance to have fish and chips on this tour.

The Chip Shed in Bourton-on-the-Water is situated in one of the most idyllic towns and, in our opinion, serves the best fish and chips in the Cotswolds.

“Most people think of the Pyramids in Egypt as the oldest monuments in the world. However, some scientists believe Stonehenge that was built around 3000 BC is the oldest”

Day 10 – Ride home

Following breakfast, it is time to pack the panniers one last time and head home, wherever it might be.

Thank you for joing our Four Corners of Great Britain self-guided motorcycle tour and RidingWithUs.

We must do it again soon. Safe journey.

“If you haven’t been everywhere, put it on your list”

What our customers say

“Once again, thank you for arranging our holiday. The service is first class and never disappoints. We’ll be in touch soon to plan our next adventure.”

J & D Chapman

Sheffield, UK 2015

Let's go touring…

Four Corners of Great Britain self guided motorcycle holiday

When to go:

Price

Includes

Excludes

Countries:

Motorcycle rental:

Book now:

Tour highlights

Day by day tour itinerary

What our customers say

Four Corners of Great Britain self guided motorcycle holiday

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