FURTHER - MERRY ENGLAND - East of EnglanD

19th to the 21st JUNE 2026

Arrive 18th JUNE for Dawn Start on the 19th JUNE 2025

Distance | 300 + / - miles

This will be the shortest event in the FURTHER calendar, 'only' 300 miles. And it is about the ride and the community coming together afterwards , hanging out, eating around the fire and telling stories.

The event is open to experienced riders, and also those people who wish to dip their toe into Bike-packing for the first time.

Riders have to Bikepack to the start the night before. As like the previous events held here, there is zero parking for cars at or around the start. It is up to the rider if they leave their tent at the camp or take it with them.

With a dawn start on Friday, most riders will be back Saturday hungry and tired. By then, the Hog Roast that Rob Roy is preparing will be ready and the Ale Keg will be open.

The route for 2026 is new. We go further East, into Norfolk via the Icknield way into the ancient land of the Celtic tribe the Iceni. The route will be a mix of quiet roads, byways and bridle paths.

Tracker is optional.

The expression Merry - England is a description of a romantic period in Southern England that never truly existed. In part it refers to the period of the restoration, when King Charles 2nd was put back on his throne and the puritanical Parliamentarians were banished.

When Charles the 2nd came back into power there was a return to more fun. Cromwell and his movement had banned many fairs, festivals, arts and theatre, and the people wanted the old days back. With the restoration, the Maypoles came back, the street fairs became a thing again.

The next puritan wave ( the Victorians ) put a stop to all these shenanigans and like so many things in the UK, romanticized the period before.

Merry England was before the Dark Satanic Mills ( William Blake ) of the Industrial revolution.

And did those feet in ancient time,

Walk upon Englands mountains green:

And was the holy Lamb of God,

On Englands pleasant pastures seen!

And did the Countenance Divine,

Shine forth upon our clouded hills?

And was Jerusalem builded here,

Among these dark Satanic Mills?

Bring me my Bow of burning gold:

Bring me my Arrows of desire: