Suffolk man gearing up to cycle Portugal's N2 cycle route in aid of St George’s Church stained glass window repair in Shimpling near Bury St Edmunds

A 62-year-old Suffolk man is gearing up to cycle along one of the longest roads in the world to help raise funds for a church’s stained glass window that needs repairing.

Mark Beaver will begin cycling tomorrow for six consecutive days along the length of the N2 route in Portugal, which spans 739km, starting in the north of the country before travelling to Faro in the south.

Members of St George’s Church in Shimpling, near Bury St Edmunds, are aiming to restore the stained glass window in the east chancel of the building and to repair the surrounding stonework.

Glass is missing from the window, exposing the inside of the building, and the surrounding plaster is damp and falling from the walls.

Mark, who lives in Shimpling and is a keen cyclist, has had the N2 route on his bucket list for a number of years so offered to complete the route to raise funds for the church window.

He said: “I’ve done several rides like this before, for example Venice to Milan and London to Paris, but I’ve never cycled this far and it has been something I’ve wanted to do for a few years now so I can’t wait to get going.

“It’s a mythical and historical route and it has an abundant mix of historical towns, rolling mountain vistas and heritage, so I’m really looking forward to it.

“I’ve done enough training and I’m feeling confident but I am nervous about the length of it.

“I’ve never done six consecutive days before and the last day of cycling is 98 miles which is going to be a bit of a killer.”

The JustGiving fund-raiser currently has £637, just short of its £700.

Over the past year, the St George’s Church has raised more than £50,000 from charity grants, community fundraising events and from individual donations.

To reach the final target of £54,000, the cycle ride is part of a final push to raise the remaining funds needed for repairs at the church.