From John O’Groats to Land’s End, two dedicated cyclists have raised over £3,400 for butterfly conservation in Dorset

by Wren Franklin

We did it – we have become ‘End to Enders’! Over 14 days of cycling we travelled 1,036 miles and climbed 16,898 metres. We rode for 74 hours and on our longest cycling day covered 105 miles. We recorded exactly 100 butterflies on the way.

It was a real pleasure to pass through so many landscapes of Britain at cycling pace. After leaving John O’Groats, the first leg of the ride took us along the north coast of Scotland with its stunning white sand beaches and remote villages. We then turned south and rode down through the Highlands. Expansive open upland moors and peat bogs with no shelter from a headwind made us grateful for the areas of regenerating natural woodland. Around Altnaharra and Aviemore these wooded landscapes delivered more wildlife sightings and showed just how denuded much of our uplands have become. The Lake District was another joy to cycle through, despite the hills. Upland hay meadows brim full of meadow buttercup, dry stone walls and dramatic views made this day a real pleasure.

Continuing south, the willow pollards that lined the lanes through the Severn Valley stood out as magnificent trees mirrored by similar sights as we crossed the Somerset levels. From here on we were into the hills of Devon and Cornwall. The saving grace here was that although these were the days with the most climbing, we spent a lot of miles in sunken lanes, festooned in wildflowers and overtopped by trees – cool and shady as the daytime temperatures climbed. We arrived into Land’s End to a small welcoming party and dodged the crowds of tourists for a photograph where the land runs out.

Our quest to record butterflies as we went was helped no end by the good weather we experienced – only one afternoon of rain during the whole trip. We often saw more butterflies when the route passed through areas with more natural vegetation and shelter from cooling winds (butterflies being good indicators of habitat quality). We recorded 16 species, the most common being orange tip and speckled wood. The effect of last summer’s drought in southern England was in evidence as we got into the South West. Here the weather was sunny and the temperatures high but butterflies were surprisingly hard to come by – some flower-rich verges offering little more than a solitary common blue. Dartmoor did however treat us to sightings of small pearl-bordered fritillary and green hairstreak.

We could not have done it without Poppy. Moving the motorhome to the next night’s stop, ensuring the kids had stimulating things to visit each day and keeping the carb-rich food forthcoming.

Thank you to all those who offered support and wisdom along the way and the generous people who have donated to the JOGLE for Butterflies fundraising page https://gofund.me/47bba31f. We have raised over £3,400 now, which will be spent conserving butterflies, moths and their habitats (www.dorsetbutterflies.com). The fundraising page will stay active until the end of July for any last donations.