Two highlights of the Moulton Bicycle Club year are the Club meetings held at The Hall, Bradford on Avon in April and August. The Hall and its grounds was the late Alex Moulton's family home.
The following account of the Club's two Bradford on Avon meetings is based on previous years' experiences, but our events evolve year on year. A detailed itinerary will be published in The Moultoneer magazine and in our digital media prior to each event.
The Alex Moulton Charitable Trust (AMCT) currently manage the estate.
The Moulton Bicycle Company design and manufacture bicycles in the former stable buildings near The Hall and in the former Moulton F-frame factory by the main entrance to the estate.
There are families living in cottages on site. Rabbits, badgers and deer also live on the estate and as they are generally in the quieter parts of the estate, they haven't caused the Summer meeting campers any trouble in the past.
The Moulton Bicycle Club is registered as a “Mutual Association” with the tax authorities. This restricts us from 'selling' to the general public which would be classed as 'trading' and therefore would make the Club liable for tax. This is why these events are Members Only.
Membership includes family members living at the same address. The atmosphere at the meetings is always relaxed, friendly and informal. Wear what you feel comfortable in: Lycra, a 3 piece suit and tie, dress, jeans & tee shirt, shorts, skirt, kilt, or any combination! Just join in, everyone is welcome even if you don't yet have a Moulton and the rest of your family can come along as well, Bradford on Avon is situated in a very picturesque part of the country.
Our meetings are sometimes affected by the weather but not usually to any great extent. Rides may be re-routed but if it rains you will need waterproofs – “no such thing as bad weather just unprepared people!” We expect you to begin any ride on a roadworthy Moulton bicycle carrying enough stuff (and be able) to repair a puncture so that you can continue the ride.
The Spring Meeting
This is held on the weekend closest to Alex Moulton’s birthday, which is 9th of April. The event is the smaller of our two events and is “pay on the gate”, so no advanced booking. There is no camping at The Hall for the April meeeting.
Saturday: Our meeting starts in the courtyard around 10am outside the Moulton Bicycle Company factory, with a table sale of Moulton bikes, spares, parts and accessories from club members and the company. This is a good time to buy your first or next Moulton; start or finish a bike restoration/improvement project. In 2018 we were treated to guided tours of the production facilities – to see how & where the bikes are manufactured. Saturday afternoon leaves us free to discover Bradford on Avon and the surrounding areas.
Sunday Morning: There is a ride of around 25-35 miles to see the surrounding countryside – this route changes every year. Please note that the area around The Hall (inside the grounds) is out of bounds to us during this event.
Tea & coffee will be available but bring any food you want. The company toilet facilities will be available but there is no facility to camp at The Hall. If you needed to stop over, you can camp, B&B or hotel in the area but book early to avoid disappointment.
The Summer meeting
This used to be normally held on a weekend in September but from 2024, to encourage attendance by families, it will be held in August during the School Holidays. The Moulton Bicycle Company's demonstration bikes & staff will be available for the Club Weekend. Our event is mainly prebooked. The booking forms are issued in the club magazine roughly 6-8 weeks prior to the event and on the club's digital media. If you intend to just join us for the Saturday day and a Sunday morning ride you can pay on the gate. We hire-in a deluxe male & female toilet block and a hot shower cubicle block for our use over the weekend.
There is ample space on the lawns adjacent to The Hall for campers.
The nearest “shop” is a petrol station 300 yards from the main gate or a supermarket and numerous shops in town 500 yards away. We welcome 150+ people over the weekend, some having come from Europe, the U.S., Australasia and the Far East. They are either Moulton owners/riders or current/former company people.
Our club marquee gives us a communal covered meeting place in case of wet weather. There is continuous security on the gate throughout the weekend – hence we all need to wear wrist bands to show we are paid up club members. Having said all that, I would strongly suggest you bring & use a lock for your bicycle(s); it hasn't happened yet but you don't want to be first....
Friday: Members are permitted on site after 18:30. This allows the factories on site to close and all their staff to leave, allowing us to use their carparks. There are usually 30+ tents on the lower lawns; cars, motorhomes and the small touring caravans park up in the various car parks. Many people B&B or hotel in the area. We usually congregate in the centre of town at a pub, in the evening to meet up with old friends, have a meal and a drink or two. There are many other reputable eating and drinking establishments in town. Alternatively you can cook your own meal by your unit, provided you have brought all the stuff.
Saturday: Begins around 08:30 with teas, coffees & bacon rolls.
There is a table sale in and around the club tent in the morning from 10:00; Moulton bikes, spares, parts and accessories from club members and the company. Moulton Preservation supply all the difficult to find spares for F- frame bikes. A good time to buy your first or next Moulton, start or finish a bike restoration/improvement project.
Some years, we hold maintenance Masterclasses on some of the unique Moulton-specific features. Also in the afternoon, we hold our Open Forum, where you can address the committee and the committee can get some guidance from you, the members. Lunch break follows. You will need to bring any food with you or go off site & purchase.
Then we have a talk in the courtyard on the history of a particular model or models which have an anniversary. The Factory may unveil their latest model or show us some fascinating historical items from The Hall's cellars, attics & archives. All the while tea, coffee & cakes are available.
In the evening there are choices: Come to the club dinner (which you will need to book in advance), sometimes held in St Margaret's Hall, Bradford on Avon. Alternatively there is all the equipment needed for a BBQ in The Hall grounds but you will need to bring all your own food, drink & utensils OR head off into town to a pub/restaurant OR campers cook it yourselves at your unit, it's up to you.
Sunday:
There are 3 rides setting off at different times, first off at around 08:30
- A 40 mile fast pace ride,
- a 25 mile not so fast ride and
- a leisurely family ride along the Kennet & Avon canal to the Angelfish Cafe (5 miles each way).
All these rides are planned to end up at the same place around mid day for another chance to eat, meet & re-hydrate before we all go our separate ways. Some years, there are guided tours in the afternoon of The Hall, Alex Moulton’s home – well worth the time if you get the opportunity. Whatever happens, we need to be off site by 18:30 on the Sunday afternoon, so that the car parks are clear for the factories' staff on Monday morning.
At either event please remember we are visitors.
- Respect the environment.
- Keep off the flower beds.
- Don't damage the lawns, bushes or trees.
- Take all your litter & unwanted bike parts home.
A big thanks to the members of the Alex Moulton Charitable Trust and The Moulton Bicycle Company for their support of our events, past & future; who donate their time, expertise and resources, without which our events would be much less interesting.