Vikings on the Trans Pennine Trail

Whilst it’s a fact that Vikings did indeed sail westwards up the Humber and thence on over the Pennines and into Lancashire and beyond no historical records exist indicating that they completed the route the other way round, and on bikes! Not until now that is because five junior players from Holderness Vikings Rugby Club have just completed the entire 215 mile ride along the Trans Pennine Trail from Southport to Hornsea.

Susan Grassby, whose family were involved with the ride, takes up the story. ‘We took the decision to cycle the full length of the TPT as a challenge to raise both profile and funds for The Vikings Rugby Club both of which we managed to achieve. It was a satisfying and exciting experience for all the lads involved and we managed to raise over £600 in sponsorship money which will be put to good use by the club.’

The riders, members of the youth team at The Vikings completed the route in just 4 days riding in excess of 50 miles each day, frequently over rough terrain as the TPT is an off-road recreational facility using almost forgotten pathways and tracks over much of its course. Commenting on the ride, accompanying adult Tony Grassby said, ‘Completing the TPT was a great experience. The route commences in relatively flat, easy cycling territory running from Southport and then going gradually uphill from around Manchester. The climb up the Pennines was certainly exciting and hard going in places but at least we could look forward to going downhill for many miles after reaching the top.’

Reflecting on the highs and lows of the ride participant Lewis McCunnell said, ‘It was a fascinating experience following the trail and camping out each evening after a long days ride. It’s physically tiring to finish the trail in four days but I can certainly recommend it as a way to see many unusual and varied sights which would be missed entirely by travellers using conventional roads. If you want to see some of the hidden, unspoilt places in the region surrounding the trail then riding the TPT is a great way to go about it.’

(Image shows, from L to R Lewis McCunnell, Dan Suddaby, Lewis Suddaby, Tony Grassby (at back), Tom Grassby, George Grassby)