Day 10. Virtual Bike Ride. Valenciennes to Caudry.

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A grey, but dry, morning that improved towards lunch time. To be fair we knew the forecast was much better for the afternoon but by cycling in the morning we know we have the rest of the day free. Today's ride was up to Bashall Eaves, Cow Ark, Middle Lees, Whitewell and St Hubert's Church at Dunsop Bridge. Turn round and almost back on the same route. St Hubert's church was my childhood church and I was baptized, made my first communion and was confirmed there.

On our virtual ride it's another day of gentle rolling hills, through farm lands. Now we are beginning to see huge War Grave Cemeteries such as 'Solesmes British Cemetery'. Very strangely the first grave that we saw when we stopped was the grave of a cyclist.

The First World War began as a very mobile war which proved perfect for bicycles. Both sides used a large number of bikes to help their troops get to the front lines as quickly as possible, and there were numerous reports of their cycling bravery in the British press. However, as the war descended into the hellish pits of trench warfare, bicycles proved more and more ineffective on the Front Line. But, this does not mean that bicycles were no longer used in the war effort at all.
British cycling battalions were instead used for reconnaissance and to ferry communications between trenches. This was particularly vital whenever the security of the trench telephone system was compromised. What’s more, the canal systems in both Britain and France were seen as very vulnerable to attack by sabotage and were therefore regularly patrolled by Army cyclists.

Caudry is a City mainly known as the Capitol of French Lace Making. The City is a lead supplier for many famous fashion houses and Caudry lace was used for the wedding dress of Catherine Duchess of Cambridge's wedding gown.

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