Tour de Textile is a week long cycling challenge in collaboration with Breaking Cycles & Super Slow Way. Choose from three cycling routes to visit British Textile Biennial venues across Pennine Lancashire & complete our unique Brevet Card.
Please bear in mind that most venues are only open between Thursday and Sunday (Goodshaw Chapel is just Saturday and Sunday), we would recommend doing your rides on these days to see as much work as you can during your ride!
A fun activity for all the family whether cycling or by another form of transport!
Completed Brevet Cards will be entered into a prize draw to win an UPSO bike bag, made locally in Nelson from up-cycled truck tarps. Carradice UPSO’s sister company have been handcrafting cycling bags in Nelson since 1932.
How it works:
- Collect a brevet card from any of the 13 British Textile Biennial venues or you can download a digital version here.
- Choose your route – short, medium and full (see details and strava maps below!)
- Each BTB venue on the cycle route will have a unique word associated with the location, write the word into the relevant box on the Brevet Card.
- Once you’ve completed your route fill in your name and address details and post the card into one of the marked boxes at the BTB venues.
Good luck!
The routes
Short – https://www.strava.com/routes/3134886849945713856
14 miles, 663ft of ascent, 50% off road
A Gravel Bike (or similar) would be recommended for this route due to some off road sections. Off road sections are non-technical, predominantly being canal banks and traffic free cycle routes. However, surfaces are varied and can become slippery and uneven due to weather conditions etc.
Riding time: A fit and experienced rider may complete this route in less that 1.5 hrs, at a more leisurely pace this roure represents 2 – 2.5hrs of riding.
This route utilises the canal towpath between Nelson and Burnley to meander towards Towneley Hall. From there, our ride takes us to Harle Syke and Queen St Mill before returning to Pendle Heritage Centre via The Technology Centre.
You may visit four of the British Textile Biennial exhibition sites using this route.
Medium – https://www.strava.com/routes/3134880814091055296
40.5 Miles, 1,863ft of ascent, 40% off road
A Gravel Bike (or similar) would be recommended for this route due to some off road sections. Off road sections are non-technical, predominantly being canal banks and traffic free cycle routes. However, surfaces are varied and can become slippery and uneven due to weather conditions etc.
Riding time: A fit and experienced rider may complete this route in around 3 hours of riding time, at a leisurely pace, this route represents 4 – 5 hrs of riding.
This route utilises the canal towpath between Nelson and Burnley and returns the same way, providing plenty of opportunity to visit Pendle based British Textile Biennial sites at the beginning or end of your day.
Following the canal past Burnley and traversing around Great Hamildon takes you to Haworth Art Gallery and the Hyndburn Greenway before visiting Helmshore Textiles Museum, The Whitaker and Goodshaw Chapel to form the Hyndburn and Rossendale part of our tour.
Before returning to Pendle via the canal towpath, our route visits Towneley hall, where riders can rest and recover from the hilly section of this route
Full – https://www.strava.com/routes/3134873953506257088
68.13 Miles, 2,828 ft of ascent, 50% off road. Off road sections are non-technical, predominantly being canal banks and traffic free cycle routes. However, surfaces are varied and can become slippery and uneven due to weather conditions etc.
Riding time: This is a full day’s ride. A fit and experienced rider may complete the route in less than 6hrs of riding time, at a leisurely pace this route represents 8-10hrs of riding.
A Gravel Bike (or similar) would be recommended for this route due to some off road sections.
This route, starting from Blackburn train station, begins with a relatively short stretch of towpath, utilising Hyndburn greenway to access Haworth art Gallery.
From here, the climbing begins as we tour around Rossendale, visiting Helmshore Textiles Museum, The Whitaker and Goodshaw Chapel. From here, we return via Burnley, visiting Towneley Hall and Queen St Mill and passing through Burnley to access the canal bank and exhibition venues in Pendle, including Pendle Heritage Centre.
Finally, we ride from Pendle to Blackburn via the Canal bank before meandering around the Blackburn sites and returning to the station.
Breaking Cycles CIC was established in 2019 & believes cycling has many positive effects on our physical, mental & emotional wellbeing, whilst having less impact on the environment than motorised methods of transport. They support people to embrace a healthier & more sustainable way of life.
