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Starting the hill in St. Jean le Thomas
2025 Easter Rally and AGM - Rally Information
NB on the rides that return to the Rally Site from Redbrook there are 3 options back...1.The Shortest but steepest from Cherry Orchard Farm and tge reason most of Taunton Group now ride electric assist 😀..2. The Short steady climb from Whitecliff Left turn o
NB on the rides that return to the Rally Site from Redbrook there are 3 options back...1.The Shortest but steepest from Cherry Orchard Farm and tge reason most of Taunton Group now ride electric assist 😀..2. The Short steady climb from Whitecliff Left turn on a RH bend and 3. The easiest but longest but busiest route back through the Town Centre...Options 1 and 2 will have signage to help...please see photos....
I have updated the Attendees page to include details of the pizza and food available from Greenacres campsite
I have added Martin's list of cafes and points of interest to each rides' route sheet. These are also available as a single file "Points_of_Interest_on_the_Rides.pdf" in both pdf excel format.
in 1962 The Beatles, some famous boyband, played Lydney Town Hall shortly after Ringo Starr joined them ...one of our rides goes to Lydney a Severnside Town ...
If you are venturing out on Ross on Wye ride there is a newly opened cafe to visit at w3w ///norms.lifeguard.sensible coffee, hot food and cakes all delicious and run by the same people as at Paddles featured earlier.
Club shop is on pitch 19. Campervan ML06KNO
Saturday 19th AGM at the Main Place Coleford (w3w ///radar.examine.promoting) Doors Open 4.30pm for 5pm Start. Please bring with you a knife and fork for your Chippy Meal Which will be delivered in boxes at 6.45pm. Followed by a Quiz in Teams of 6 and ideally please bring a pen(s).
The Main Place is located by the Coleford Cycletrack at the far end of Station Car Park and is also the Town Library. Cycle Parking is available please bring your lock. It is adjacent to the GWR Railway Museum and close to Lidl if travelling by car. NB Lights if staying for the Quiz..
Phil reminds us to bring a glass/drinking vessel for the Quiz as there are only a limited number of plastic glasses available.
For the AGM, I will bring red wine, white wine (1 glass per person), sparkling water, ornagd juice, apple juice, tea, coffe semi skimmed milk. Feel free to bring extra drinks if you wish.
Sadly due to building work at the Bowling Club being extended and the weather...it is unlikely their Club bar will be open this Easter 😢
Has anyone else checked their meter charges for electric at the campsite. Mine was 23.04Kwh for 1 day (18th). Only charging batteries, around 20 Mins induction hob, 3 hrs electric heating (1.8Kw per hour at max). Definitely something not right with electric metering. I was an industrial electrician so know something of electrical things.
AGM if travelling by car there is a small car park at the Main Place otherwise the Station Car Park is 80m away and big! First hour free with a ticket and I believe free after 6pm but check the notices
PICTURES - I'd really appreciate any pictures for the website to keep it updated. Unfortunately I'm not at the event as laid up poorly in the other Coleford (Somerset) Numerous ways. Email to neilwheadon1@gmail.com, Whats App 07577701230, facebook post on the Tandem Club Site, add the picture to Rides for the appropriate route, create a gallery on the site. Some information really helps, the route you were on and who's in the picture. Thankyou Neil
Yesterday I had a medical moment that required me to go to A&E in Gloucester, a 50 minute drive. I would like to thank Maureen the campground owner for driving me there and Phil Harmer for bringing me back. With all the negative news about, it is good to know that at the heart of society there are still plenty of caring people.
Please be mindful today when you depart that the whole of Coleford town centre is closed for the Transport festival including the main Station car park..safe journeys home
Final appeal for pictures. With a very heavy cold, I couldn't come and the rides look great. I have managed to find a few pictures on facebook and have filled the Tintern Ride. These make a great historical record of the event, inspire other tandems and also push the website higher up google. Any more please for the other routes? https://tandem-club.org.uk/rides?cmd=view&id=1366
At Wonastow Cross on Sustrans 423 on the W/M/46m Goytre Wharf ride
Thankyou for the pictures, all very appreciated. I have created a showcase at https://tandem-club.org.uk/showcase?cmd=view&group=&id=151. All you need to do is login and add away. If in the description you can add a name and pop in tandem somewhere that helps enormously when we all look back in 10 years
IMPORTANT
This webpage is now ready for use - you can use the information herein.
Important updates to the rides will be added to the Summary of the Rides table below. It is worth checking this table before setting off..
General Rally Information
The information below is available as a pdf file: 2025_Easter_Tandem_Rally_and_Rides_Information.pdf
Or if you prefer an edittable Word document: 2025_Easter_Tandem_Rally_and_Rides_Information.doc
Location
Greenacres Campsite, Scowles Road, Coleford, Gloucestershire GL16 8QS Tel 01594-837753
E-mail: admin@greenacrescampsite.co.uk
Rally HQ
Greenacres Campsite is a commercial site with all the associated facilities required of a campsite and much more. Maureen, Amanda and the team will gladly help with any of your FAQ’s and any other questions you may have. Please note there isn’t a communal indoor gathering point on site.
IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO WEAR ANY RALLY BADGE FROM PREVIOUS EVENTS TO HELP OTHERS AT THE AGM / MEAL / QUIZ AS OUR NUMBERS ARE LARGER THAN USUAL THIS EASTER.
Directions
If you are coming down the M50 you will likely get off on the A40. Once on the A40 do not get off at Goodrich or Symonds Yat – the roads are narrow and windy and not at all suitable for caravans or campervans! It is better to travel on down to Monmouth and take the A4136 towards Staunton and Coleford. Do not be tempted to follow satnav along the A466. The A4136 will take you through the village of Staunton and then you will see a turning right towards Coleford – the B4228. Take that turning right and travel about half a mile and you will come to a crossroads where again, you need to turn right into Scowles Road. We are half a mile down Scowles Road.
From the M5 and M4 you will come over the old Severn Bridge M48 towards Chepstow and pick up the A48 to Lydney. In Lydney you get the B4231 and stay on that road until you come to the junction with the B4228 – turn right and travel through the town of Coleford – you will pass 2 sets of traffic lights and once you have left Coleford you will come to the same crossroads mentioned above but this time turn left down Scowles Road.
Most SatNavs bring you right to the campsite.
Places of Interest
Coleford is the closest town less than 1mile from the Rally HQ and has many facilities including Co-op Supermarket, Tesco Express, Lidl, 1 Butchers, 2 Bakers, Fruit & Veg Shop, Deli, 2 Screen Cinema, Tourist Information, Numerous Cafes & Takeaways plus Public Houses and a MicroPub the “Dog House”.
The Towns of Chepstow, Monmouth & Ross on Wye are visited over the long weekend and have been chosen for their wealth of things to do, see, eat & drink.
Goodrich & Raglan Castles both feature on the rides where there are cafes….they are aware of the Rally and likely visits but could well be extremely busy!!
Symonds Yat East is visited and is an extremely popular tourist destination with two hand pull Ferries to whisk you over to Symonds Yat West…please note the road approaching Yat East will be busy and has passing places and beyond the car park you join the Peregrine Trail Cycle Path which is likely to be extremely busy with walkers, dogs, children and of course cyclists.
Pubs with Food close(ish) to the Rally Site
| Miners Country Inn | Sling | 01594-834556 | Booking Essential |
| Orepool Inn | Sling | 01594-833883 | Booking Advised being Bank Holiday Weekend |
| The Ostrich Inn | Newland | 01594-833260 | Booking Essential |
| The White Horse | Staunton | 01594-834001 | Booking Essential. |
| Dog & Muffler | Joyford, Berry Hill | 01594-832444 | Booking Essential. Closed Easter Monday Virtually full already for Easter Sunday |
| Butchers Arms | Clearwell | 01594-834313 | Booking Essential |
Cafes in Coleford
| Scoffs Coffee House | St John Street |
| Arrt of Coffee | Market Place |
| Sixteen Community Cafe | Bank Street |
| Kaplan's Cafe & Bistro | Market Place |
| Bicky's | Pyart Court |
Take-away Food in Coleford
| Tram Stop Fish & Chip Shop | St John Street | Fish & Chips |
| Al's Plaice Chip Shop | Gloucester Road | Fish & Chips |
| Milano & Charcoal Grill | Market Place | Pizza and Kebabs |
| Maa Cuisine | Gloucester Road | Indian |
| Cinnamons | St John Street | Indian |
| Oriental Gardens | Bank Street | Chinese |
| Lucky | St John Street | Chinese |
Food Available from the Campsite, including Friday Night Pizza
Original Word document from the campsite: Friday_night_Pizza.docx
Information from the Greenacres Team:
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We are looking forward to welcoming you to Greenacres and hope you have an enjoyable journey.
As you unwind from your travels and prepare for some camping fun, we invite you to join us for a scrumptious takeaway pizza night right here at the campsite. Pre-order now and indulge in a slice (or two!) of cheesy goodness. to take away the stress whilst you are setting up.
Here's what you need to know about our freshly made 10 inch pizzas: (served 5-7pm)
| Margherita | £9 |
| Pineapple | £11 |
| Pepperoni | £11 |
| Veggie Feast | £10 |
| Meat Feast | £11 |
| Garlic Flat Bread | £6 |
| Cheesy Garlic Flat Bread | £7 |
| Chips | £3.50 | |
| Cheesy Chips | £4 | |
| Dip Pots | £1 | (BBQ/Garlic Mayo/Chilli Sauce/Chilli Mayo) |
| Kids Meal | £5 | (Sausage, Fish Fingers or Chicken Nuggets & Chips) |
| Fish & Chips | £7 | |
| Sausage & Chips | £7 | |
| Chicken Nuggets (8) | £4 |
Our shop also sells a range of hot & cold drinks, confectionery and ice creams.
Breakfast rolls (Bacon/Sausage/Egg/Vegan Sausage) and fresh pastries are available every morning.
To place your order in advance simply send an email to greenacres2@btinternet.com or drop by the campsite reception during your stay. We recommend placing your orders in advance to ensure we can accommodate everyone's cravings. Then simply pay for your order at check-in and choose a time-slot for collection.
Thank you for choosing Greenacres for your outdoor adventure. We're thrilled to be part of your camping memories and look forward to serving you some piping hot pizzas!
Best regards,
Team Greenacres!
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Further Information
Coleford Bowling Club has a small bar area open to non-members. It is a short walk (500m) from the campsite, on a footpath (avoids any roads). People mostly sit and watch the bowling with a drink. Likely to be open all Easter, weather permitting. Find it on What 3 words: https://w3w.co/taster.obscuring.cages
1.5 miles from the site is Coleford Leisure & Motorhome Sales/Service Centre who are capable of caravan/camper repairs but possibly not on a BH weekend. Coleford Leisure Ltd, Old Station Way, Coleford, Gloucestershire GL16 8RE 01594 834893.
The Dean Forest Railway is a 4 ¹⁄₄-mile long heritage railway that runs between Lydney and Parkend in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. The route was part of the former Severn and Wye Railway which ran from Lydney to Cinderford. Note they will not be running trains on Thursday 17th but will be the remainder of the weekend. Bikes can travel free of charge carried in the Guards Van but passengers must pay the appropriate fare. Space is limited in the Guards van.
Places of Interest and Cafes on the Rides
The points of interest and cafes on the rides are summarised in the following pdf file: Points_of_Interest_on_the_Rides.pdf
Or if you prefer an editable Excel document: Points_of_Interest_on_the_Rides.xlsx
The cafes on our rides have been notified of the Rally and likely drop-in of Tandemists but please aware they are likely to be busy so your patience would be appreciated. Please note the Red Door Café & Deli featured on the rides is a regular haunt of cyclists and can accommodate large groups.
Help
For help or assistance in any preplanning please do not hesitate to contact me.
Martin Green
Mobile – 07747 023948 e-mail – >martinjenny@sky.com
Routes and Places of Interest Viewable and Downloadable
Summary of the rides
| Direction | Length | ID | Name | Miles | Feet ^ | OS 161 | OS 162 | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West | Very Short | 1361 | W_VS_22m_Red_Door_Deli | 22.3 | 1,509 | X | X | Entirely on roads |
| West | Medium | 1362 | W_M_46m_Goytre_Wharf | 45.8 | 2,867 | X | X | Almost entirely on roads, except for small section to/from the Wharf along a canal towpath. Look out for pedestrians who take priority. |
| North | Very Short | 1363 | N_VS_25m_Peregrine_Trail_and_Goodrich_Castle | 25.2 | 1,682 | X | Section from Symonds Yat to Monmouth is an off road track. Do NOT use the A40 as an alternative - too fast and busy. | |
| North | Short | 1364 | N_S_30m_Ross-on-Wye | 29.9 | 1,951 | X | Section from Monmouth to Symonds Yat is an off road track. Do NOT use the A40 as an alternative - too fast and busy. | |
| East | Very Short | 1365 | E_VS_22m_Family_Cycle_Trail_Tour_de_Foret | 22.2 | 1,474 | X | A well used off road trail, best ridden clockwise. Could be busy with other users. Inside the first half mile where you descend through an avenue of trees on a broken tarmac path at the bottom there is a deepish dip right across the path that has not been made up since the storms ..you can ride easily but you need to scrub off plenty of speed ...it's just before you get to the Bowls Club. | |
| South | Short | 1366 | S_S_30m_Wye_Valley_Greenway | 30.1 | 2,358 | X | New Sustrans route that has recently had the Tintern end completely resurfaced/upgraded. Reopens April 1st when we will check it out. 1 mile tunnel has low level lights so as not to disturb the bats...the recommendation is no lights! | |
| South East | Short | 1367 | SE_S_29m_Mallards_Pike_and_Lydney | 28.5 | 1,821 | X | Uses Family Cycle Trail to Mallards Pike. Could be busy with other users. Cycle route through Lydney to the harbour is all tarmac'd, but likely to be busy. | |
| North East | Medium | 1368 | NE_M_40m_Circuit_of_the_Forest | 40.0 | 2,840 | X | Entirely on roads, but some are pot holed back lanes, especially Longhope to Blaisdon - passable with care. |
You may also find OS Explorer Map OL14 (1:25,000) useful for details of roads, lanes and paths.
Rides are self-guided but you may wish to meet at the rally site and agree to ride with others but please keep groups down to a reasonable size. If you are not staying on the site there is limited car parking onsite which may well be full so you may wish to visit by bike.
The Forest of Dean & Wye Valley roads are likely to be busy during the holiday period hence the suggestion for riding in SMALL groups. The area is quite hilly so the rides have been designed as to be as Tandem friendly as humanly possible which means busier roads have been unavoidable and there is likely to be a fair bit of repetition as gentler routes in/out of the Forest are far and few between…. And there are 3 ways back to the site one of which involves a steep ascent but is the shortest when returning from Redbrook.
Please also be aware that our local roads, despite a recent programme of filling & resurfacing, enjoy a glut or rash of potholes which not only affect the way you may have to ride but also way other road users react and since the pandemic tolerance of cyclists has diminished similar to maybe what you are already used to.
Navigation – whether using electronic assistance or manual navigation (good old MAPS system) there will be times when you are unsure of your route and may need to stop…please do not stop at or near road junctions find somewhere close by and safe to clarify your situation.
The Off-Road route designed to tour the local area is generally rideable on any bicycle BUT you may wish to stick to the roads on your top of the range carbon tandem with 25mm tyres!!
There are two roads to be avoided in the Forest of Dean if you intend doing some exploring “ad hoc” as they are particularly busy, hilly and generally not very cycling friendly…A) The B4226 arterial road between Coleford & Cinderford and B) The A4136 between Five Acres & Steam Mills. If there is something of particular interest on these routes, please ask for alternative routes to access. NB The ride that goes to Lydney Docks does involve descending on the B4226 which is fine but this is a road NEVER to be ascended.
The following is the list of rides with maps showing the ride with statistics and places of interest on the routes. Only those booked for the event and logged into the website will be able to access these.
The ability to download all the rides, by a member, in a zip file will be available once the rides have been published here.
15 random places within 30 km of the area are given below. Click on the title above to see all places and for more info
Note the ride maps show all of the places on routes as icons on the maps.
Full place listing. |
Id: 8707 Category: food/shop Map Reference: 51.99332, -2.39183 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 3790 Category: food/pub Map Reference: 51.55065, -2.46783 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 11646 Category: food/cafe Map Reference: 51.76639, -2.563 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 6894 Category: food/cafe Map Reference: 51.91109, -2.84225 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 5174 Category: food/pub Map Reference: 51.53813, -2.39209 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 11226 Category: food/cafe Map Reference: 51.69774, -2.67796 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 3299 Category: food/cafe Map Reference: 51.60765, -2.52502 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 11645 Category: food/cafe Map Reference: 51.78134, -2.52807 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 730 Category: food/cafe Map Reference: 51.73611, -2.39509 Show on a mapAdded by: Lester Evans |
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Id: 9385 Category: food/cafe Map Reference: 51.69154, -2.37491 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 6939 Category: food/cafe Map Reference: 51.86418, -2.47173 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 6792 Category: food/cafe Map Reference: 51.63425, -2.43985 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 3314 Category: food/cafe Map Reference: 51.59509, -2.39974 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 4210 Category: food/cafe Map Reference: 51.62878, -2.40204 Show on a mapAdded by: Terry Barnaby |
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Id: 6890 Category: food/gardenCentre Map Reference: 51.95217, -2.41173 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
15 random places within 30 km of the area are given below. Click on the title above to see all places and for more info
Note the ride maps show all of the places on routes as icons on the maps.
Full place listing. |
Id: 1403 Category: interest/castle Map Reference: 51.59309, -2.74232 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 6893 Category: interest/misc Map Reference: 51.99507, -2.51275 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 3818 Category: interest/church Map Reference: 51.60885, -2.50148 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 1504 Category: interest/castle Map Reference: 51.84596, -2.90211 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 3298 Category: interest/museum Map Reference: 51.60632, -2.52536 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 1684 Category: interest/church Map Reference: 51.62096, -2.73053 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 1564 Category: interest/historic Map Reference: 51.61171, -2.77103 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 6932 Category: interest/house Map Reference: 52.03705, -2.42266 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 7365 Category: interest/industrial Map Reference: 51.73713, -2.45627 Show on a mapAdded by: Alex Reeves |
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Id: 8265 Category: interest/historic Map Reference: 51.64064, -2.67624 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 1614 Category: interest/castle Map Reference: 51.9154, -2.86605 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 1577 Category: interest/visitorCentre Map Reference: 51.64475, -2.67295 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 1689 Category: interest/castle Map Reference: 51.87831, -2.79024 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 1640 Category: interest/historic Map Reference: 51.62939, -2.77984 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
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Id: 11495 Category: interest/museum Map Reference: 51.79994, -2.57758 Show on a mapAdded by: Neil Wheadon |
Other Files
| Type | FileName | Date | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 2025_Easter_Tandem_Rally_and_Rides_Information.doc | 2025-03-31 10:02pm | 95K |
 | 2025_Easter_Tandem_Rally_and_Rides_Information.pdf | 2025-03-31 10:02pm | 245K |
| Friday_night_Pizza.docx | 2025-04-16 05:52pm | 17K |
| Points_of_Interest_on_the_Rides.pdf | 2025-04-15 09:24pm | 495K |
 | Points_of_Interest_on_the_Rides.xlsx | 2025-04-15 09:24pm | 15K |
 | info.html | 2025-04-25 11:51am | 17K |