Pictures Of The UK

[Orson]

One of my favorite places  

Quaint villages of the Cotswolds



Thatched roof house in the Exmoor



A toll road in Somerset



Somewhere on the backroads of Somerset...



Rolling terrain near the entrance to the Exmoor...





The fishing village of Clovelly.



The rugged Cornish coast near Land's End



The town of Totnes



Idyllic Devonshire village



A pub on every corner  



Ever-changing skies



Desolate moors in the Yorkshire Dales



Greener landscapes in the Yorkshire Dales







Typical stone-walled backroad in the Yorkshire Dales





One of the paved motocross tracks that pass for roads in the Yorkshire Dales. The Buttertub Pass



Main Street in the village of Dent.



Vivid greenery abounds



The Kirkstone Pass in the Lake District



Lake Ullswater, the Lake District



Richmond Castle near York



Pastoral scenes are typical in northern England



The stark beauty of the North York Moors



Shropshire canals



The A470, North Wales



The Brecon Beacons National Park, South Wales



Approaching Snowdonia, North Wales



Stopping for tea and crumpets

[FJR-UK]

"A green and pleasant land."

Shocking! There a a few shots there with no motorcycle in them!  

You take a fine photograph, sir. Nice one.

[Ant]

Lies, all lies!! That can't be the UK, it is sunny in most of the photos!!  


The town of Beer down on the South coast.


The Youth Hostel in Beer


Name that landmark!


A more typical British day by Loch Lomond


The moors where I grew up in Derbyshire.


Remind me why I went to the Midlands when I could've stayed here?


My home town of Glossop


Fort William in Scotland




Which way is up?

I feel like the bloody British tourist board now!

Off to the Lakes at Easter weekend so I ought to be able to get some nice photos of that area, maybe even with a bike in it!

[Guzzipat]

As you two left out Scotland, I have no choice but to remedy the omission.

[FJR-UK]

Ant – One simply must make a pilgrimage to any town called Beer. Right?  
The walk to the west along the beach from Beer and then to Branscombe for a pint in the local is worth the trip, too.

[FKaiser]

Beautiful pic's!  Thanks for sharing.

[Ant]

Ant – One simply must make a pilgrimage to any town called Beer. Right?  
The walk to the west along the beach from Beer and then to Branscombe for a pint in the local is worth the trip, too.

That was my thinking exactly, it was the day after I'd bought my motorbike and I was looking on the map for somewhere to go. The word "Beer" just lept off the page and when I saw there was a Youth Hostel there I had to go
I did make that walk, it was a lovely weekend when I was down there. The pub in Beer on the cliff edge was nice, fish & chips and a couple of pints sat looking out to sea. Very good  

[R Doug]

So, I turn 37 this month and I've only been touring on a bike since 2005.  England was already on my must-ride before I die list.  This thread solidifies it.  

I should have at least another 30-35 years of riding left in me.  I should be able to get there someday.  


Thanks for the images.

[Guzzipat]

So, I turn 37 this month and I've only been touring on a bike since 2005.  England was already on my must-ride before I die list.  This thread solidifies it.  

I should have at least another 30-35 years of riding left in me.  I should be able to get there someday.  


Thanks for the images.

More than 30 I hope, I am 66 and still touring. This year I am planning a long trip, as I am retired. 3 months touring, about 8 countries. All them roads and different beers, can't wait.

[R Doug]

More than 30 I hope, I am 66 and still touring. This year I am planning a long trip, as I am retired. 3 months touring, about 8 countries. All them roads and different beers, can't wait.

I very much hope you post up a ride report!

[miles]

All these "Pics of___" threads are friggin' killing me.  The Canadian pics, now this.  The crummy exchange rate is not making me happy.

[Aero]

Here's a couple of the Wye Valley on the England/Wales border. Taken November 2006, you can see the trees changing their colours. The weather is not always so nice in November!

[Jeff N]

This one is beautiful.

[Ant]

Glencoe - Scotland



Somewhere on the Northern Coast of Scotland



Near to the Isle of Skye



The top of Bealach Na Ba pass (pass of the cattle). The highest road in the UK, sea level -> 2000ft -> sea level in 30 miles. On single track roads with 20% gradient in places.



On the way up the pass.







The famous Castle Dornoch






I could just keep on going but I will stop there Sufficed to say I am now in love with Scotland, the Highlands and the Isle of Skye particularly.

[Ant]

Oh one more, in response to this photo of near Lands End.



John O'Groats, the end of the road.
Not quite so dramatic a shot but the rugged coast was hidden behind an inconveniently placed house!

[Global Rider]

Lies, all lies!! That can't be the UK, it is sunny in most of the photos!!  

Been there twice; got rained on twice.  

And for the other times I was just passing through at London-Heathrow...it was raining then as well.

[FJR-UK]

You just have to be here when the sun's out!  

In London, we haven't seen rain for a week. Today is overcast – first day for a week that hasn't been glorious. Everybody is already wondering if the reservoirs are full enough to have a dry summer.

Here's a rape field in Lincolnshire taken a couple weeks ago. And, oh, my new FJR as well.  

[Ralf]

You just have to be here when the sun's out!  

In London, we haven't seen rain for a week. Today is overcast – first day for a week that hasn't been glorious. Everybody is already wondering if the reservoirs are full enough to have a dry summer.

Here's a rape field in Lincolnshire taken a couple weeks ago. And, oh, my new FJR as well.  

Congratulations on the new bike  

[FJR-UK]

Congratulations on the new bike  

Thanks, but it's not new any more. I dropped it at 350 miles. It's 75 lbs. heavier and the saddle is 10mm higher than my old bike. Just enough to catch me out during one of my routine parking maneuvers. The main damage was to my ego.

You can't see the scratches when you're sitting on it, though. The bike is more refined than my 2002 model. Smooth. Very.

We're off to Brugge this weekend. I'll post some happy snaps. We'll be in the company of two hired Harleys (a birthday present) so we're keeping the mileage down and hoping for this sunny weather to continue.

[Beck-zuki]

Thanks for all the lovely shots, guys!  (Although they make me very sad about the exchange rate....)  And congrats on the (nearly) new bike, FJR-UK!  Looking forward to your next trip report.

[FJR-UK]

And congrats on the (nearly) new bike, FJR-UK!  Looking forward to your next trip report.

Thanks. I am really enjoying the new bike. Regarding the trip report, unlike Orson's which run and run (and rightly so) if you blink, you miss mine. The link is here:
http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,25889.0.html

Cheers!  

[BigHoss]

Man o man I wished I had gone over there.  I dated a girl from Scotland for a while, I don't remember the town she was from but I remember her talking about an extended train ride from Inverness. She was from the Highlands. Drever was her last name and she was one of the funniest girlfriends I ever had.

Keep the pics of the UK comming, one day I'll make it over there..

[Air_Bob1]

Beautiful pictures!

It makes me want to go home to Scotland!

[Orson]

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, South Wales



Preseli Hills



Elan Valley, Wales



Mid-Wales



Snowdonia National Park

[Explorer]

  You people are killing me here!!! I MUST make it over the pond SOON!!

[tenbears]

What a great collection of shots!

Odd, isn't it, that we don't often see this type of thing on the touring boards. I guess most of us natives are pretty complacent when it comes to our own roads, so we end up just writing and showing shots of the more exotic places we visit/ride.

Great stuff.

I'm off down to Devon for a few days....

[Orson]

What a great collection of shots!

Odd, isn't it, that we don't often see this type of thing on the touring boards. I guess most of us natives are pretty complacent when it comes to our own roads, so we end up just writing and showing shots of the more exotic places we visit/ride.

My friend in Nottingham said the same thing about my Yorkshire Dales pictures. He said he ridden those same roads numerous times but never thought it worthy to stop for a photo.

yes, complacency breeds contempt   I'd be the same way if I'd ridden those roads hundreds of times.

Of the countries I've ridden in Europe, the UK (ok, so it's not Europe) ranks highly with me  

[FJR-UK]

... the UK (ok, so it's not Europe) ...

Some of us think the UK is part of Europe, some of us don't. It could be as close as 49%/51%, but the government doesn't know which way we are swinging from moment to moment, so there has never been a vote.

I was thinking about you, Orson, just today on my way home from Lincolnshire. The A15 from Sleaford to Peterborough has some surprisingly beautiful, hilly, curvey places. As I was cruising by all the photo opportunities I wondered how often you actually stop and go back for a shot. I can't be arsed...  

[tenbears]

Yeah... for sure... I guess its that familiarity thing.

Mind you, one of the first things I always notice when returning from jaunts abroad is just how terrible the road surfaces are over here. When you consider just how much cash gets generated on our roads I'm left gob-smacked at just how poorly maintained they are.

Around here [in Surrey] they've chosen to resurface with what must be the cheapest, crappiest option going – somesort of tarmac base with liberal sprinklings of loose chippings.   On the surface it turns A roads into what looks like shitty D roads!!! WTF do they do with all those funds? Compounded, too, by the fact loads of Brits are facing huge back taxes on their vehicles...

It never ceases to amaze me just how incompetent local councils & government are – if it happened in the private sector they'd all be out of a job... yet they plod on, yeaar by year, repeating the same old hidious errors until such time they retire [dis]gracefully and feed off their handsome publicly funded pensions.

[Global Rider]

As I was cruising by all the photo opportunities I wondered how often you actually stop and go back for a shot. I can't be arsed...  

That is one thing that plagues me. I pass sooooo many great photo ops daily when I'm in Europe, but I can't be bothered stopping or turning around. The roads are just too much fun and I'm there to ride.

BTW, are there any on-line lists of "motorcycle friendly accomodations" for the UK, as there is for Europe? The only places I came across were very pricey.

[FJR-UK]

BTW, are there any on-line lists of "motorcycle friendly accomodations" for the UK, as there is for Europe? The only places I came across were very pricey.

Not that I'm aware of.

I've been actively touring in the UK (with the exception of Northern Ireland) since 1983 and I've never noticed anything like the Motorcycle Hotels that I spotted when crossing the Alps into Austria. Also, I noticed filling stations that had shelves over the toilets to place your helmet on. These accommodations are pretty much unheard of in the UK.

That's not to say that hoteliers are motorcycle-unfriendly. Um, unless you travel through Derbyshire. The RD350 set (and their descendants) ruined motorcycling for everyone in that neck of the woods. Some pubs in villages like Buxton won't allow entry if you are wearing leather.

Otherwise, the UK is pretty welcoming to bikers, we just don't have anything biker-specific. (Having said that, I did a quick search and found a motorcycle dating website that features a biker hotel in Blackpool. Lots of black leather and handlebar moustaches, I'll wager.)

[Pookie]

Just my 2p worth.......



Loch Carron



The beginning of the Pass of the Cattle



Applecross Hotel car park



Broadford, Skye



Coral Beach, Skye



Skye to Glen Elg ferry



The Falkirk Wheel

[Orson]

Isle of Skye, Scotland



Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland

[Mr Sunshine]

Around here [in Surrey] they've chosen to resurface with what must be the cheapest, crappiest option going – somesort of tarmac base with liberal sprinklings of loose chippings.   On the surface it turns A roads into what looks like shitty D roads!!! WTF do they do with all those funds? Compounded, too, by the fact loads of Brits are facing huge back taxes on their vehicles...

That's called chip-seal here in the States.  Its tar with a bunch of chip rock thrown on top of it....then pressed in.  What sucks is when you ride the road right afterwards...rocks get thrown up alot and then you can't tell the difference between the "pavement" and the shouldars cause the color is the same.

[CDN]

Great pictures folks....but where's one of the Castle Anthrax?  Me REALLY wants to go there  

Buttertub Pass looks divine  

[yotes65]

It never ceases to amaze me the quality of Orson's Photo's. I would love to win the lotto & hire Orson as a guide to show me around Europe & the UK for as long as the money last... it never hurts to Dream...

[Orson]

I would love to win the lotto & hire Orson as a guide to show me around Europe & the UK for as long as the money last... it never hurts to Dream...

 

Thanks! But really, there's no need for a guide. Anyone can do it.

You just head on out, and you can't help but run into beautiful scenery  

[Orson]

Bump for winter viewing  

always nice to reminisce of the beautiful British Isles  

[Mrs. DantesDame]

Says the man who submitted NO PHOTOS for this year's calendar  

[Orson]

I just couldn't bear to submit a non-2009 photo  

[Ralf]

Says the man who submitted NO PHOTOS for this year's calendar  

That's pretty rough considering the man's grief this year  

[Mrs. DantesDame]

That's pretty rough considering the man's grief this year  

Eh, I know what he's been through this year. But the calendar rules do not say that the photos have to be from the current year and I have no doubts that the Orson Archives^tm are quite extensive.

And judging from the number of "reported posts" he sends the mods, Orson has enough time on his hands  

[Ralf]

Eh, I know what he's been through this year. But the calendar rules do not say that the photos have to be from the current year and I have no doubts that the Orson Archives^tm are quite extensive.

And judging from the number of "reported posts" he sends the mods, Orson has enough time on his hands  

He's probably just regrouping to return with a knockout punch in the new year

[Mrs. DantesDame]

He's probably just regrouping to return with a knockout punch in the new year

Oh yeah, I can just see him pouring over maps and town descriptions, scheming and planning. He has some touring to make up, for sure!

[Ralf]

Oh yeah, I can just see him pouring over maps and town descriptions, scheming and planning. He has some touring to make up, for sure!

Noblesse oblige!

[ANZAC]

Thanks to Orson and all for the photos of the UK.  Been to Scotland and yes, it is the most beautiful place I have ever seen.  I want to go back and re-visit Scotland, see Ilse of Man TT, and the rest of jolly old England.

Must go to Totnes as I have a very distance family (Carew) member that was the Earl Of Totnes back during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1 and King James.

[theoneandonly]

how come your bonnie changes to a guzzi tenni, and then to a v11 le mans (on an italian plate ? or did no one else notice ? and if pat can stop scaring me, by putting in a picture of his jackal, that, from the front is so similar to my stone ,but my side stand is black,but even my tentbag is the same colour!
 

[Orson]

how come your bonnie changes to a guzzi tenni, and then to a v11 le mans (on an italian plate ? or did no one else notice ?   

I rode the Guzzi from Italy to the UK twice  

Then I bought the Thruxton to have a bike in the UK. Unfortunately, I don't get up to the UK as much as I had hoped to  

[ANZAC]

Just my 2p worth.......



Loch Carron



The beginning of the Pass of the Cattle



Applecross Hotel car park



Broadford, Skye



Coral Beach, Skye



Skye to Glen Elg ferry



The Falkirk Wheel

Great photos!!  I love Scotland and took the drive from Edinburgh to Dingwall then back in one day    We ran out of time and really need to go back.  Too much to see and do too quickly - very sad.  

What in the world is the Falkirk Wheel?  Some sort of water wheel?  

[Troppo King]

No bikes in these pics....

 

Hyde Park









Blues and Royals...





Ambulance bike in London

[Troppo King]

Queen's House...





Trooper and his mount at Horseguards, Whitehall...





The old Bill...

[Orson]

Bump for winter viewing  

[notarian]

Riding the UK, especially Scotland in the winter is for the very hardy or perhaps the very foolhardy. But, late winter (April) can be pretty good. Oh, you’ll still get rained on (a lot), probably get snowed on, gale force winds and all the while freezing your toes off.

There’s a lot of this – was much worse than pictured


Which leads to this


But the same day can be this – North Coast


And this – Loch Ness


An hour and a half later Castle Eileen Donan


20 minutes later


An hour later, melting snow brings high water on Skye


Followed by Old Man Storr, Skye – bleak and dreac


The next day brings bright joyfull sunshine – Tobermory, Mull


And best place in Winter? Absolutely, surrounded by whisky

[ANZAC]

Those are awesome Scotland pictures  

Is that one of Loch Ness taken from Fort William looking north?

We were over there in May and its was fairly mild.  No snow but plenty of rain and wind just like the Pacific Northwest.

[notarian]

Those are awesome Scotland pictures  

Is that one of Loch Ness taken from Fort William looking north?

We were over there in May and its was fairly mild.  No snow but plenty of rain and wind just like the Pacific Northwest.

Loch Ness pic is dead centre south end of the loch just outside (East of) Ft. Augustus.

[FKaiser]

Nice pics.., England has some of the best countryside.  I feel the need to travel  

[Papa Lazarou]

Nice pics.., England has some of the best countryside.  I feel the need to travel  

ENGLAND!!!!!!

Some here of Scotland, some of Wales, some of England..

This so called England is the lost lands-Lloegyr.

[notarian]

ENGLAND!!!!!!

Some here of Scotland, some of Wales, some of England..

This so called England is the lost lands-Lloegyr.

Now, now Papa. Be nice. Kaiser was giving compliment.

"lost lands-Lloegyr" indeed. Lost to 40 million population (Lloegry alone, not the whole of England, 55M) potholed roads, a few hills... no serious motorbiker travels the region for long as its only to catch a ferry or pass through to ride Scotland, Wales or Northern England. The title is "Pictures of the UK" and, unfortunately but true, few ever stop for photos of Lloegyr in general.

Now, if there were to be a Lloegyric pandemic...

[Papa Lazarou]

Now, if there were to be a Lloegyric pandemic...

One can only hope...BTW, you still owe us the last British Kingdom. It's called Strathclyde.

[ANZAC]

Loch Ness pic is dead centre south end of the loch just outside (East of) Ft. Augustus.

Ft. Augustus that's it!!  Wasn't there a monastery there too and some of the earliest Nessie sightings by the monks?

[notarian]

One can only hope...BTW, you still owe us the last British Kingdom. It's called Strathclyde.

Strathclyde, eh? Well, the statement is a definite maybe. Only because it recently took about 500 years to sort out. From 600-1100AD Strathclyde was ruled by the Scottish Kings of Alba, the Norse from Ireland, a short spell of England's Wessex Kings then regained by the Scots. Cumbria was included in this from time to time.

From strictly a biker point of view (not agriculturally), England got some of the best of it in Cumbria (Lake District) so there isn't that much to complain about.



Cumbria

Ft. Augustus that's it!!  Wasn't there a monastery there too and some of the earliest Nessie sightings by the monks?

ANZAC, it's Ft. Augustus Abbey (not really very old - around 1880) and, yes it is part of Nessieland.

Ft. Augustus - the Canal Lochs




Sorry, no pics of the Abbey

[Peterpan]

As my first post I upload an image taken last year in Scotland.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Orson]

There is something about British skies, an ever-changing palette of colors and shades. Even on a rainy day, the sun can suddenly breakout from beneath a canopy of clouds and set off an explosion of colors and rainbows. I don't think I've ever seen skies quite like them. Magical places.

[katrider]

Couldn't resist adding a few of my own...

Ooops...I see I mislabeled the Clan Donald castle ruins...should MacDonald but of course all good Scots (and Irish too) will already know that.

[Orson]

Northern Ireland

[katrider]

Is thet the North West 200??

[Orson]

Is thet the North West 200??

Yah...unfortunately, I only saw one race before an oil spill, and then, rain, and then a phoned in bomb threat put the kabosh on the program.

I still got a small taste of Irish road racing  

[ANZAC]

That's the turn they make before the ride along the coast.  Famous race course