Abandoned Rail Routes and Cyclepaths

The headline article in the Guardian Travel supplement on Saturday 31st August 2019 was entitled “Railway Lines Recycled.”

It highlighted 10 former railway routes in different parts of the UK which offer the opportunity for off-road cycling:

1. The Camel Trail, Cornwall...
2. The Callander to Killin Cycle Route, The Trossachs...
3. The Bristol and Bath Railway Path, Somerset...
4. The Cinder Track, Yorkshire...
5. Marriott’s Way, Norfolk...
6. The Deeside Way, Aberdeenshire...
7. The Ystwyth Trail, Ceredigion...
8. The High Peak Trail, Derbyshire...
9. The Lanchester Valley Railway Path, Co. Durham...
10. The Forest Way, West/East Sussex...

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rogerfarnworth said:

The Guardian carried an article on 31st August 2019 about old rail routes being used as cycleways. It suggested the 10 best routes where old railway formations are in use as cycleways. Theirs is not the only list of routes which seeks to provide a "Top Ten."

I have pulled together a few examples in the linked post below. I'd like to add at least one which does not feature in the top ten lists, and that is the Forest of Dean.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2019/09/13/railways-and-cycleways-no-1-a-top-ten

Which route is best?

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matchmaker said:

(BTW, it's Callander)

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A group hoping to reopen a former railway line has hit back at claims the area would be better served by a dedicated traffic-free cycling and walking path.

The Anglesey Central Railway connected Amlwch with the North Wales coast line at Gaerwen until the last freight services rolled along in 1993.

But despite being unused for almost 20 years, 2012 saw the granting of a licence by Network Rail to a local group to to begin the arduous task of clearing the overgrown line spanning almost 18 miles....

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