Cycling disused lines?

[yorkie]

Anyone else here interested in cycling disused railway lines?

What lines have you done, and what lines are you planning to ride, or would like to ride?

 

[Clip]

Ive been looking into getting back into cycling of late - now the weather has turned

Sounds good to do so along disused lines but unsure of any near me - will have a looksy I think...

 

[paul@skegby.org.]

Bakewell to Buxton along The Monsal trail is pretty good.

 

[transmanche]

What lines have you done, and what lines are you planning to ride, or would like to ride?

I regularly cycle along some former lines which form part of the Hadrian's Cycleway, NCN 72 (the Riverside branch and the North Wylam loop and NCN 14 (the Derwent Valley line).

 

[Spaceflower]

Yeah. but there seems to be a shortage of them round NW Leeds. There seems to be alot less time round these parts too

 

[Harbon 1]

The old Mickleover test track is a good cycle from Eggington Junction up to the old station at Mickleover. There's a lot of old remnants that have never been cleared away from it's days as a railway which are good to discover

 

[Spaceflower]

Yeah, it's a shame they did that in Durham. When I was a young un' most of what became the surfaced cycletracks used to be walkways and alot of old lineside huts, engine sheds, signals, even sidings and wagons were still in residence. Much of it's been landscaped to death now as cheaply as possible with about as much imagination as a brick. Welcome to Mars.......

 

[Lrd]

I've done Guildford - Shoreham By Sea which was very nice, fairly flat and towards the end, you go through the valley into Shoreham, getting some great views.

 

[radamfi]

I live near the old Three Bridges to East Grinstead line, which is now the Worth Way (part of National Cycle Route 21) so I've cycled on that a few times. However, the route isn't very suitable for road bikes as it is unpaved. I've also done the Forest Way, which is the old East Grinstead to Tunbridge Wells line as far as Groombridge, which is again unpaved.

 

[harry42]

I certainly hike/walk across old lines: namely, monsal trail recently but others have been done.

 

[43074]

I've cycled on the old GCR alignment South of Leicester which I enjoyed: for those particularly keen with their cycling it's part of a National Cycle Way, so is quite accessible. Obviously in urban Leicester it's not quite as scenic as, say, the Monsal Trail but it made a nice change and I was surprised at how much of it was in the ''open'', albeit on the floodplain of the River Soar.

 

[table38]

Brinnington Tunnel in Stockport was great fun to cycle through until they put lights in and spoiled it!

http://www.bikerides.dsracing.me.uk/railway/tiviotdale.htm

Planning to go over and do Worsborough one day. How about a cycle meet?

 

[TEW]

I've done Guildford - Shoreham By Sea which was very nice, fairly flat and towards the end, you go through the valley into Shoreham, getting some great views.

Living in Guildford that's one I want to do. Quite a long way mind. I am looking at walking the Guildford-Horsham section soon now that the days are a bit longer and warmer.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

There is an old line in which a station was situated at Fernilee, which is now a pub car park. From there towards the Cat and Fiddle there is an old tunnel, now bricked up. Tried finding out the old alignment of the full route but no luck.

I've walked parts of the old Woodhead Line, both Longdendale and Penistone sides.

 

[DownSouth]

A former line to Willunga in South Australia has turned out to be an excellent cycle route and a far better use of the corridor than the railway which was built for political purposes and was only open for 54 years. In January even some of the WorldTour cycling teams directed their guys to use it on their way back to the hotel after the race stage as a way to beat the traffic!

A couple of the former level crossings along this route on low-usage local roads still have the rails visible because nobody ever bothered to pull them out. They were sealed over a few years ago but the contractor stuffed up and the new hotmix seal on top melted away during a severe heatwave 18 months later leaving the rails exposed again.

The final segment of the new electrified Seaford line roughly follows about 1.5 kilometres of the Willunga route's former corridor to its terminus, but sunk in a cutting and with double tracks where the original line had been at ground level and a single track. It took some protesting from the locals and the wider Adelaide cycling community to make happen, but a new alignment for the trail was included in the corridor alongside the new railway.

 

[Jonny]

I basically got into 'serious' cycling on a Sustrans route (mostly) on a former trackbed, from the Stanhope and Tyne route which was one of the lines that served the Consett iron works (in North-East England). More recently I have 'got' the Lanchester Valley and Derwent Walk former trackbed routes. Oh, and not forgetting the greenways on parts of the former Pontop and Jarrow alignment and a few bits around Newcastle (including the remains of the former St Anthonys loop). And a few other bits of greenway (or even highway) built on trackbed for that matter. North-East England has quite a lot, in fact.

I also did the Fallowfield loop - some bits more often than others - when I was at Manchester University as well as a few other former trackbed routes in the area (e.g. Altrincham to Lymm).

 

[fowler9]

The old Liverpool Loop Line is a decent cycle route although you may need back up on certain parts. The trans pennine trail by Warrington is very pleasant heading from Warrington to Lymm.

 

[Lrd]

Living in Guildford that's one I want to do. Quite a long way mind. I am looking at walking the Guildford-Horsham section soon now that the days are a bit longer and warmer.

IIRC it took about 4 - 5 hours which included stopping at a few places and walking for a mile or so here and there. I took the train back of course.

 

[DJL]

Last year I cycled part of a disused line in North London (Highgate to Finsbury park) which is now a park.
I was slightly disappointed as I was expecting great views from such a high vantage point but it was tree lined.

 

[H.trains8]

What's left of the Charnwood Forest Railway is a good cycle path

 

[transmanche]

Last year I cycled part of a disused line in North London (Highgate to Finsbury park) which is now a park.
I was slightly disappointed as I was expecting great views from such a high vantage point but it was tree lined.

And a lot of it in cutting. You should havea go on the other section of the Parkland Walk (Highgate Wood to Muswell Hill), which has some good views from the viaduct over St James's Lane.

 

[Kite159]

Lovely bit of the old Sprat and Winkle (Andover to Redbridge) line which got turned into the Test Way

And the Hockley Viaduct outside Winchester

 

[DJL]

And a lot of it in cutting. You should havea go on the other section of the Parkland Walk (Highgate Wood to Muswell Hill), which has some good views from the viaduct over St James's Lane.

Thanks. I didn't know this other part existed.
I'll check it out once my fitness level is back up ( it's a 1.5hr+ ride just to get there from my part of London!)

 

[yorkie]

.. I've also done the Forest Way, which is the old East Grinstead to Tunbridge Wells line as far as Groombridge...

A group of us are doing East Grinstead - Groombridge at the end of next month, if I can interest you (or anyone else) in joining us?

We'll be combining the ride with a trip on the Bluebell and Spa Valley Railways.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Planning to go over and do Worsborough one day. How about a cycle meet?

Maniacmartin, Mr Palmer of Retro (who I believe you know!) and I actually did that last week (oops - sorry, I forgot to check up on this thread, though it was fairly 'spur of the moment' decision, to do that as an extension to our trans-pennine ride) but, yes, definitely up for some cycle ride meets. I've made a Doodle here: http://doodle.com/vg7pv82t3edaz58v please add your forum name to it if you're interested

 

[DJL]

A group of us are doing East Grinstead - Groombridge at the end of next month, if I can interest you (or anyone else) in joining us?

We'll be combining the ride with a trip on the Bluebell and Spa Valley Railways.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Maniacmartin, Mr Palmer of Retro (who I believe you know!) and I actually did that last week (oops - sorry, I forgot to check up on this thread, though it was fairly 'spur of the moment' decision, to do that as an extension to our trans-pennine ride) but, yes, definitely up for some cycle ride meets. I've made a Doodle here: http://doodle.com/vg7pv82t3edaz58v please add your forum name to it if you're interested

I might be interested in the east Grinstead ride

 

[steamybrian]

A group of us are doing East Grinstead - Groombridge at the end of next month, if I can interest you (or anyone else) in joining us?

We'll be combining the ride with a trip on the Bluebell and Spa Valley Railways.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I have walked the East Grinstead to Groombridge section many times but never cycled it.
You are probably aware that at East Grinstead the path starts on the eastern edge of the town as the former trackbed through the town is now "Beeching Way" inner relief road which I believe prohibits cycles.
Please let me know the date so that the Spa Valley Railway can provide space for cycles on the train.

 

[Tetchytyke]

When I used to live in Newcastle I was right by the Wylam Waggonway in Newburn, so rode along that on a very regular basis. I've also done the sections of railway from Queensbury and Thornton through to Denholme and Cullingworth, even though it's a bit of a faff getting on to the trackbed.

Not ridden for a little while and my legs reminded me of it last weekend. Need to get back out on t'bike I reckon

 

[7Pinza]

Have done the Monsal Trail - highly recommended - great to cycle through the tunnels (lit) plus visit the stations at Hassop (restaurant and shop), Millers Dale and Bakewell.
Cycle hire available at Hassop & near Buxton.

Also done paths east of Lincoln to Bardney (nine miles good track following river and continuing to Boston) and west of Lincoln from Pyewipe to Skellingthorpe and Harby. Need to do the last section of this sometime - over the Trent at Fledborough Viaduct to the former site of High Marnham Power Station and close to the High Marnham test track.

 

[leightonbd]

Suburban Edinburgh has many useful miles of old railway, now cycle track, with plenty of old platforms and the odd station building.

The Clyne Valley in Swansea would be another.

 

[yorkie]

The Clyne Valley in Swansea would be another.

Is that Swansea - Gowerton? If so, we're doing that next month.

Would anyone like to join us?

Before that, we're doing the Cuckoo Trail from Polegate this Saturday, and we also have rides planned in the North East (near Newcastle), Yorkshire and London. Anyone else up for any of those?