A dad has completed a marathon cycle tour of ALL 624 National Trust properties in the UK.<br /><br />Huw Davies, 47, racked up 5,376 miles in the saddle during his year-long mission - pedaling up to 90 miles a day.<br /><br />He managed to visit roughly 73 per cent of the country piles in just three months - with his wife and daughters following in a £40k Chausson motorhome.<br /><br />But he then spent nine months visiting the remaining homes during weekends - fueled by jacket potatoes and flapjacks from National Trust cafes and service stations.<br /><br />His final stop was Woodchester Park, Gloucestershire, and he completed his 'Tour de National Trust' after 862 hours in the saddle.<br /><br />He completed 106,188 metres of incline - the equivalent to climbing Mount Everest 12 times.<br /><br />Huw, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, said he decided to undertake the challenge to see for himself how cycle-friendly the properties were.<br /><br />The head of data at the National Trust said: "The whole thing kicked off in lockdown - I started thinking 'is it possible to visit them all by bike?'<br /><br />"The first week was a bit of a killer with the big hills - I did start thinking 'have I bitten off more than I can chew here?'<br /><br />"But the further along we got, I started to feel really good. I was able to clock up the miles and do longer distances.<br /><br />"Some of the places I enjoyed most were on the Northumberland coast - the weather and beaches were lovely.<br /><br />"It feels lovely to look back now and relive the memories - it was a family adventure.<br /><br />"I'm not sure what's next - I'm back to once-a-week Sunday cycles now but maybe I'll have to find another adventure."<br /><br />The dad-of-two spent six months working on the perfect route and doing "lots of logistical planning".<br /><br />He took a three-month sabbatical and set off on May 28, 2022.<br /><br />He was joined by wife Oonagh Davies, 46, an educational psychologist, and daughters Isla, 11, and Phoebe, nine - after their school approved time off for an educational trip.<br /><br />The route began just south of Bristol at Cadbury Camp, and he covered the south west of the country before heading east.<br /><br />They then travelled north and covered the coasts before moving west to hit further northern beauty spots before travelling back down through the mainland.<br /><br />Huw said: "The family were doing different things during the day, then we’d meet in the evening.<br /><br />"We'd stock up with food at campsites with supermarkets.<br /><br />"I can't say any of us were doing chef-level cooking - there was lots of pasta, beans and salads in the evenings."<br /><br />Huw got through three tires, ten inner tubes, two sets of brake pads, two pairs of gloves and a snapped gear cable.<br /><br />The motorhome key snapped off in the lock, and the wingmirror was knocked off.<br /><br />He returned home after 93 days on the road.<br /><br />Weekend trips ticked off the remaining properties, along with a Northern Ireland tour with friends in September 2022 and a short trip to north Wales in April 2023.<br /><br />There were just three properties he couldn't tick off the list - Lundy, Farne Islands and Brownsea - islands where bikes were not allowed, he said.<br /><br />By May 8 2023, he completed his tour. He burned 243,067 calories and finished the challenge a stone lighter.<br /><br />Huw said he and the family "cherish" the memories.<br /><br />He said: "I couldn't have done it without the family - looking back. They were so supportive.<br /><br />"Spending a lot of time outside together, it was a lovely thing to do."<br /><br />He is working with National Trust to improve their cycle access.<br /><br />Huw, who has sold the motorhome, said: "It's got a nice legacy - I'm proud of the work we're doing off the back of it."<br /><br />He added: "I'm not sure what the next thing to do is, maybe I'll find another adventure.<br /><br />"I'm always keen to find new things to do - but it's back to my Sunday cycling for now."
