Chalke & Cheese 200
A Paris-Brest-Paris Qualifying BRM

Day and night, fast and slow! Beautiful valleys including the Chalke with the odd hill thrown in; plus Cheddar Gorge, maybe in the dark with its looming walls. Stunning views en route, you may just see The Needles…

Warmley, City of Bristol | Sat 9th Jan 2027 @ 07:00

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Summary

When

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Sat 9th January 2027
07:00 - 20:30

Where

Warmley Station
Bristol And Bath Railway Path
Warmley, BS30 5JB

Who

Organiser:

What

Series: Great Western Randonnées

Chalke & Cheese 200 1

Brief

Day and night, fast and slow! Beautiful valleys including the Chalke with the odd hill thrown in; plus Cheddar Gorge, maybe in the dark with its looming walls. Stunning views en route, you may just see The Needles…

Event Info

Cost:
£10.00
Closes:
08/01/27 @ 15:00
Type:
BRM-PBP
Eligible:
Audax Awards
Award Distance:
200
Total Distance:
209 km
Speeds:
15-30 kph
Duration:
13h30
AAA: 0.00
Rainbow Flat
Climb:
2450m

Facilities

Hover for brief, click for full overview.

Overview

Chalke & Cheese 200 is the early year 200 to do!

Description

Heading out from Warmley Station along the Bristol to Bath Railway Path and through the 2Tunnels under Combe Down you will make your way into Wiltshire and cruise down the amazing virtually traffic free Wylye Valley to Ginny's, which the still operational GWR Wessex Main Line follows to the historic town of Wilton with its Italianate Church.

Hopping over to the Chalke Valley, named after a small tributary to the River Ebble emerging at Broad Chalke, you head towards Shaftesbury after a couple of climbs; the first onto Charlton Down on a section of old Roman road between Bath and Badbury Rings, here you may see on the horizon The Needles if a clear day. Descend the infamous Zig-Zag Hill to Shaftesbury.

Using predominantly B roads from now you head to Wells, here the road named Strawberry Way follows what was once the old Strawberry Line named after the local produce. Level riding through Somerset to Cheddar and its mighty Gorge, most likely in the dark with its looming rock faces, you ascend The Mendips to the Chew Valley and the arrivée at The Holybush Inn, Bridgeyate. 

Brevet return postage included.

Watch on YouTube
Adam Watkins' 2018
Watch on YouTube
Adam Watkins' 2019 - 2:50 my first randonnée on fixed 😀
2020 Fly through
Watch on YouTube
Adam Wakins' video - 2020. There I go, zig zagging away, just like Sagan...

Navigation

Route notes and a variety of files/links will be available usually 5 days before the event.

Will's are considered the Gold Standard for AUK events!

Map

The interactive map below is a guide, subject to change and not necessarily the final version. Toggle 'chart' for elevation & approx. slope %; now works in full screen too.

Route & validation

  • The route is advisory - you just have to visit the controls and gain proof of passage within time limits where specified; there may be parts that you'd like to take a different route and that is entirely up to you; the time limits for the controls don't change!
  • Validation: Instant - you get to take your validated brevet card home straight away at the end of the event.

Start details

Parking:

Please do not use the car park next to the start. This is 2hrs max and actively enforced. Surrounding streets in the immediate vicinity are residents only, further out no restrictions.
Alternatives:

  • Lyde Green P&R is free to use but has opening/closing times though ungated; check link for restrictions. Directions here.
  • Bristol Parkway Main Car Park for long term parking and follow directions for 'train access' above.
  • Please do not use Bitton Station; this is intended for those using the railway path recreationally not for all day parking.
  • If the Hollybush Inn is being used as the finish please do not use their car park.

For full details see Warmley Station

Reviews

What others think.

Lovely Controls

14th January 2025

Glad to have had the various controls which helped me get through the route. First audax done!

Chalke & Cheese 200 17 Chalke & Cheese 200 19
Usman

Cracking route

15th January 2024

Great start at Warmley, with breakfast available if you want it. Nice amble to Bath and detour to miss the tunnels. Some challenging hills thrown in. Cheddar at 100m. Dry weather, but cold some floods to contend with, but overall another great WP and ACB event.

Gideon

Filthy weather, lovely route

27th January 2023

Second audax, absolutely loved it. Disgusting weather made it even more worthwhile. A really lovely route, including the seemingly brutal climbs right at the end 🙂

Shomi

Type 2 Fun

24th January 2023

Cracking route, was pretty close to scratching on a few occasions as the weather was pretty grim, but managed to get round eventually. Nice bit of night riding up cheddar gorge near the end

Tom

Chalke & Cheese… wet & wild!

20th January 2023

January Audax, it started wet, very wet! But it didn’t dampen the spirits of the hardy riders waiting to begin there little Pootle into the waiting challenges.

The first few kms’s along the cycleway to Bath set the tone, a lot of standing water, a lot of standing water! As the cycleway gave way to the roads, the standing water became rivers, flowing down the roads. By the first control, wet was fully the order so far of the day, a quick bacon cob & coffee and then off again… the rain subsided, eventually, but it was replaced by an 80km section of headwind, some would describe as “character building”, it was, it certainly was, but that said it was strangely enjoyable.

My first trip to Cheddar Gorge was a pleasant experience helped by the change of wind direction, almost a tailwind! Having crested the Gorge, the final 30 odd kilometres, provided the odd lumpy surprise, but this was compensated by further tailwinds.

All in all, with far from perfect weather, it was a perfect day for a January ride.

Chalke & Cheese 200 21
Wayne

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