A LEDBURY man has chronicled his colossal charity cycle ride from Lowestoft to Land’s End in a new book.

Phil Martin, from Wellington Heath, cycled from the most easterly to westerly points of Britain to raise £820 for two charities on a trip that brought back memories of his late father – who was wellknown for pedalling the roads of the Golden Valley.

In his book Downhill...All the Way Mr Martin looks back at his 541-mile journey in aid of Noah’s Ark Trust and Perennial, The Gardeners Royal Benevolent Society.

“My dad’s name was Wilf and he lived in Peterchurch from the mid-1970s until he died in October 1992,” he said. “A life member of the Cyclists Touring Club, he harried the county council, as it was in those days, into making repairs to many road edges around the Golden Valley which were a danger to cyclists.

“He was a familiar figure around the lanes of the Golden Valley on his bike. I’ve proved that, in his lifetime, he cycled more than 100,000 miles.”

The country lanes around Ledbury helped 64-year-old Mr Martin get in top condition for the challenge, which started on August 31, 2007, and finished two weeks later.

“The joy of Ledbury is that it’s hilly. Wherever I went it was either uphill or downhill so it’s good training for when you get out on a long-distance ride,” said Mr Martin.

The book follows Mr Martin’s ride through the relative flatness of East Anglia before tackling the hills of the West Country. Perhaps surprisingly in the days of road rage, he has one abiding memory.

“The main thing I discovered was how nice people were to someone who was on their own,” he said. “It made me regret all the years that had slipped by without me doing long-distance rides.”

The book is published by Aspect Design and costs £12.99. It is available at the Three Counties Bookshop in Ledbury and Ledbury Books and Maps.