2022 National Rally Saturday 28th May to Saturday 4th June 2022 Corsham RFC Lacock Road Corsham SN13 9QG Map co-ordinates (51.430470, -2.1701634)

 

Corsham High Street

Avebury stone circle

White Horse at Bratton Camp

Bowood Woodland Gardens

Corsham Court

Castle Combe

Malmesbury

Inside Malmesbury Abbey - tomb of first King of England

Pulteney Weir, Bath

Royal Crescent, Bath

Sunrise at the Box tunnel on Brunel's birthday

Beach at Cotswold Water Park

 

*** Detailed information for Rally Attendees (Click here) ***

 

Corsham is a beautiful small town on the South-East corner of the Cotswolds, with peacocks roaming the traditional High Street which was used as a set for Poldark. Just off the High Street, Corsham Court is a stunning building within extensive parkland landscaped by Capability Brown and later Repton. The rally will be at Corsham Rugby Footall Club, a short ride from the centre of town along a lane which is part of the Wiltshire Cycleway, or a leisurely 10-minute stroll on footpaths across the parkland.

Here is a map of Corsham: the rally site is along the lane to the east, marked "To Lacock"

We hope you will be able to join us for the week.

Extra Booking information

We are now past the closing date for booking onto the rally. If you would like to attend, please send an email to tcn2022@tandem-club.org.uk and we will try to help. Note that you will not have a reservation until all costs are paid. 

For people staying off0site, please note there will be no parking available at the rugby club - you will need to either cycle, or park locally and walk a little. 

Information about cancellation is included on the FAQs on the detailed rally information, and on the booking form. 

 

The Rides

Cycling in the immediate area and to the north and south is gentle, to the east we are a few miles from the edge of the Wiltshire Downs, and to the west there are the hills towards Bath. There really is cycling for all tastes, and tea and cake stops for all tastes too!

There will be a choice of three suggested routes on most days: short (about 30 miles), medium (about 50 miles) or long (about 70 miles). Routes for these will be available as both gpx files and the classic traditional technology of a sheet to print. You can ride at your own pace on your own, or join in with an informal group, mixing in with other tandems as you go along. Each ride will have suggestions for coffee, lunch and tea stops, and things to look out for.

Wednesday is a rest day and there will be no routes planned. In the afternoon, Stuart Hunter is organising a tea party to celebrate the Tandem Club 50th Birthday party. On your reservation. be sure to include if you are coming to the rally, as this will make sure your rally booking and party booking are linked together.

The rides are being organised by Linda and Ron Stinchcombe.

The Rally Site

The Rally will be based at Corsham Rugby club, where we will be able to camp on the level training areas and use club facilities. These include a large clubhouse room and well-stocked bar serving local real ale. We will also have a marquee with mains electrics which can be used by campers to charge things like mobile phones, navigation devices and electric bike batteries at any time, even when the clubhouse is closed overnight. I have organised additional (24-hour) toilet and shower facilities including an accessible toilet, please check this would be suitable if you have specific needs.

There are no electric hookups available for camping. We will have access to a fridge, and to a small amount of freezer space for freezer bloscks. There will be sinks for washing up.

There is WiFi at the clubhouse, and I’ve had good mobile reception when the WiFi is out of range.

Terry, Ron and Stuart are looking after both the electrics for the marquee, and the sinks.

How to get here

For road access please use the location on the map below or, for a SatNav, the coordinates  (51.430470, -2.1701634). The postcode SN13 9QG will take you to the other side of the lane - I'm sure most will be able to cope with that! The rally site is about 8 miles from J17 of the M4, most of which can be on major roads.

The nearest rail station is at Chippenham, about 4 miles from the rally site.

To the west, Bath Spa station is about 12 miles -  I suggest you check the routes for the rally.  If you plan your own route check the contours (does anyone enjoy repeated, unexpected 200m hills?) and be warned that some of the main roads are pretty hilly as well as unpleasantly busy. Alternative stations are Bristol Parkway or Bristol Temple Meads (both about 23 miles), Swindon (about 25 miles), or Trowbridge (about 10 miles). The club has information about taking your tandem on a train: the local trains are generally run by GWR.

Social Events

In the evenings there will be a program of social events starting with welcome drinks and a very fun local band on the Saturday, and finishing with a goodbye party with a local R&B group on the Friday. In between will include the great tandem games, a barn dance and quiz.

Wednesday Tandem Club 50th birthday party

There are no routes organised for the Wednesday "rest day". 

In the afternoon, Stuart Hunter is organising a tea party to celebrate the Tandem Club 50th Birthday party. You are now past the closing date for reservations.

Shops and Food

Corsham itself has an array of shops including a good-sized supermarket, pubs, restaurants and take-aways. The near-side of Chippenham is a couple of miles, with superstores and the all-important McDonalds. There are excellent pubs in most local villages.

Places to Visit

The local area has a huge variety of things to do and see. Local natural beauty has led to large country homes and the Cotswolds region has many beautiful villages. Roman settlements, particularly at Cirencester and Bath have left their mark, and the Georgian beauty of Bath continues to draw tourists from across the globe. 

The nearest country house is Corsham Court, it is possible to walk through the grounds on a footpath opposite the rally site. A few miles away we have Bowood House. Both have parklands landscaped by Capability Brown,  Bowood also boasts the colourful woodland azalea gardens which should be at the tail end of their season for the rally. A bit further leads to Longleat House and the renowned safari park as well as plenty of other attractions.

Traditional cotswold villages have been used for period films and television. Corsham was used for the filming of Poldark: cycling a few miles brings you to Lacock where the well-kept village has a large abbey which houses the Fox-Talbot museum of photography. Castle Combe is about 8 miles north of the rally site. 

Larger towns include Tetbury with local royal connections at Highgrove, and Malmesbury and it’s abbey with the tomb of the first King of England. To the west, there is Bradford-upon-Avon, going a bit further you arrive at the elegant city of Bath. To the North there is Cirencester, formerly the second city of the Romans in England. 

For scientific history, the Fox-Talbot Museum in Lacock celebrates photography at the place where the first negative photograph was developed, and the library at Bowood House is where Priestley discovered Oxygen. The Herschel Museum of Astronomy is based at the Herschel's house in Bath from where William discovered the planet Uranus in 1781, using a telescope of his own design.

Things to See

The area has fantastic scenery and plenty of sights from a variety of historical times: you can walk around the stone circle at Avebury, which is second only to the one at Stonehenge. There are plenty of hill-fort sites, and a number of  white horses cut into the Wiltshire downs, such as the one at Bratton Camp. Local transport has provided Brunel’s rail tunnel at Box and the large flight of locks at Caen Hill. A disused railway line is now the 12.5-mile two tunnels cycleway linking Bath south to Wellow, and includes (no surprise) two tunnels, one of which is the longest tunnel on a cycleway in the country.  There is a steam railway at Cricklade.

It is a gentle ride north to the Cotswold Water Park which has a lake-side beach for the sunny weather as well as many water sports available.

Younger Cyclists

I am reliably informed that the most important information is that there is a Domino’s Pizza in Corsham; a Mc Donalds on the edge of Chippenham a couple of miles from the rally site, and WiFi available in the clubhouse.

Many villages include play areas. There are three playgrounds of particular note: There are great facilities at Bowood, including the amazing (paid) Bowood adventure playground. Further afield in Bath, the (free) playground in Bath's Royal Victoria Park is good for all ages. Last, Longleat has many (paid) attractions in addition to the safari park, many of which are playground-based.

The Cotswold Water Park has a lakeside beach, as well as a large number of (paying) water sports to try.

Swindon has an ice rink if you fancy stretching different muscles.

Parts of Harry Potter were filmed locally in the Abbey at Lacock.

Booking

You need to be members of the Tandem Club or certain overseas organisations to book. See the Terms and Conditions below.

We are now past the closing date for booking onto the rally. If you would like to attend, please send an email to tcn2022@tandem-club.org.uk and we will try to help. Note that you will not have a reservation until all costs are paid. 

 

Booking Form

 

Need further information?
E-mail the rally team at: tcn2022@tandem-club.org.uk

Terms and Conditions.

For full information on our Terms and Conditions and Data Privacy polices see: Policies
Booking confirmation:
Your booking is not confirmed until payment has been received in full and cleared which should be before the closing date for bookings. Dishonoured cheques will result in the cancellation of your booking.
Members Only:
This event is open to UK or overseas Tandem Club Members or, in the case of overseas people, members of the following organisations: "Tandem Club of America", "Tandem Club de France", "Tandem Club NL (Netherlands)", "Tandem ClubVlaanderen (Belgium)" and "Tandem-fahren.de (Germany)". You can join the Tandem Club using the forms on the TC website. Joining the TC (About 15 UKP per year).

Disclaimer:
If you participate in any ride or event organised by the Tandem Club you do so entirely at your own risk. The Club, its officers and ride organisers accept no responsibility for loss, damage to property, accident, injury or death, that may occur, however caused, whether by negligence, deliberate act or otherwise.

Cancellations and refunds.
The rally fee will not be refunded after the closing date. Refund of other components will depend on what the Club can recover from the campsite and/or other suppliers. Members may wish to consider taking out Holiday Insurance to cover losses the Club cannot refund.

Photographs taken at the event may be published on the Tandem Club Website, The Tandem Club Facebook pages and The Tandem Club Journal

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