With the Grand Départ of the Tour de France arriving in Harrogate this Saturday (5th July), and the region in the grips of cycling fever, the Royal Pump Room Museum has launched an exciting new display showcasing the many great achievements of Beryl Burton, arguably Britain’s greatest cyclist.
Beryl Burton’s staggering list of accomplishments includes holding the ‘British Best All-Rounder Champion’ title for 25 consecutive years between 1959 and 1983, winning seven world titles and triumphing in more than 90 championships in Britain. Burton also became the only woman to beat a men’s competition record, riding 277.25 miles in the 12 hour time trial – a remarkable distance achievement which still stands as the women’s record to this day. Visitors to the Royal Pump Room Museum will be able to see a large selection of the many medals and awards from Burton’s hugely successful career, displayed alongside images of her in action on two wheels.
Visitors can also learn more about Beryl Burton and her daughter, Denise Burton-Cole’s, internationally competitive careers in the oral history based exhibition “On Your Bike”. This compelling exhibition is also on display in the Royal Pump Room Museum until 13th July, and explores the history of cycling in our local area through extracts of interviews recorded with local cyclists from the 1940s up to the present day.
“Beryl Burton: Best All-Round Champion” opens in the Royal Pump Room Museum on Thursday 3 July 2014 and will be on display until Sunday 13 July 2014.
