Breweries and steam bike tour

Lovers of beer will enjoy the opportunity to visit Burton on Trent's National Brewery Centre, as well as several microbreweries, which are keeping the Midlands brewing tradition alive.Railway heritage is evident during much of this route. You will cycle past the Swannington Incline, part of one of England's first railways and designed by the great railway engineer Robert Stephenson, the inventor of the Rocket.

The delightful Shackerstone Steam Railway, which runs alongside the Ashby Canal is a lovely stop-off point to enjoy a coffee on the station platform or take a ride along the restored line. At the National Trust property Calke Abbey, you will cycle along the old lime kiln railway and other sections of the tour use dismantled railways. The landscape changes quickly, from the glorious rolling landscape of National Trust run Calke Abbey, through transformed mining and industrial areas, into flat countryside, crisscrossed by the Ashby Canal and populated by unspoilt villages.

Please note, whilst most of this cycling tour uses quiet lanes and tracks, some busy traffic is unavoidable in Burton on Trent centre. If you would like to miss the Brewery Centre, then please let us know and we will offer an alternative route.