industrialisation came later, but by the mid-19th century the French economy was growing strongly based upon coal, iron and steel, textiles and heavy engineering. Coalfields developed in the Nord-Pas de Calais region and textile mills could be found across northern France.
Twentieth-century wars
The fields of northern France were the scene of much fighting during the First World War (1914–1918), with British and French armies engaged for over four years in trench warfare against an invading German army. The frontline lay east of the classic route, with some of the heaviest fighting in the Somme valley near Amiens (classic route, Stage 7). Despite being on the winning side, the French economy was devastated by the war and the depression of the 1930s. Invasion by Germany in the Second World War (1939–1945) led the French army to surrender and the British army to retreat across the Channel, with the Germans occupying northern France for four years. Defensive works spread along Britain’s south coast to defend against an expected German attack that never materialised. An allied invasion of France through Normandy (1944) lifted this occupation with Paris being liberated on 25 August.
European integration
After the war, France was one of the original signatories to the Treaty of Rome (1957) which established the European Economic Community (EEC) and led to the European Union (EU). Economic growth was strong and the French economy prospered. Political dissent, particularly over colonial policy, led to a new constitution and the establishment of the Fifth Republic under Charles de Gaulle in 1958. Subsequent withdrawal from overseas possessions has led to substantial immigration into metropolitan France from ex-colonies, creating the most ethnically diverse population in Europe. Since the 1970s, old heavy industry has almost completely disappeared and been replaced with high-tech industry and employment in the service sector.
Although not joining the EU until 1973 (and planning to leave in 2019), Britain’s post-war path has been remarkably like that of France. Withdrawal from empire in the 1960s and a movement of people from former colonies has made London almost as cosmopolitan as Paris. Heavy industry has been replaced by light industry and services with London becoming the biggest financial centre in Europe. New and developing towns at Crawley (Avenue Verte, Stage 2) and Ashford (classic route, Stage 2) have attracted light industry.
Tower bridge opens to allow ships into the pool of London (classic route, Stage 1)
The routes
Classic route
Historically this route started in Southwark at the southern end of London bridge and used the old Roman Watling Street (A2 in the British road numbering system) to reach Dover. It then followed Route National 1 (N1), a road created during Napoleonic times, from Calais to Paris where it ended at point zero, a bronze plaque set in the pavement in front of Notre Dame cathedral. Modern day traffic conditions have seen these roads change in character and the original route is nowadays not suitable for a leisurely cycle ride. In England, much of the A2 has been improved with up to four lanes of fast moving traffic in each direction, while in France the completion of the autoroute (motorway) network and transfer of responsibility for non-motorway roads from national to local government has led to a downgrading and renumbering of N1 to D901. Despite this, the largely unimproved D901 is a dangerous road with fast moving traffic.
To avoid these problems, this guide describes a route using mostly quiet country roads and rural tracks. It tries, wherever possible, to follow established cycle friendly routes with either separate cycle tracks or cycle lanes marked on the road, but there are a few short stretches on main roads. The geology of south-east England and northern France are similar with successive bands of chalk downland separated by river valleys at right angles to the direction of travel. The route attempts to minimise ascents, although some short climbs are inevitable.
There are a number of off-road sections. Most of these are well-surfaced with either 100 per cent asphalt or a mixture of asphalt and good quality gravel surfaces, usually on old railway trackbeds or along canal towpaths, and present no difficulties for cyclists. Two are rougher and are not suitable for bikes with smooth tyres. The 28km Pilgrims’ Way in England (classic route, Stage 2) follows an ancient track along the North Downs. While this is part of the national cycle network, its use by agricultural vehicles can cause deep ruts to develop and it can be difficult to traverse in wet weather. The 30km Coulée Verte in France (classic route, Stage 8) follows the route of an unsurfaced old railway line. In a dry period it is an easy ride, but during wet weather it becomes soft and muddy making it difficult to traverse. An alternative road route is described to avoid this part of Stage 8.
The cycled route runs from the Tower of London to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, giving a ‘tower-to-tower’ distance of 490km (excluding Channel crossing). In London, a network of cycle super-highways (dedicated cycle lanes alongside major roads) is under construction and one of these (CS4) is planned from London Bridge to Woolwich. While this was still in the planning stage as this guide was being written, the beginning of Stage 1 from Tower Bridge Road to Woolwich follows the proposed super-highway. After Woolwich, a waymarked local cycle route (LCN18, part of the London Cycle Network) winds through suburban streets to the edge of Greater London where NCN1 (part of the British National Cycle Network) is joined and followed on dedicated cycle tracks parallel with the busy A2/M2 motorway to reach the Medway at Rochester. Stage 2 uses rural tracks to climb over the North Downs and then joins a cycle track following the ancient Pilgrims’ Way along the shoulder of the downs to Ashford. After a short ride the route reaches the English Channel coast and this is followed (Stage 3) through Folkestone (where an alternative route links with the Channel Tunnel terminal) then climbs over the iconic white cliffs to reach Dover ferry port.
Chantilly château was built in the 19th century after the original building was destroyed during the revolution (classic route, Stage 9)
After crossing the Channel, Stages 4–6 follow a canal and disused railway across the coastal plain, then undulate on minor roads through downland, climbing in and out of a series of pretty valleys, to reach the river Somme at Abbeville. After a flat stage (Stage 7) following the towpath of the canalised Somme to Amiens, the Coulée Verte track along another old railway is followed (Stage 8) up the Selle valley and over more downland before descending to Beauvais. To avoid more hills that lie across the route to Paris, Stage 9 turns south-east down the Thérain valley to Chantilly and then climbs over one last ridge (Stage 10) to reach the Paris Basin. Most, but not all, of Stage 11 through Greater Paris to the Eiffel Tower is on cycle tracks. If you wish to end at point zero, an alternative route described under Avenue Verte Stage 9 takes you to Notre Dame cathedral.
Avenue Verte
To celebrate the 2012 Olympics in London, cycling organisations in Britain and France developed a new cycle route between the London Eye and Notre Dame in Paris. They chose a route which crossed the Channel between Newhaven and Dieppe. Although this gives a longer and less frequent crossing, the 387km cycled is just over 100km shorter than the classic route. The route was designed to make maximum use of Sustrans off-road cycle tracks in England and voies vertes (rural cycle routes) in France, which resulted in long stretches along disused railway track beds in both countries. Most of the route is complete, although in England part of the route following the Cuckoo Trail in Kent (Stage 3) has proved difficult to realise due to land ownership problems, while in France the Forges-les-Eaux–Gisors sector (Stages 5–6) became unavailable when a previously closed railway was reopened and the route now follows local roads over chalk downland to by-pass this problem.
When inaugurated, the route out of London (Stage 1) followed city streets to reach the Wandle Trail. Since then a cycle super-highway (CS7) has been built between central London and Merton and the route described
