The Beacon Bike: Around England and Wales in 327 Lighthouses

The Beacon Bike is the remarkable true story of a 3,500‑mile cycling journey around the coastline of England and Wales — a quest to visit every onshore and offshore lighthouse, and a powerful reminder that a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis doesn’t have to extinguish a lifelong dream.

As a child, the author fell asleep in an attic bedroom with the comforting flash of Dungeness lighthouse sweeping past the window — a steady, reassuring presence that sparked a fascination with lighthouses and the coast. Decades later, faced with the challenges of MS, he decides to honour that childhood promise and set out on an extraordinary ride.

What follows is an uplifting tribute to the coastline and the communities that shape it. The journey reveals not just the beauty of cliffs, coves and shifting tides, but also the generosity, humour and kindness found in people all around the country. Each lighthouse becomes a symbol — of history, resilience, guidance and the light we all look for when life grows dark.

This is a book about simple joys: a warm welcome after a long day, the thrill of discovery, the spark of imagination rekindled in adulthood, and the quiet power of a beam cutting through the night. It’s a celebration of determination, hope and the landscapes that shape us.

Moving, heartfelt and full of coastal magic, The Beacon Bike is an inspiring read for anyone who loves adventure, lighthouses or stories of courage in the face of adversity.