Events: The 2020 Rapha Festive 500 Day Three
(2020) Ride Distance: 33 Miles/ 244 Remain
The northeast winter has entered the Festive 500. With a forecasted high temperature of 30 degrees Fahrenheit, day three of Rapha’s Festive 500 was to be a combination of luck and timing. Meanwhile the third day’s route mirrored the opening salvo of the event.
The Festive 500, Rapha’s sponsored challenge to cover 500 kilometers over eight days, moved into the third day of the event. Here at creakybottombracket.com we sought landmarks of the Underground Railroad hiding in plain sight around Bucks County. Much like December 24’s route, this day’s experience passed near Buckingham, PA, and headed east to the Delaware River. Descending to the banks via New Hope, PA, we stepped back in time amidst bustling crowds undeterred by pandemic and frigid temperatures. Even the locomotive was out for the second pass through.
New Hope, PA, is a curious town. Noted for being exactly halfway between Philadelphia and New York City, the ferry crossing town is noted for its playhouse. Actors transferring cities would stay in New Hope, ultimately leading to the rise of what is today the Bucks County Playhouse. It is home to the Aaron Burr House, the sister house of the Wedgwood Inn. The Wedgewood was one of our targets for today’s route as it played a role in the Underground Railroad. Painted in a curious blue, the color reflects founder Josiah Wedgwood’s claim to fame: creating the Wedgwood blue bone china.
The Wedgwood Inn is set on the western part of New Hope, nearly across the street from the New Hope High School. According to historians, the inn features a gazebo that has a secret hatch that leads to an underground tunnel system. The tunnels lead down to the Delaware Canal, the perfect way to move north quickly, quietly, and without detection. The River’s closeness meant a path north or west, into New Jersey. Today it sat quietly amongst other dwellings at the entrance to the progressive town, largely ignored by motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians,
The route was deflected by the New Hope Railway’s activity through town. Much like those spiriting north during the Underground Railroad years I too headed parallel to the Delaware River. One can never imagine what went through the minds of those seeking a better life outside of the south. I could hardly picture a rural Bucks County, so foreboding with minimal houses, prolific predators, and questionable residents. The bike was turned up Ely Road, ascended up the steep climb of Comfort Road and back home before sundown. Never has coffee been sought after more.
What is interesting is the presence of the Wedgwood, so near Mount Gilead Church. This suggests those navigating the Underground Railroad would have to choose between New Jersey (where Harriet Tubman worked in the summer months in Cape May) or continuing north through Bucks County. What is evident are the structures that stand sentinel waiting to be discovered by anyone who cares enough to dig a little. The Wedgwood Inn is one of those places in history that offers a risky view into the homes of people who chanced to help those on the Underground Railroad. The Festive 500 has shined light back on these places for us.
