{{short description|British architect and motorcyclist}} {{use British English|date=April 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}} {{Infobox architect | name = Elspeth Beard | image = Elspeth Beard.jpg | image_size = <!-- if image is smaller than 250px --> | alt = Black and white photo of Elspeth Beard crouched down next to a motorbike | caption = | birth_name = <!-- only use if different than name --> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1959|04|28|df=y}}<ref>{{Cite web|last=Orbulescu|first=Denisa|date=8 March 2019|title=Motorcycle Hero: Elspeth Beard|url=https://www.wemoto.com/news/article/1264/motorcycle_hero_elspeth_beard|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=12 January 2021|website=Wemoto News}}</ref> | birth_place = | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = | other_names = | alma_mater = | spouse = | partner = | children = 1 | parents = | awards = Royal Institute of British Architects Award | practice = Elspeth Beard Architects | significant_buildings = | significant_projects = The first Englishwoman to ride a motorcycle around the world | significant_design = Munstead Tower | signature = | website = {{{www.elspethbeard.com|https://www.elspethbeard.com/}}} | embedded = <!-- For embedding other infoboxes in this infobox --> }}
'''Elspeth Beard''' (born 28 April 1959) is an architect and motorcyclist, noted for being one of the first Englishwomen to ride a motorcycle around the world.<ref name="MO">{{cite web|url= http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/features/122_0705_elspeth_beard/viewall.html|title=Elspeth Beard – One of the Early Globetrotters| work=Motorcyclist|date=24 February 2009|access-date=18 April 2016}}</ref>{{refn|name="GB"|group=lower-alpha|Some sources say she was the first British woman to ride a motorcycle around the world.<ref name="ABR">{{cite web| url=http://adventurebikerider.com/news/1347-greatest-moments-in-adventure-motorcycling-from-the-past-85-years.html| title=10 of the greatest moments in adventure motorcycling from the past 85 years| last=Slade| first=Rob| date=2015| access-date=18 April 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419062915/http://adventurebikerider.com/news/1347-greatest-moments-in-adventure-motorcycling-from-the-past-85-years.html| archive-date=19 April 2016| url-status=dead}}</ref>}} She later redesigned the historic Munstead Tower in Godalming, winning the 1994 Royal Institute of British Architects award for South East England. She now owns an architectural firm based in a converted stable in Godalming.<ref name="Triviasa"/>
== Personal life == Beard currently runs the Elspeth Beard Architects practice in Godalming. She received her pilot's licence in 1991. She has never married. She has a son.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/surrey-architect-who-became-first-15040763|title=Meet the first British woman to ride a motorcycle around the world|last=Yip|first=Ann|date=18 August 2018|work=getsurrey|access-date=19 November 2018}}</ref>
==Motorcycling== Beard learned to ride a motorcycle on Salisbury Plain at the age of 16.<ref name="Telegraph">{{cite web|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/4748628/Typical-biker-Elspeth-Beard.html| title= Typical biker: Elspeth Beard| last=Hickson| first=Kenric| work=The Daily Telegraph| date=20 February 2001| access-date=18 April 2016}}</ref> She began her global journey in 1982, after the third year of her architect training course, using a BMW R60/6 motorcycle.<ref name="ABR"/><ref name="MO"/><ref name="Triviasa">{{cite web|url= http://triviasa.co.za/2014/08/famous-firsts-for-women/|title= Famous Firsts For Women|publisher= Trivia South Africa|date= 21 August 2014|access-date= 19 April 2016|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160405141646/http://triviasa.co.za/2014/08/famous-firsts-for-women/|archive-date= 5 April 2016|url-status= dead}}</ref><ref name="WSJ">{{cite web|url= https://www.wsj.com/articles/sizing-up-adventure-bikes-the-suvs-of-motorcycles-1452715325| title= Sizing up 'Adventure Bikes,' the SUVs of Motorcycles| last=Welsh| first=Jonathan| work=The Wall Street Journal| date=13 January 2016|access-date=19 April 2016}}</ref> She added soft panniers, a tank bag and an extra bag lashed to the pillion seat before she embarked on the trip.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/half-a-dozen-questions-with-elspeth-beard|title=Half a dozen questions with Elspeth Beard, world traveler|last=S.|first=Lemmy|date=13 September 2016|work=RevZilla Motorsports|access-date=19 November 2018|language=en-us}}</ref> She began her journey in New York City, United States, having shipped the bike from the United Kingdom. From there, she motorcycled to Canada and Mexico and back to the US before shipping her bike to Sydney, Australia.<ref name="Telegraph"/><ref name="OM"/>
In Sydney she ran out of money and spent seven months working in a pub before motorcycling across Australia.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Beard |first=Elspeth |title=Lone rider: The First British Woman to Motorcycle Around the World |publisher=Michael O'Mara Books Limited |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-78243-804-5 |edition=1st |location=London |publication-date=July 6, 2017}}</ref> In Townsville, Queensland, she had an accident which left her hospitalised for two weeks.<ref name="MO" /><ref name="Telegraph" /> Afterwards, she travelled to Singapore, where she spent 6 weeks replacing important documents and gear after they were all stolen;<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.adventurebikerider.com/interview-meet-elspeth-beard-the-fearless-adventure-motorcyclist-who-became-the-first-british-woman-to-ride-around-the-world/|title=Elspeth Beard bares all about her remarkable round the world ride|last=Davies|first=Bryn|date=29 March 2017|work=Adventure Bike Rider|access-date=19 November 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref> then she travelled into Asia. In Thailand, she collided with a dog and recuperated with a local family who fed her the remains of the dog she had crashed into.<ref name="MO" /><ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=u9bJCQAAQBAJ&dq=Elspeth+Beard+motorcycle+around+the+world&pg=PT30| title= Bizarre England: Discover the Country's Secrets and Surprises| last=Long| first=David| isbn= 978-1782433767| publisher=Michael O'Mara Books| date=May 2015|access-date=19 April 2016}}</ref> At the time of the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the entire Punjab state was closed. Beard forged the necessary permit to get out of the Punjab region and travelled into Pakistan before riding back into Europe via Turkey.<ref name="MO" /><ref name="Triviasa" /> She arrived in the United Kingdom in 1984, having travelled {{convert|35,000|mi|km}}.<ref name=":0" /> In doing so, she became the first Englishwoman to motorcycle around the world.<ref name="MO" /><ref name="OM" /><ref name="Triviasa" />{{refn|name="GB"|group=lower-alpha}}
When Beard returned from the trip, there was a lack of interest for what she had accomplished, as she stated in an interview: "After I got back and nobody was interested in what I'd done, I just shoved everything into the back of the garage. I just kind of moved on with my life."<ref name=":1" />
Her 2017 autobiography ''Lone Rider'' chronicles the circumnavigation.<ref name="Smith">{{cite web | last=Smith | first=Paul H. | title=Book Review: Lone Rider | website=Adventure Motorcycle Magazine | url=https://adventuremotorcycle.com/media/lone-rider-elspeth-beard-book-review | access-date=2019-02-09}}</ref><ref name="Backus">{{cite web | last=Backus | first=Richard | title="Lone Rider" by Elspeth Beard | work=Motorcycle Classics | url=https://www.motorcycleclassics.com/bulletin-board/lone-rider-zmbz19jfzhur | access-date=2019-02-09}}</ref><ref name="Marsden 2017">{{cite web | last=Marsden | first=Liam | title=Elspeth Beard Lone Rider book launch at Vines of Guildford | work=Motor Cycle News| date=2017-07-11 | url=https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/2017/july/elspeth-beard-lone-ride-book-launch-bmw-motorcycles/ | access-date=2019-02-09}}</ref><ref name="Foxe 2017">{{cite web | last=Foxe | first=Ken | title=First woman to travel the world on a motorbike | website=Lonely Planet News |publisher=Lonely Planet| date=2017-07-25 | url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2017/07/25/elspeth-beard-travel-around-world-motorcycle/ | access-date=2019-02-09}}</ref>
==Munstead Tower== thumb|upright After her motorcycling feat, Beard bought the derelict Munstead Tower in Godalming, a {{convert|130|ft|adj=on}} former water tower built in 1898. Over five years, she renovated and converted it into a habitable house. The renovated tower was featured on a 1995 episode of ''Home Front'', and in 1994, the tower won the Royal Institute of British Architects award for South East England.<ref name="Independent">{{cite web|url= https://www.independent.co.uk/property/house-and-home/towering-over-all-their-neighbours-1587128.html| title= Towering over all their neighbours| last=Gillian|first=Lesley|work=The Independent| date=17 June 1995|access-date= 18 April 2016}}</ref><ref name="OM">{{cite web| url= http://overlandmag.com/features/encounter-extract-elspeth-beard/| title= Encounter Extract: Elspeth Beard| work= Overland Magazine| access-date= 18 April 2016| url-status= dead| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160505053927/http://overlandmag.com/features/encounter-extract-elspeth-beard/| archivedate= 5 May 2016| df= dmy-all}}</ref> In 2019 Beard and the tower were featured in the Season 3 episode 1 of ''Ride with Norman Reedus''.<ref name="Ride">{{cite web| url= https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7378174/?ref_=ttep_ep1| title= England: A Walking Dead Reunion| work= Internet Movie Database| access-date= 4 January 2024}}</ref> The principal bedroom of the tower also featured in the 2022 film ''Rogue Agent''.
==Publications== *''Lone Rider: The First British Woman to Motorcycle Around the World'', Autobiography, 2017, {{ISBN|9781782438045}} *''Sola, en moto'', La Mala Suerte Ediciones, 2020, {{ISBN| 9788412143638}} Spanish translation. *''Sola, in moto'', La Mala Suerte Ediciones, 2021, {{ISBN| 9788412143669}} Italian translation.
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Long distance motorcycling}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beard, Elspeth}} Category:1959 births Category:English women architects Category:Living people Category:Women motorcyclists Category:Long-distance motorcycle riders Category:Female motorcycle racers Category:British motorcycle racers Category:English explorers Category:English non-fiction writers Category:Motorcycle touring writers Category:20th-century British travel writers