After more than three days of cycling in searing heat, 20 cyclists arrived at Westminster Abbey yesterday in 33 degrees sunshine.

The 200-mile Queen Eleanor Cycle Ride from Lincoln to London included three nights sleeping on hall floors en route, cycling through the most beautiful English countryside and record-breaking temperatures. There were lashings of sun-block, gallons of water drank, a few punctures and broken spokes, plus some unwanted sunstroke.

The group has raised a wonderful £12,000 for Friends of The Connection at St Martin's homeless charity helping vulnerable homeless people in Central London, with a target of £15,000 well within reach. Rough sleeping in Central London rose by 31% over the past year. This brutal fact underlines the growing needs of those living on the streets.

The route visited the site of all 12 Queen Eleanor Crosses erected by King Edward 1st soon after the death of his beloved wife Queen Eleanor, just outside Lincoln, in 1290. The beautiful memorial crosses were built at the site of each overnight stop of the funeral procession as they travelled back to London with her body. Time though wasn't kind and the majority of the crosses were destroyed during the English Civil War, left to decay or plundered for building materials.

The group of cyclists were led off by Grantham-born Keith Wright, gently setting the pace. Having slept the night on the floor of Harrowby Lane Methodist Church, they paused St Peters Hill where, opposite the Guildhall, there once stood a glorious Queen Eleanor Cross. A search is now on to find the base of the cross, which explains some of the trenches that have been dug recently in the grass by Sir Isaac Newton's statue in recent months.

Lincoln, Grantham, Stamford and then onwards to Geddington, where one of the three surviving Crosses still stands proudly in the centre of the village. There was a grand arrival in style, flanked by 'Queen Eleanor', a 1953 vintage fire engine. If you want to know what's special about the Queen Eleanor Crosses, pop in to Geddington and be prepared to be wowed.

Then Northampton up the hill to see the majestic cross, currently entombed in scaffolding whilst preservation ensues. Stony Stratford, Woburn, Dunstable, St Albans – all with crosses long since gone. Then Waltham Cross, the third of the surviving crosses, and onwards to Cheapside, Charing Cross (a Victorian replica built, in the wrong place, in the nineteenth century to market a new hotel) and so to Westminster Abbey, with the stunning Eleanor's tomb in the shrine of St Edward the Confessor.

As the team passed through each town and village, they received a wonderful reception from local people with tea and cake galore. In South Witham, Rev Neil Griffiths, the Rector of the neighbouring churches of Colsterworth and surrounding parishes popped in to say hello. Neil knows much about homelessness and last Christmas spent a night sleeping out to raise awareness of the plight of those on the streets.

Keith Wright, now living outside Stamford, simply puts the reason for the fundraising: "As someone who doesn't need to worry about having a roof over my head nor food to eat, I am very proud to be able to support those who go out and help homeless people to rebuild their lives."

Donations are still being taken on uk.virginmoneygiving.com Just search for Queen Eleanor Cycle Ride.

If you're intrigued by the history of Queen Eleanor, another of the cyclist Keith Busfield is speaking at Stamford Local History Society's meeting on 7th November – the subject: The Eleanor Crosses.