SPOAD HILL

NEWCASTLE, SHROPSHIRE

What a dirty old road, and what a savage, remorseless little climb. The first time I rode Spoad Hill I was blissfully unaware of what torture lay ahead. I rolled into Newcastle on the B4368 and as soon as I turned left I hit a wall. Click, click, click, down to the largest sprocket, you grind up to a muddy plateau through a farmyard. Gather yourself here because as soon as you leave it is immediately tough once more, although the condition of the surface does improve a degree. The centre of the road is covered with a substantial amount of debris as you force your way past the twisted tree roots that protrude from the muddy banks. Bending steadily right, it’s a real morale breaker, as the gradient hardly ever wavers from its constant punishment. The summit comes at the end of a huge amount of toil; the higher slopes are not quite as steep as those lower down, but by then you will be beyond caring.