The Great North Road cover art

The Great North Road

London to Edinburgh: 11 Days, 2 Wheels and 1 Ancient Highway

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The Great North Road

By: Steve Silk
Narrated by: Steve Silk
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About this listen

THE GREAT NORTH ROAD is a journey as satisfying for the armchair traveller as the long-distance cyclist. Enriched with history, humour and insight, it's a tribute to Britain and the endless appeal of the open road.

In 1921, Britain's most illustrious highway, the Great North Road, ceased to exist – on paper at least. Stretching from London to Edinburgh, the old road was largely replaced by the A1 as the era of the motor car took hold. A hundred years later, journalist and cyclist Steve Silk embraces the anniversary as the perfect excuse to set off on an adventure across 11 days and 400 miles. Travelling by bike at a stately 14 miles per hour, he heads north, searching out milestones and memories, coaching inns and coffee shops. Seen from a saddle rather than a car seat, the towns and the countryside of England and Scotland reveal traces of Britain's remarkable past and glimpses of its future. Instead of the familiar service stations and tourist hotspots, Steve tracks down the forgotten treasures of this ancient highway between the two capitals.
"Weaving the history of the old road with the colour and the characters of today, Steve proves that any journey is an adventure if you know where to look." - ALASTAIR HUMPHREYS

©2021 Steve Silk (P)2022 W F Howes Cycling Europe Great Britain Travel Writing & Commentary England Scotland

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Critic reviews

"Weaving the history of the old road with the colour and the characters of today, Steve proves that any journey is an adventure if you know where to look." (Alastair Humphreys)
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Cycling from London to Edinburgh can take many routes and for any number of reasons - Steve Silk narrates his journey following a guidebook that recorded the coaching inns of the Great North Road. Comparing the landscape and history - battles, mercantile, social and economic - as he heads North on his bike.
It's a gentle, self aware commentary on part of the UK from a perspective not often covered as motorways and fast A roads have constructed more rapid and auster communications.
Useful for those interested in a long distance ride (or this one) and interesting in its own right - a quality addition to cycling literature.

London to Edinburgh with Coaching Inns!

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I’m not a cyclist, but I have a love for old roads and trackways. I used to be a trucker and grew up in Nottinghamshire so know the A1 very well. The book goes into interesting facts and history about places I recognise and remember. If you share the interest in old roads this is well worth a listen. I really enjoyed it, and it has also made me think that Steve had the right idea of doing it on a bike, you see so much more!
Any other road books in the pipeline Steve?

Great book for the great road!

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This book is part travel journal, part historical guide, and 100% authentic telling of a personal journey from London to Edinburgh, on a bicycle.

Really well narrated by the author, which made it even more enjoyable. Based on a Narrator search, this looks like Steve Silks first audible, I really hope it is not his last.

The Great North Road is a really enjoyable listen.

Enjoyable listen.

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Fully enjoyed a few hours listening to this. Great details and stories especially as he got further north.

The details

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I really enjoyed listening to this love hearing about history of this country and how things change
Great story highly recommend

Really enjoyed this

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I enjoyed both the story and narration by the author. As a child I was fascinated by the thought of a road which went from London to Scotland and over a few years, my parents would take weekends to travel a section, so bit by bit, I covered the route Steve followed. I also lived in Grantham for some years and was a regular user of the road to travel south. I was particularly interested in that section and saddened to learn of the demise of The Ram Jam, a favourite haunt in the 1970s for a fun night out. This is a road trip story, well told and filled with fascinating snippets. Steve has a keen eye for detail and a way with words that makes this an enjoyable and informed read/ listen.

Fascinating

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Thoroughly enjoyed this trip up the Great North Road. I’ve travelled the A1 nearly every month for the last 45 years and this gave me background to the place names I see. Good to have the narration by the author. Am sorry the journey has come to an end.

Enjoyable road trip

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A challenging cycle ride up the Great North Road interspersed with historical tidbits and observations aplenty

Relaxing journey up North

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Well written and read by the author. An interesting tale of the journey and the road. Well worth a listen if you like adventure or cycle travel writing.

A great story of a great road trip

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I too have lived and worked near the Old North Road all my life. It was great to hear details behind the signposts pointing off the motorway. Soothing and calm narrator.

New information about an old road

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