The National Byway

[GrumpyGregry]

anyone ridden much (any) of it? Both those parts in Hampshire, Wiltshire and Dorset specifically or more further afield in general? I walked (I know, I know, sorry but it was the company) some of it last week and it piqued my interest. I wouldn't mind doing Winchester - Glastonbury over a long weekend.

Are all the loops singed in one direction only (?to avoid leisure cyclists making right turns?)

 

[Deleted member 23692]

I thought the scheme had fizzled out.. it certainly has in these parts

 

[albion]

I often do a small section from Rowley to Edmundbyers.
And one day when I wandered to Hexham I picked it up knowing it would take me via Edmundbyers.

It has not fizzled out, I think it is just lack of publicity.
For commercial reasons Sustrans maps last I knew had a ban on showing it, but it would be good if the other on-line maps showed the route.

 

[Berties]

I have ridden the route from Winchester through to cashmoor ,great ride via Stockbridge ,mottisfont to alderbury,fordingbridge then into Dorset ,great ride varying scenery ,quieter back roads

 

[Puddles]

How do you find out where it is? Winchester to Glastonbury sounds nice to me

 

[ufkacbln]

The web site is here albeit out of date.

in the late 90's, early 00's it was a "rival" to the Sustrans NCN and sponsored originally by Hovis there are stil many signposts out there with the Hovis logo, or later simply the sheaf

 

[Puddles]

The web site is here albeit out of date.

in the late 90's, early 00's it was a "rival" to the Sustrans NCN and sponsored originally by Hovis there are stil many signposts out there with the Hovis logo, or later simply the sheaf

Thank you, they seem to be out of stock of maps for where I would want, does this mean they no longer do them I wonder...

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Opencyclemaps (and thus bikehike) have it clearly marked as NB in some places, for example

 

[Cubist]

@GrumpyGregry Is it all rural lanes, or a mixture? That section looks to be old railway line. It looks like a great project that has been left half finished, or swamped by Sustrans.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

@GrumpyGregry Is it all rural lanes, or a mixture? That section looks to be old railway line. It looks like a great project that has been left half finished, or swamped by Sustrans.

It looks that way because of the zoom level I think. South of Stockbridge the sustrans/NCN path does run on the route of an old railway whilst the National Byway runs along Cow Drove Hill, a lane (road) that runs parallel to the old railway.

As far as I can tell it lost it's commercial sponsor (Hovis) and ground to a halt thus, as you say, getting swamped by NCN. But as it is on road it appeals more to me than many sustrans routes.

 

[Cubist]

I think you've hit the nail on the head there. If it is all rural lanes the it would be a great winter challenge. Think I'll order the map and get the guards on the road bike. Those yorkshire sections look like a good novice road biking sort of challenge in manageable lumps.

 

[ufkacbln]

I did much of this when I was younger and it was mainly rural lanes, although like Sustrans these were of variable quality

THe other difference was that it was specific routes as opposed to a national network, so it was not really interested in the politics, enabling local councils and through them building of new paths etc that was the Sustrans model

 

[albion]

You might find you local routes here by clicking 'view'.
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/National_Byway

I never found the time for a day trip to Scotland but looking here, if feeling fit I can follow mainly the Byway for the afternoon return via Durham.
http://www.openstreetmap.org/?relation=1205886

Consett to Durham/Barnard Castle mainly off road whilst the more scenic Stanhope to I assume Newbiggin is quiet road.