cycling through Lincoln city

[alicat]

Oh I was wondering whether 'gate' was Viking. Plenty of 'gates' in Leeds too.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

And York; Walmgate, Micklegate etc.

 

[Venod]

And York; Walmgate, Micklegate etc.

Don't forget Whipmawhopmagate

 

[screenman]

A mate of mine watched somebody nick his gate, he did not say anything in case they took a fence.

 

[Gixxerman]

A mate of mine watched somebody nick his gate, he did not say anything in case they took a fence.

Was it the pillage idiot?

 

[GlenBen]

I havent read the other answers fully so it may have already been answered, but the route Id take...

At the bottom of milman road, turn right onto monks road. Go straight over the next junction onto clasketgate. Straight on again onto west parade. Where the road bends right, turn left (its actually straight on), staying on west parade. Then when you reach the crossroads, turn left down the hill, on the avenue. At the bottom of that bit of hill, go straight over the junction onto (i think) carholme road. Then at the next set of lights turn left and you are at the start of route 64, its a paved riverside path all the way to skellingthorpe, except a small gravel carpark at the pyewipe.

 

[wajc]

If you're happy to take a slightly less direct route to Skellingthorpe (adds about 6km to the most direct route) then this might be of interest.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26833367

This has the benefit of taking you nearly to the centre of Lincoln on the traffic free part of the NCN 1 also known as the Water Railway all the way from 5 mile bridge at Fiskerton (which is as it names suggest is 5 miles from the centre of Lincoln).

You then ride about a km from the end of Great Northern Terrace to where you join the again traffic free NCN 64 - keeping the time mixing with traffic through Lincoln to a minimum.

I think it would be easier to navigate than if coming in to Lincoln from the North West and probably the more enjoyable option.

 

[Newman8]

Here's my route (hope the link works ok):
https://www.strava.com/routes/11898752

Lincoln's such a beautiful city centre, you should really take a little time to do a small loop of the old 'Uphill' city (the Cathedral and Castle area). It's also a fairly quiet town with very good roads and your route approaching and leaving Lincoln is very flat and easy. There's potentially some steep hills in the city centre: Somewhere you will have just one awkward descent from the higher ground on your approach from the north to the lower ground on your last leg.

*As per the link above, as you approach Lincoln on the A46 (on NCN1), just carry on all the way until you pass the Cathedral (on your right). (Don't branch off to the left to bypass the city on the East side and go down to the Water Railway, at least until you've done a small sightseeing loop).
*Turn right at Minster Yard to follow the south side of the Cathedral on the cobbles and then go through Exchequergate into Castle Square.
*Then head north up the start of Bailgate, before taking a slight detour left along the north side of the Castle wall, and then right along Chapel Lane to rejoin Bailgate at Newport Arch.
*Head east along Church Road and Northgate to rejoin where you entered the City.
*Somewhere along that loop, you'll find somewhere really good for coffee and cake.


*Route from Glenben is a very easy way to join NCN64, but Milman Road (on the east edge of the Arboretum) is a more directly steep descent than Lindum Hill (which would be the main road).
*You can carry on after Milman Road to join the Water Railway around Lincs FM building, as per wajc and mjr, but this isn't a very pretty part of town - it does however, have the advantage of coming past the Brayford Pool Marina and the University area once you've reached the south west edge of the city centre, which is great and also meets up with the start of NCN64.
*I'd personally join Brayford Pool by heading south down the main road, Broadgate then branching off left in order to turn right under Pelham Bridge and along Wigford Way.
*If I remember correctly, you have to dismount to get off Wigford Way onto North Witham Bank when Brayford Wharf is on your left.

Another really simple alternative, branching off from the 'Scenic Loop' above is:
*From the north side of the Castle wall, turn left down Union Road (past the excellent Victoria pub), briefly on Drury Lane and down Spring Hill and Hungate where you turn right onto Motherby Lane, which joins West Parade (as per Glenben's route).
*In this instance, the bottom half of Union Road and Drury Lane would be your steep descent.

Lastly...
If you just want the quickest way to join the two routes, you'd bypass the city completely on the north west side via the A46, but you'd have some sections of dual carriageway I believe.

 

[mjr]

Lincoln's such a beautiful city centre, you should really take a little time to do a small loop of the old 'Uphill' city (the Cathedral and Castle area). It's also a fairly quiet town with very good roads and your route approaching and leaving Lincoln is very flat and easy. There's potentially some steep hills in the city centre: Somewhere you will have just one awkward descent from the higher ground on your approach from the north to the lower ground on your last leg.

Could you do a quieter and bit more gradual descent after looping the Cathedral and Castle by heading out along Carline Road and going straight over at the end into Queen Crescent? The west end of Carline Street has "turn left" arrows painted on the road, but the restriction signs are only "no right turn" so going straight over would seem permitted, although it'll probably be surprising to motorists (so beware!).

*If I remember correctly, you have to dismount to get off Wigford Way onto North Witham Bank when Brayford Wharf is on your left.

Not necessarily - it looks like you can make a left-hand U-turn at the toucan crossing at the north end of Wigford Way and "salmon" the wrong-way along a roadside cycleway which forks right off after a few metres onto the river bank, but that U-turn might be scary with non-comprehending motorists on your tail.

 

[Rob and Alison]

Wow! Thanks very much all for your input.
Some interesting options to play with.
Our problem initially looking at the map we have was that we don't know the city at all well and just didn't fancy the more pedestrianized looking parts near to the shops.
There is plenty to sit down and work out an interesting route here, for us two at least, it may end up being too long a day out for some of those who would have potentially joined us, but that will be their loss.
Thanks again.

 

[L Q]

NCN1 doesn't go through Caistor. The closest it gets to Caistor is Swallow or Thoresway.
Now depending on how much you like hills, there are a few choices.
Whatever you do, I'd avoid the A46 like the plauge as it is a very busy narrow road, frequented, it seems, by unsypathetic motorists.

Take Whitegate Hill road out of Caistor to where it meets the B1225 (AKA Caistor High Street) and turn right onto the B1225 until after a short distance you get to a crossroads. Here you have 3 choices as I see it.

1. The scenic and hilly route.
At the crossroads turn left towards Rothwell (pronounced Rovvel by us yeller bellies). Turn right in Rothwell and head towards Thoresway (pronounced Forzer). Here you pick up the NCN1 turning right. Follow the NCN signs (which are mostly well maintained and visible), taking you back over the B1225, down Walesby Hill, through Walesby. The onto my home town of Market Rasen, where you straight over at the lights down Linwood Road to Linwood. Turn right as you leave the village of Linwood.
2. The even hillier route.
At the crossroads turn right towards Nettleton (where my dad used to work in an ironstone mine). In Nettleton turn left and go up Normanby (pronounced Norranby) Road and up a quite steep hill past a carpark on you left, then past Acre House farm and onto Normanby-le-Wold, passing the Claxby radar station (AKA the golf ball for reasons that will become evident after you see it). Here go down Normanby Hill (steep!) into Claxby. Carry on straight towards the A46. Turn left onto the A46 (care!) and then immediately right onto Osgodby Low Road towards Osgodby. Before you get to Osgodby take the first left into Sand Lane (A). Follow this, turning right then left and the junction towards Middle Rasen. Here turn left into Low Church Road. Go through the village, past the bowling green until you reach the main A46/A631 road. Here go straight over into Mill Lane. Carry on over the railway bridge (Buslingthorpe bridge). Here you pick up the NCN1 as it leaves Linwood.
3. Very few hills route.
Out of Caistor, take the North Kelsey Road. After some time you will come to a crossroads. Turn left (before you get to the pub) and go over Smithfields level crossing. Follow this until you come to a T junction. Turn left. This isn't a main road, but it does get quite busy so be aware. Follow this a short way until you get to Moortown crossroads. Here turn right towards South Kelsey. On a sharp right hand bend, go straight on (signposted Thorton-le-Moor). Take the first left turn to North Owersby. At the next T junction turn left to Osgodby. After leaving Osgodby, take the second left (Sand Lane) and proceed as route 2 from (A).

Any on the above routes will pick up the NCN as it leaves Linwood. You will cross the railway line twice over level crossings until you reach Wickenby (site of a Lancaster bomber base in WW2). Turn right in Wickenby and head to Snelland, where you turn right and cross over another level crossing. Keep on the main drag (left) to Stainton-by-Langworth (passing the rather nice Reasby hall where my mum used to work in service many years ago). Turn right and head to Scothern (where my mum now lives in a nursing home). Pass the church and head to Nettleham, where you turn right down Deepdale Lane past the police HQ. Here you pick up the cyclepath that runs alongside the A46 into north Lincoln. Go straight over at the RaB and head into Lincoln down Nettleham Road (cycle path available). Follow Nettleham Road until you pass the Lincoln Hotel on your left. Here you go straight on through Priorygate Arch (part of the old roman city walls) and past the glorious cathedral on your right. Go past Pottergate arch and out onto Lindum Road (A15). Go down Lindum Hill. Here it gets a bit messy. Go down the hill and onto the dual carriageway that is Broadgate. After a few hundred metres (crossing over the river Witham), turn left into Pelham Street (passing my workplace Siemens on your left). Here you pass under the dual carraigeway (Pelham Bridge) and into St Mary's Street. Pass the railway station on your left / bus station on your right. At the lights, go straight over into Wigford Way. After a short while you will see the Odean cinema on your left. Get off your bike here onto the path and turning 180 degrees, walk a short distance down to the Brayford Pool (passing the Royal William V pub). Here you can mount up again and cycle alongside the Brayford Pool (lake) down Brayford Wharf north. After you pass the Holiday Inn on your right, you go under the university bridge and from there you pick up NCN64. There is a very short section (50m or so just as you pass Foss Street) where you have to (officially) get off and walk (but most people don't). From then on follow the NCN64 signs following the Fossdyke navigation, past the Woodcocks pub and out to the bypass. Here you get routed through the Woodcocks car park. Careful as this covered in very deep and lose gravel / pebbles. You go through a concrete tunnel under the bypass and immedately turn left onto the start on the cyclepath. You zig-zag up onto the side of the bypass road, and then over the Fossdyke and railway, then down the cyclepath on the other side and onwards to Skellingthorpe and Jerusalem.

Hope this helps.
If I were doing it, I'd take route 1 :-).

Its the Pyewipe car park that has the dreaded gravel, I used to go over it really slowly when I started going past but now I find faster is better.

If you do get chance have a break in the bailgate area as its lovely.

Oh and route 2 is lovely isn't it, great views right over towards Nottinghamshire.

 

[Gixxerman]

Its the Pyewipe car park that has the dreaded gravel, I used to go over it really slowly when I started going past but now I find faster is better.

Ah yes indeed it is. My mistake. It is absolute shite to ride through though. Plus the tunnel under the bypass doubles as a fishing lake in wet weather. I used to commute from the park and cycle at burton waters down this route everyday. It is lovely cycling along the banks of the Fossdyke. The only bugbear was all the bloody dog walkers on the path that let their pooches wander about uncontrolled and blame you if you run them over.

If you do get chance have a break in the bailgate area as its lovely.

Indeed it is. I have a very nice view of the cathedral out of my office window. Working in Lincoln and seeing it everyday, you tend to forget just how nice the uphill part of Lincoln is.

Oh and route 2 is lovely isn't it, great views right over towards Nottinghamshire.

Yes you get some quite nice views from the "top of the wolds" (known locally as Noramby cliff top for reasons unknown as there is no cliff anywhere near it). On a clear day, you can see Lincoln Cathedral and the Humber Bridge from the same viewpoint. Which is surprising, as Lincolnshire is flat according to most people ;-)

 

[Newman8]

Don't even remember the cycle path being there when I lived there, but the roads on SE side of the city (to Saxilby, Skelly and Newark) are great - long, straight, very very flat and, if there's no wind, very very fast or very very easy, depending on your outlook!