# Elspeth Beard

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{{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](/source/Royal_Institute_of_British_Architects) Award
| practice = [Elspeth Beard Architects](/source/Elspeth_Beard_Architects)
| significant_buildings = 
| significant_projects = The first Englishwoman to ride a motorcycle around the world
| significant_design = [Munstead Tower](/source/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](/source/architect) and [motorcyclist](/source/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 &ndash; 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](/source/Godalming), winning the 1994 [Royal Institute of British Architects](/source/Royal_Institute_of_British_Architects) award for [South East England](/source/South_East_England). She now owns an architectural firm based in a converted stable in [Godalming](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/BMW_%2F6_motorcycles) 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](/source/The_Wall_Street_Journal)| date=13 January 2016|access-date=19 April 2016}}</ref> She added soft [pannier](/source/pannier)s, 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](/source/New_York_City), [United States](/source/United_States), having shipped the bike from the [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom). From there, she motorcycled to [Canada](/source/Canada) and [Mexico](/source/Mexico) and back to the US before shipping her bike to [Sydney](/source/Sydney), [Australia](/source/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](/source/Townsville), [Queensland](/source/Queensland), she had an accident which left her hospitalised for two weeks.<ref name="MO" /><ref name="Telegraph" /> Afterwards, she travelled to [Singapore](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Michael_O'Mara_Books)| date=May 2015|access-date=19 April 2016}}</ref> At the time of the [assassination](/source/Assassination_of_Indira_Gandhi) of Prime Minister [Indira Gandhi](/source/Indira_Gandhi), the entire Punjab state was closed. Beard forged the necessary permit to get out of the [Punjab](/source/Punjab) region and travelled into [Pakistan](/source/Pakistan) before riding back into Europe via [Turkey](/source/Turkey).<ref name="MO" /><ref name="Triviasa" /> She arrived in the [United Kingdom](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Home_Front_(TV_series))'', and in 1994, the tower won the [Royal Institute of British Architects](/source/Royal_Institute_of_British_Architects) award for [South East England](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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''](/source/Rogue_Agent_(film)).

==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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Elspeth Beard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elspeth_Beard) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elspeth_Beard?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.