Green Laning on the MZ
The Fosse Way
In the last sun of autumn and with the rugged MZ running well, a calm day gave an opportunity to explore the Wiltshire section of The Fosse Way.
In the last sun of autumn and with the rugged MZ running well, a calm day gave an opportunity to explore the Wiltshire section of The Fosse Way.
It was a Tuesday in late October and a rare day off work. The low Autumn sun was lifting the morning mist and following a bacon sandwich, I found myself stood in the garage wondering what to do. Spotting the MZ, I decided ride was in order, and pulled out the OS map........
The Fosse Way is a Roman road which originally ran from Isca Dumnoniorum (Exeter) in the South-West of England, to Lindun Colonia (Lincoln) in the North-East.
Today, much of the road is still used, as fast moving traffic makes good use of the Roman straight lines, but certain sections have got left behind. These sections are legal rights of way and are available to be used by any Legal road vehicle
The plan was to ride the section from Marshfield to the Cotswold airfield which would give a mixture of tarmac, gravel, mud, and rock surfaces, not to mention an exciting looking river crossing. The airfield was notable for being the location of the AV8 cafe, a biker friendly establishment with hot drinks and cakes.
The MZ was loaded. Cargo included a tool roll, flask of tea, emergency sandwiches and an extra fuel can. Some waterproofs were packed, the map secured to the pillion seat with a bungee and a spare spark plug placed in a jacket pocket.
The roads to Marshfield were unremarkable, boring and busy, but once on the Fosse Way the MZ settled into a busy rhythm on the straight tarmac approach.
At Littleton Drew the tarmac turned to the right and the first unsurfaced section of the Fosse Way went straight ahead.
It was a great day out, the route was challenging without be ridiculously uncomfortable. The MZ ran well, the only fault being a temporary misfire after a water splash. The river crossing was very deep and rocky so the optional stone bridge was taken instead. The video below has the highlights.
A short video of riding the Fosse Way
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