Experience the places and landscapes that have shaped some of our best-known writers and their works.
The Brontë Parsonage Museum at Haworth, where Emily Brontë wrote Wuthering Heights. Photo © Copyright David Martin and licensed for reuse under a cc-by-sa/2.0 Creative Commons Licence.
You don’t have to go looking for literary history on the National Cycle Network. In a lot of places, you’re already in it.
These routes pass through landscapes that shaped well-known books and writers, from the moorland that inspired the Brontës in Yorkshire, to the villages, towns and cities that formed the backdrop to countless books and literary lives.
Yorkshire: Brontë Country
Routes 69 and 71
Route 69 takes you to Thornton, where the Brontë sisters were born. Visit the Brontë Birthplace, and from there, continue to Haworth and the Brontë Parsonage Museum, where they lived and wrote their novels, including Wuthering Heights.
Route 71 heads to Arkengarthdale, north of Reeth. For fans of the film starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, you'll find a lot of the locations used in the recent Wuthering Heights film were shot nearby.
Leicester: Adrian Mole
Routes 6 and 63
Follow a city ride through Leicester connected to Adrian Mole and his creator, Sue Townsend.
The route passes streets, shops, and schools that inspired the novels, giving a sense of the everyday world behind the hugely popular character and his many escapades along his journey through life.
Pooh Sticks Bridge, Ashdown Forest. Photo © Copyright N Chadwick and licensed for reuse under a cc-by-sa/2.0 Creative Commons Licence.
East Sussex: Winnie-the-Pooh
Route 21
Near Crowborough, you can leave Route 21 and head into Ashdown Forest, the setting that inspired Hundred Acre Wood.
Hartfield village is nearby and is closely associated with A. A. Milne. Visit Pooh Corner, a shop and tearoom, or walk the Pooh Trail through real-life spots that inspired the stories.
Yorkshire Dales: All Creatures Great and Small
Route 688 (Way of the Roses)
Route 688 passes close to Grassington, used as a filming location for Channel 5's recent adaptation of All Creatures Great and Small.
This route is part of the larger Way of the Roses. The stunning landscape, with dry stone walls and open views of hill and dale, reflects the setting of the original stories by James Heriot, and is a key feature of this long cross-country route from Morecambe to Bridlington.
Cambridgeshire: Grantchester
Route 11
Follow Route 11 along the River Cam to Byron’s Pool, a quiet spot linked to Lord Byron.
Nearby Grantchester is also known for its connection to Rupert Brooke, who lived in the village and wrote about it, including the Old Vicarage and the Orchard Tea Garden.
You're never short of an inspiring view in the Lake District. Credit: Martin Stroud/Walk Wheel Cycle Trust.
Lake District: William Wordsworth
Route 6
Route 6 through the Lake District is more of a commitment. It’s hillier and more remote in places.
It takes you through Grasmere, where William Wordsworth lived. You can visit Dove Cottage, but even just being out in the mountains and lakes gives you a sense of wonder that he must have felt when writing here.
Scotland, Ayrshire: Robert Burns
Route 7
Route 7 takes you through the heart of Ayrshire to Alloway, the birthplace of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet.
Along the way, you can stop at Burns Cottage, where he was born, and explore the surrounding village and countryside that inspired much of his early work. The route also passes the Poet’s Path, a trail linking landmarks from his life, including sites mentioned in his poems.
Scottish Borders: Sir Walter Scott
Route 1
Route 1 runs through the Scottish Borders, a region rich in history and landscapes that inspired Walter Scott.
As you ride, you can visit Abbotsford House, Scott’s baronial home near Galashiels, with its study, gardens and collections that reflect his life and work. The route also passes Scott’s View, a famous viewpoint offering sweeping vistas of the Borders that feature in his writing, and nearby Dryburgh Abbey, where Scott is buried amid Gothic ruins.
C.S. Lewis Square, Belfast. Credit: Walk Wheel Cycle Trust
Belfast: C. S. Lewis
Routes 99 and 93
Routes 99 and 93 take you through east Belfast, the birthplace of C. S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia.
Stop at C. S. Lewis Square, where colourful sculptures bring characters from Narnia to life, including the famous wardrobe and the Lion. Nearby, the C. S. Lewis blue plaque marks his childhood home, and the C. S. Lewis Reading Room at Queen’s University celebrates his literary legacy with engraved quotations.
Cardiff: Roald Dahl
Route 8
Route 8 leads into Cardiff, where Roald Dahl was born.
This route combines urban cycling with glimpses into the world that inspired one of the world’s most famous children’s authors. As you enter the city, you pass sites connected to his early life, including the location of the sweet shop that inspired some of his stories.
At Cardiff Bay (Porth Teigr), visit the Norweigan Church and discover more trails associated with Roald Dahl.
