An Oxfordshire couple have completed a month-long cycle following the longest river in France to raise money for a conservation charity.

Richard and Sian Liwicki, aged 65 and 62 respectively, pedalled more than 1,150km along the Loire to raise money for Wild Oxfordshire.

Despite bad weather, the couple managed to climb a total of 11,200m while carrying all their belongings in panniers after planning the trip and organising all the logistics themselves.

Mr Liwicki said: "We had cycled the Rhine before so we knew what we needed to pack, and how to organise and navigate all the stages in this long trip.

Richard and Sian LiwickiRichard and Sian Liwicki (Image: Wild Oxfordshire) "We trained for weeks. What we had not planned for was the wettest September in France in 25 years.

"We cycled through two icy storms and faced strong headwinds in the mountains. We regularly got wet so getting dry for the next day was an added challenge.

"However, we knew we could not stop and the French locals were incredibly helpful and kind.

"Motorists are used to a vibrant cycling culture in France."

Mrs Liwicki, who has supported Wild Oxfordshire for many years, said: "We wanted to really spend time getting to know this beautiful part of France and travel sustainably.

"We used public transport to get to the start and for our return journey.

"We wanted to raise funds for nature in Oxfordshire because we knew it would spur us on during this challenging trip.

Richard and Sian Liwicki are more than halfway to their fundraising targetRichard and Sian Liwicki are more than halfway to their fundraising target (Image: Wild Oxfordshire) "We were even more determined when we heard that Butterfly Conservation had declared a butterfly emergency in September.

"Cycling is our way of experiencing and celebrating nature up close.

"We wrote a wildlife and travel blog along the way, and it was inevitable that we would make comparisons between our county along the Thames, and the Loire countryside.

"Our friends and family have been very encouraging and we are over halfway to hitting our target of £7,000.

"We have just got to get around to telling everyone that we made it."

Their efforts have been praised by Wild Oxfordshire, whose chief executive, Camilla Burrow, believes more people will be able to "take action for nature" as a result of the couple's efforts.

She said: "As a long-term supporter of Wild Oxfordshire, we're so delighted and grateful for Sian and Richard's fundraising efforts.

"The funds will contribute towards our work enabling more people to take action for nature across Oxfordshire.

"Our sincere thanks to all those already contributing to nature's recovery, and we look forward to working with even more people in the future."