Railway trails

[srw]

There's a TV prog called Julia Bradbury's Railway Walks on at the mo on BBC4. There all cycleable AFAIK. Episode one was actually about the Monsal Trail. Available on demand if you've got that, or the BBC website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00dtp33/episodes/player

The one on tonight went from Callandar to Loch Tay - and it looked rather lovely and doable on a hybrid.

 

[RMurphy195]

It's a few years old now and needs checking. For example, the Monsal Trail one said tunnels were closed which I'm not sure are.

Tunnels on the Monsal trail are all open.

Have you looked at the Forest of Dean -there's a nice circular route there, about 34 miles I think. Plus lots criss-crossing the whole area, where the rail lines used to be. Plus some out-and-out MTB trails. Try http://www.wyedeantourism.co.uk/g_cycling

 

[Saluki]

The Tarka Trail, in Devon, is nice and worth a ride. The Camel Trail is only 17 miles, end to end but there are some nice trails in the Portreath area with the Mineral Trails. Fine on 28mm slicks

 

[User19783]

The Tarka Trail, in Devon, is nice and worth a ride. The Camel Trail is only 17 miles, end to end but there are some nice trails in the Portreath area with the Mineral Trails. Fine on 28mm slicks

I did the Devon coast to coast this year, using the NCR 27, highly recommend this ride, cycling along the Tarka trail Drake's trail and Granite way,
Only 100 miles and i did it in a day on a hybrid bike.

 

[Pale Rider]

Plenty of railway paths in my part of the world in the North East.

A benefit of this patch is many are disused gravity fed mineral lines. which means there's some climbing and attendant interest in the surrounding countryside.

As mentioned earlier, standard British Rail gradient makes for easy going but can be too flat and can get boring after a few miles.

Circuits take a bit of planning, railways were built to go in relatively straight lines from A to B.

My suggestion to Andy would be my Sunderland - Consett - Durham City - Sunderland triangular route.

The first leg is on the C2C, nearly all off road.

Consett down to Durham along Lanchester Valley is also off road on decent paths.

Complications set in getting from Durham back to Sunderland, lots of junctions where the route isn't obvious makes it hard for strangers to navigate.

Andy is well able to read a map, although that's not the full answer because it won't tell you if a stretch of bridle path is all but asphalt, or if it's impassable on any bicycle.

 

[PeteXXX]

Here's a bit of vid of the Brampton Valley Way, Sustrans Cycle Route 6.



The Kelmarsh Tunnel, with a few mates earlier this year.

 

[biggs682]

Here's a bit of vid of the Brampton Valley Way, Sustrans Cycle Route 6.



The Kelmarsh Tunnel, with a few mates earlier this year.

i keep mean to take the Marin across and do a section but never seem to get there

 

[Supersuperleeds]

i keep mean to take the Marin across and do a section but never seem to get there

I did it on my road bike, was a bit bumpy

 

[biggs682]

I did it on my road bike, was a bit bumpy

its lumpy enough when you walk it

 

[PeteXXX]

It's a regular 'easy' ride up to Mkt. Harborough for a coffee and/or bag of chips then back via Pitsford Res for me and a few mates.
You can do the tunnels without lights, but you have to concentrate on the semi-circle of daylight to avoid ricocheting off the brickwork

Any bike will be OK, but a bit of suspension helps take the jitters out of the surface..

 

[biggs682]

It's a regular 'easy' ride up the Mkt. Harborough for a coffee and/or bag of chips then back via Pitsford Res for me and a few mates.
You can do the tunnels without lights, but you have to concentrate on the semi-circle of daylight to avoid ricocheting off the brickwork

Any bike will be OK, but a bit of suspension helps take the jitters out of the surface..

will have to try it then

 

[RMurphy195]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vinters-Railway-Gazetteer-Britains-Railways/dp/0752460110 ?

 

[EasyPeez]

Again, thanks for all the suggestions everyone.

There's a nice stretch between Market Harborough and Chapel Brampton. There were 2 tunnels along that route (it's been 11 years since I last rode it, so these may be closed now). I'm sure you could work a circular route out including this section.

This looks good. Do you know what the area is like around there in terms of scenic road rides for the other days?

The Trumpington-Cambridge Station and Cambridge North Station (forthcoming)-St Ives routes are alongside guided busways along the former railways to Bedford and Huntingdon (respectively). The Sandy-Bedford section of that line is also a cycle track now.

Yes, as several of my chums are Cambridge-based we've had a go at the guided busways.

The Cheddar Valley / Strawberry Line, Bristol-Bath Railway Path and Two Tunnels are all ex-railway trails in Somerset. The first two are linked by the Festival Way and Flax Bourton Greenway which both run alongside live railways for parts of their routes.

This sounds fantastic. Bit of a way for me from Hull but a definite for the list to consider, especially as we could then base ourselves in the Mendips or South Cotswolds for some good tarmac routes on our other days. Cheers.

There's a TV prog called Julia Bradbury's Railway Walks on at the mo on BBC4. There all cycleable AFAIK. Episode one was actually about the Monsal Trail. Available on demand if you've got that, or the BBC website

I watched and very much enjoyed this earlier in the week. Thanks for the tip. Seems the tunnels must have been re-opened quite recently as they were all closed when this was filmed in 2008. As a keen outdoors-type I'll watch the rest of the series, though it seems all the other locations are too far-flung for the purposes of next year's cycling jaunt. Cheers.

Extending this a bit - start in Thame, use the Phoenix trail to Princes Risborough, then find your way to Amersham, Chorleywood and Rickmansworth. The Ebury trail takes you to Watford, from where there's a reasonably adequate NCN route to St Alban's and the Alban way to Hatfield. I've done all of that, including I think all of it on a heavy-duty touring tandem; the trails are mostly sandy or tarmac and would be fine on hybrids. (Most recently I did the Ebury Way on a Brompton!). From Hatfield go north to Welwyn and either east to Ware or west to Hemel on the Ayot Greenway (not one I've ridden). If you go to Hemel it's quite easy to make a loop via Berkhamsted and Aylesbury back to Thame.

I know the names of the towns don't exactly inspire, but that's part of the charm of these routes - you trickle through back country and emerge into ancient town centres. And, of course, if you're a roadie you've got the challenge of some of southern England's toughest hills in the Chilterns.

Another definite for the list, what with it being near Chilterns. Cheers.

This may be a possibility, and it was suggested to me by another CCer.

http://www.cyclegrampian.co.uk/trail/formartineway.html

Looks lovely but a bit far flung I fear.

Have you looked at the Forest of Dean -there's a nice circular route there, about 34 miles I think

Did you mean 34 miles of trails altogether maybe? I'd be very keen on a long forest trail if the 34 miler does exist, but all I can find reference to for FoD is an 11 mile 'family route' and then various shorter MTB trails that we couldn't do on our bikes. Cheers.

The Tarka Trail, in Devon, is nice and worth a ride. The Camel Trail is only 17 miles, end to end but there are some nice trails in the Portreath area with the Mineral Trails.

Again, looks lovely but a bit far flung. I should probably have been a bit more specific when ruling out Cornwall!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vinters-Railway-Gazetteer-Britains-Railways/dp/0752460110 ?

That looks good. I have just ordered this, more with future family rides/weekends in mind really -

https://shop.sustrans.org.uk/sustrans-traffic-free-cycle-rides

so will have a good skeg through that when it arrives to see if it also throws up some possibilities for our spring weekend, and might invest in the Gazetteer depending on how good the Sustrans book is.

 

[EasyPeez]

Plenty of railway paths in my part of the world in the North East.

A benefit of this patch is many are disused gravity fed mineral lines. which means there's some climbing and attendant interest in the surrounding countryside.

As mentioned earlier, standard British Rail gradient makes for easy going but can be too flat and can get boring after a few miles.

Circuits take a bit of planning, railways were built to go in relatively straight lines from A to B.

My suggestion to Andy would be my Sunderland - Consett - Durham City - Sunderland triangular route.

The first leg is on the C2C, nearly all off road.

Consett down to Durham along Lanchester Valley is also off road on decent paths.

Complications set in getting from Durham back to Sunderland, lots of junctions where the route isn't obvious makes it hard for strangers to navigate.

Andy is well able to read a map, although that's not the full answer because it won't tell you if a stretch of bridle path is all but asphalt, or if it's impassable on any bicycle.

Rob, thanks for the suggestions. Consett and Durham certainly appeal as cycling destinations.

Forgive my poor memory but am I right in thinking you take a similarly traditional approach to wayfaring as myself - and as such wouldn't have GPS files for these routes that you could share?

Cheers.

 

[Pale Rider]

Rob, thanks for the suggestions. Consett and Durham certainly appeal as cycling destinations.

Forgive my poor memory but am I right in thinking you take a similarly traditional approach to wayfaring as myself - and as such wouldn't have GPS files for these routes that you could share?

Cheers.

Your memory is good, but I have recently grasped the technological nettle to a limited extent.

I've not done the Lanchester Valley circuit to record it on gps, but I either will do it, or I can contact someone who has the route.

Ping me an email address via a private message and I will get something across to you.

Might take a few weeks one way or the other, but presumably that won't cause you any difficulty.