News · 17 June 2026
Oxford to Surrey: 125 years of camping by bike
Illustration: AI-generated for editorial context. Not photographic evidence.
This 60-mile e-bike adventure retraced the origins of Britain's first cycle camping club, marking its 125th anniversary. The Camping and Caravanning Club, originally the Association of Cycle Campers, began in Oxford in 1901 with founder Thomas Hiram Holding. Though motorhomes dominate today, tents remain welcome, and the club's membership has grown to over 300,000 households.
Reported by The Guardian · How we write briefs