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Disused lines with cycle paths

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Bletchleyite

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First of all apologies if this is in the wrong place - I can think of a few places it might fit!

Today I went for a bike ride on the Cambridgeshire guided busway, had been meaning to do this for ages. This has made me wonder about doing more of the "Beechinged" lines that have cycle paths.

Does anyone know of any worth doing around the South East and South Midlands, or a site with them on? Sustrans' site seems to be more about the National Cycle Network these days than specifically disused railways.
 
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davetheguard

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Crecy's "Railway Atlas Then and Now" (ISBN 9780860936985) actually shows sections of trackbed which are now cycle-paths/footpaths in a different colour.

There look to be some long ones in the South East like most of the former Guildford - Christ's Hospital - Shoreham line, and Three Bridges - East Grinsted - Ashurst. Looks like most of the former Bishop's Stortford to Braintree line is a path too.
 

Ianno87

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The Worsely Loop line plus parts of the Bolton-Plodder Lane-Walkden (Low Level route)

Plus part of the old Bolton-Radcliffe route, including over the impressive bridge across the A666 St Peters Way.

The old Newport Pagnelll branch is part of the Milton Keynes Redway betwork.
 

John Webb

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Short, but with railway interest, is the "Alban Way" between Hatfield and St Albans along much of the former GN branch linking the two.
 

Stompehh

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Outside of your specified zone, but the Bristol to Bath Railway Path is the busiest off-road cycle route in the UK. Part of the railway route is still open as the heritage Avon Valley Railway.
 

Bletchleyite

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Outside of your specified zone, but the Bristol to Bath Railway Path is the busiest off-road cycle route in the UK. Part of the railway route is still open as the heritage Avon Valley Railway.

Did that one already a while ago :)

The reason I'm going for SE specifically is that further away may be a bit much to day-trip, and hotels are not yet allowed to open. Once they are I might consider making a weekend of one further away.
 

Tomos y Tanc

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Again outside your specified zone, but Lon Eifion and Lon Las Menai use parts of the old Bangor - Afonwen rail link, running alongside the WHR for part of the route. It's a great ride, particularly if you're the kind of person who likes looking at mountains rather than walking up the darned things!
 

Bletchleyite

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Again outside your specified zone, but Lon Eifion and Lon Las Menai use parts of the old Bangor - Afonwen rail link, running alongside the WHR for part of the route. It's a great ride, particularly if you're the kind of person who likes looking at mountains rather than walking up the darned things!

I do want to spend more time in Wales and could be tempted by some of those though they are again a bit far for day-tripping - though at the moment I'm not even allowed to drive over the border from England for a bike ride so I'd best not :D
 

185

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Some excellent ones in the North...

Wirral Way: West Kirby to Hooton
Longendale: Hadfield to Sheffield
Tissington: 2km S of Buxton to Ashbourne (dark tunnel, needs lights)
High Peak: 2km S of Buxton to Cromford
Monsal: 1.5km S of Buxton to Bakewell (may need bike lights, tunnels)
Dee Marshes: Shotton to Chester
Middlewood: Rose Hill to Macclesfield
Isle of Man (about five of them)

and if you get that far
Otago: Middlemarch to Clyde, NZ South Island
 

K.o.R

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The Hayling Billy from Havant to Hayling Island is pleasant if short. It'd be great if they would rebuild the bridge; walking alongside the traffic on the road bridge is not fun.
 

hilly

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Plenty around the South Wales valleys - old mineral railway routes, so nice climbing going up the valleys, and a good quick run coming back down. Ogmore valley path and Garw valley path near me, but a lot of the taff trail is on old railway alignments
 

DelW

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Another one which would have to wait awhile, but I can recommend Dolgellau to Morfa Mawddach. If doing it one way, I'd say westbound offers better views, but it's worth doing both ways. O/T but the Torrent Walk in Dolgellau is worth a visit too, if pubs are back in business by then.
 

bramling

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Another one which would have to wait awhile, but I can recommend Dolgellau to Morfa Mawddach. If doing it one way, I'd say westbound offers better views, but it's worth doing both ways. O/T but the Torrent Walk in Dolgellau is worth a visit too, if pubs are back in business by then.

Must second this. The Mawddach Trail is superb, especially on a blue-sky day when the trail isn’t too busy. Doing it from Barmouth would also allow a trip over the Barmouth Bridge, it’s quite feasible to cycle the whole thing and back in a day - indeed it’s also more than feasible to walk it both ways. Good about about the Torrent Walk too, although would need to secure a bike up and do that on foot. Naturally this will be more spectacular during periods of heavy rainfall!
 

AJM580

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In Norfolk you can follow the old Norwich City Branch of the M & GN from Norwich all the way to Reepham and Aylsham. (Marriotts Way). There's also a cycle path that parallels the Bure Valley Railway from Aylsham to Wroxham.
 

Undiscovered

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The Rodwell Trail goes from Weymouth Train Station to Church Ope Cove on Portland. There are some old platforms still visible, go past an old munitions factory, skirt the staging harbour for the D-Day invasion, the beautiful Verne Citadel and end up in a secluded beach. Lots of history too with the Listed High Angle Gun Battery on the top of Portland, and the surrounding Quarries.

Julia Bradbury covered the walk on CountryFile and there's an episode of Abandoned Engineering (Sky) that covers the harbour and gun batteries.
 

railneighbour

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Brampton Valley Way in Northamptonshire/Leicestershire, which runs along the old Northampton - Market Harborough line. Including through the two unlit single bore tunnels at Kelmarsh and Great Oxenden. I think the route is also classed as National Cycle Network Route 6. A couple of miles are paralleled by the Northamptonshire & Lamport heritage railway, which ran steam & diesel trains on most Sundays.
 

Bletchleyite

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Another thanks for all the ideas so far!

Brampton Valley Way in Northamptonshire/Leicestershire, which runs along the old Northampton - Market Harborough line. Including through the two unlit single bore tunnels at Kelmarsh and Great Oxenden. I think the route is also classed as National Cycle Network Route 6. A couple of miles are paralleled by the Northamptonshire & Lamport heritage railway, which ran steam & diesel trains on most Sundays.

Saw this one on the Wiki link above - cheers again - might do that next weekend as it's very local! :)
 

duncanp

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Two in the West Midlands are the Harborne Walkway in Birmingham, or the South Staffordshire Railway Walk, to the South West of Wolverhampton.

There is also the West Bromwich Parkway, which parallels the tram line between The Hawthorns and Black Lake.
 

RichT54

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You can walk or cycle the section of the Meon Valley Railway between West Meon and the Eastleigh to Fareham line.
 

4COR

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Further afield, there are quite a lot in France on the old (mostly removed) rural lines, often called ("voie verte" - green track). The one from Sarlat east towards Souillac is a favourite of ours.
 
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