Bristol to Blaise Castle: Jane Austen:Aunty Valentine ride

This a a ladies ride with a theme. Please sign up by clicking on the link to reserve your space. We will ride from the centre of Bristol, meeting in the centre of Queen Square (BS1 4JZ). From there we shall travel to Blaise Castle in the north-west of the city. In Jane Austen's novel 'Northanger Abbey, the heroine Catherine is enticed by a rogue to travel from Bath to Blaise Castle in February. They set off far too late, and only make it as far as Bristol, drenched and miserable. We shall instead start from Bristol at 10am, pedal to Blaise Castle (which should take about an hour, with some hills) where we can visit the Blaise Castle House museum (open between 11am-4pm, free) for shelter and refreshments, read the relevant passage regarding our ride from Ms. Austen's novel, before walking up the hill to see Blaise Castle itself (which is a folly in the style of a castle). After this, we shall cycle back to Bristol with an ETA of between 2pm-3pm. http://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/blaise-castle-house-museum/opening-times/ This ride is on Friday 12th February, just before Valentine's day. For the romantics at heart, you can revel in the fact Jane Austen wrote about it. For those more cynical, you can enjoy the fact that Jane Austen chose the location and the fact that it's a folly to emphasise that the young man in the novel was not to be trusted, making way for the hero instead. We will be on some main roads but they should be quieter after rush hour has finished. We may be challenged but not defeated by a few big hills on the way there. We shall return by a flatter route. It's not a race, we will wait for the slower riders at junctions and the tops of hills. Please have a safe,roadworthy bike, suitable shoes (no flip-flops or heels) and a helmet.