Mercian Way, stage 1: Salisbury → Stroud
On stage 1 (Salisbury → Stroud, 144 km) the best month is September: 78% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C; the wind barely favours either direction (0.1 km/h on average; ERA5 2006–2025, 9:00–18:00).
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14% | 21% | 64 | 7 °C | 0% | 78% | 8.3 † |
| February | 23% | 23% | 54 | 8 °C | 0% | 70% | 9.9 † |
| March | 44% | 25% | 56 | 10 °C | 0% | 46% | 11.7 |
| April | 68% | 24% | 48 | 13 °C | 0% | 14% | 13.8 |
| May | 71% | 28% | 68 | 16 °C | 0% | 2% | 15.6 |
| June | 75% | 24% | 61 | 19 °C | 0% | 0% | 16.6 |
| July | 73% | 26% | 64 | 21 °C | 2% | 0% | 16.2 |
| August | 73% | 25% | 66 | 20 °C | 1% | 0% | 14.6 |
| September | 78% | 22% | 58 | 18 °C | 0% | 0% | 12.6 |
| October | 74% | 23% | 76 | 15 °C | 0% | 4% | 10.6 † |
| November | 44% | 23% | 75 | 10 °C | 0% | 40% | 8.8 † |
| December | 23% | 22% | 69 | 8 °C | 0% | 64% | 7.9 † |
Best months are all months within 3 percentage points of the best one. † less than 11 hours of daylight — long stages get tight.
Wind by month
| Month | Wind Salisbury → Stroud, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Salisbury → Stroud | Headwind > 15 km/h, Stroud → Salisbury | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +0.5 | 10% | 14% | either |
| February | +0.7 | 12% | 15% | either |
| March | −0.2 | 12% | 13% | either |
| April | −0.1 | 9% | 11% | either |
| May | −0.6 | 10% | 10% | either |
| June | 0.0 | 7% | 9% | either |
| July | −0.1 | 7% | 10% | either |
| August | −0.1 | 9% | 11% | either |
| September | +0.1 | 8% | 10% | either |
| October | +1.8 | 8% | 15% | either |
| November | +0.7 | 10% | 14% | either |
| December | +1.6 | 9% | 15% | either |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–26 | N | +2.4 |
| 26–51 | N | +0.2 |
| 51–76 | NE | +4.3 |
| 76–102 | NW | −0.4 |
| 102–127 | W | −4.0 |
| 127–144 | NW | −3.1 |
Other stages
- Salisbury → Stroud 144 km
- Stroud → Bridgnorth 135 km
- Bridgnorth → Chester 125 km
How to read the numbers
Wind is the 10 m wind of a 25-km grid cell, daytime hours 9:00–18:00 local solar time; at saddle height in a sheltered valley it is weaker, on a coast or ridge stronger. A positive value is a tailwind. ERA5 slightly over-counts days with ≥ 1 mm of rain (by about 5–7 percentage points) and underestimates daily highs by 1–2 °C. Good day = less than 1 mm of rain between 9:00 and 18:00 (riding hours, local solar time) and a high between 10 and 30 °C; rain at night or in the evening does not spoil it.