Lewisham Cyclists - Chislehurst Caves Family Ride 2006

After our successful family rides in March and June we're heading off to Chislehurst Caves a fascinating destination for young and old alike. We've had riders aged 6 to 78 years on our previous family rides.

The ride will be along traffic free cycle routes and quiet roads. We'll be going down the Waterlink Way, through Beckenham Place Park and Elmstead Woods. There are a couple of hills but we'll be going as slow as you like and of course we will wait for anyone who wants to walk up the tougher sections. Anyone who is tired from the ride has the option of taking a short train ride back to Lewisham from Chislehurst. The station is very close to the caves.

Chislehurst Caeves are 20 miles of pasageways and caves with a history stretching back over 8000 years from the Saxons and Druids to modern day rock concerts and episodes of Dr Who.
Then there is the thrill of going underground . . . .
Take the tour - adults £5, children and oaps £3. There is a retaurant.

Chislehurst Caves website

You don't have to be a family. All are welcome on this easy paced ride.

Sunblock and water recommended. Please bring waterproofs as weather can be unpredictable. Bring helmets if you have them, a puncture repair kit and please make sure your bikes are roadworthy. We will provide cycle maps.

The ride is co-ordinated by Lewisham Cyclists (part of the London Cycling Campaign).

We knew we were gambling on the attendance for this ride when we planned it for the August bank holiday weekend, at the end of school holidays, with no opportunity to get any publicity to schools.

It was great sunny cycling weather and 4 new comers Karen, dad David with sons Nathan and Matthew joined regulars me (Ian), Jack, David and Teresa.

Nathan and Matthew were very familiar with the Waterlink Way and Beckenham Place. Living in Lower Sydenham they had travelled the section between the Saver Centre and Catford several times and Beckenham Place was one of their favourite places to ride – mine too. I’ll often take my mountain bike there for an after work, afternoon whiz around the trails, being mindful of pedestrians and dogs of course. We stopped in Beckenham Place Park for a cup of tea.

The route from Lewisham to Chislehurst is a little bit hilly and long sections off road. Nine years old Nathan on his one geared Mongoose BMX struggled on some of the off road inclines but was undefeated on the tarmac sections and his enthusiasm never wavered.

We arrived at Chislehurst Caves at about 12:30. There is no cycle parking here and our bikes had to be locked to fences, garden furniture, lamp posts - the most permanent objects we could find.

The tour of the caves which apparently aren’t caves, they are man made and therefore classed as mines, costs £5 for adults, £3 for kids and OAPs, takes about 40 minutes, it’s entertaining, educational and well worth the money.

After the tour we had a quick lunch in the café and then headed back on the mostly down hill return journey. We arrived back in Ladywell Fields at 16:00.

The distance was 20 miles, our longest family ride and despite the hills the kids were full of energy – fuelled by a sense of achievement and Opal Fruits. It was good to see Karen similarly enthused and talking to Teresa and David about doing a trip around the Viking Trail.

Thanks everyone for coming it was a great day out. Look out for future family rides.

North gate on Ladywell BridgeTime: 10:30am – 5.30pm