Cycling and walking disused lines

[yorkie]

In the current situation we need all the exercise we can get; I am very conscious of the fact my usual forms of exercise are either not possible (e.g. football) or greatly reduced (my daily cycle to work has reduced to weekly, and I usually do a lot of walking at work!)

I've therefore been trying to do as much walking as possible; some of which has been along disused railway lines, as well as canals, as well as both urban and rural footpaths and bridleways.

An example of a disused line I finally walked (after years of putting it off) is the old line from Wetherby to Cross Gates. I started at Rigton and finished at Cross Gates but my walk didn't finish there as I continued to walk to Garforth. Although not all of the route can be walked, I was surprised by how much could be. It was very pleasant in parts. It's not a route that would be suitable for cycling but I was glad I walked it.

Has anyone else explored any disused lines, either by bike or on foot, recently? If anyone wishes to share their experiences, it would be great to hear from you.

I'll also extend the discussion to include canals (I know a lot of members are also interested in canals and some live on canal boats) and also any routes that run adjacent to railway lines or are of particular interest in any other way

And if you've not explored any disused lines recently, feel free to say what routes you are thinking of exploring! It may be that someone can help you plan your trip or answer any queries you have.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Did Sandy-Bedford and back yesterday, was very pleasant though a little narrow in places if you're obsessive about the 2m thing.

 

[Cletus]

Perhaps you merge with this thread?

Disused lines with cycle paths

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...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Bletchleyite]

Subtly different I think - I started that thread for ideas of ones I could do, whereas this is more about experiences actually doing them?

 

[Cletus]

I don't often do subtlety

 

[Intercity 225]

This is a little prior to lockdown but when I went back to Notts to visit over Christmas I walked the former Calverton colliery line, from where it used to join the Robin Hood Line (well as close as you can get to that point without trespassing) all the way to the former pit site. I'd previously done the route a few years prior to this and wanted to see if they'd been any major changes - there hadn't been but it was still worth a rerun.

It's a fascinating walk about seven miles long in total but very overgrown at points and not for the faint-hearted! Only a small section in Bestwood has actually been converted to an official footpath, after that you trek along the former trackbed through man made ravines and remnants of Sherwood Forest. Although the track has been lifted, all the old bridges are still in place along with limited amounts of former line side infrastructure. Also once you're out of Bestwood it's extremely unlikely you'll see anyone else until you get to Calverton, so it's a good route if you want a bit of solitude and/or peace and quiet.

Proper walking boots and trousers are advised, for about 90% of the route you'll have ballast underfoot and there are lots of brambles to contend with - if you can cope with those though it's worth checking out!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Cycled the Wirral Way from West Kirby to Hooton (and back via the very hilly roads!) yesterday. Sadly not by train, but it was worth doing, though West Kirby, being a small-time day-tripper's seaside resort, was utterly heaving.

 

[S&CLER]

Not long before lockdown I walked from Foxfield to Broughton in Furness, then part of the former Coniston branch from Broughton in Furness to the end of the walkable section, near the old Woodland station. Then turned off and walked via Row Ridding wood and the fells down to the Greyhound Inn at Grizebeck and on to Kirkby in Furness station. Other sections of the Coniston branch are walkable further north near Torver, as I recall. Near Kirkby in Furness you can walk most of the old 3 foot (?) gauge tramway from the slate quarries.

The line that really ought to be a footpath is that from Clapham to Low Gill. You can parallel it from Low Gill to Sedbergh on the Dales Way, and you can see bits of it from overbridges at Casterton near Kirkby Lonsdale, where boot marks suggest that people have been trespassing, but there is no official access.
We walked part of the Lune valley ramble along the old Lancaster-Wennington line near Crook of Lune and Caton during the floods in February, when the riverside paths were under water.

I've also walked part of the old Colne-Skipton line from near Foulridge to Colne, where it emerges from the trees more or less opposite Boundary Mill. That was a mudbath at the time.

Locally, the Trans-Pennine Trail starts more or less on my doorstep, but the first few miles to Woodvale are now part of the Coastal Road; it's more interesting to avoid the heavy traffic by walking in the sand dunes. Woodvale to Sefton is quite pleasant on a fine day.

The old Delph branch from Uppermill is worth a look too.

Not quite a canal, but a canal feeder, from Rudyard Lake towards Leek, is a nice walk.

On Bletchleyite's home turf, you can now walk part of the old Skem branch from Ormskirk. I think there is a leaflet about it called the Warhorse Walk. It refers to the WWI cavalry remount depot at Lathom Park, horses from which were loaded on to rail at Ormskirk. This walk was created about the time that the film Warhorse was released, and a photo of horses being put on trains at Ormskirk was in the local papers.

 

[Bletchleyite]

On Bletchleyite's home turf, you can now walk part of the old Skem branch from Ormskirk. I think there is a leaflet about it called the Warhorse Walk. It refers to the WWI cavalry remount depot at Lathom Park, horses from which were loaded on to rail at Ormskirk. This walk was created about the time that the film Warhorse was released, and a photo of horses being put on trains at Ormskirk was in the local papers.

https://www.communityraillancashire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Ormskirk-Warhorse-Route.pdf

You've long been able to walk the bit from Ormskirk station towards the bridge at what the OS map calls Charlesbye (but I've never heard anyone call it that, the area is known locally as Greetby Hill) - I did as a kid. However it was and I believe still is barricaded off after that (at the bridge).

 

[S&CLER]

How could I have forgotten the best old railway walk of them all (at least, of those I've done) - Smardale viaduct on the old SD&LU line from Kirkby Stephen to Tebay? (This is the one you get a glimpse of from the train on the S&C.) Less hemmed in by trees and far fewer cyclists than the Monsal Trail in Derbyshire. And you can also get a good view from the road of the beautifully restored Smardale station as well. If you are into viaducts, you can walk several in the Kirkby Stephen area, which have been restored by the Northern Viaducts Trust.

 

[Nippy]

I have done in the passed few weeks

Phoenix Line from Princes Risborough to Thame twice,
The Nickey Line form Hemel to Harpenden
The Alban Way from St Albans to Hatfield
Sewell Greenway
The Brampton Valley Way from Northampton to Market Harborough, that was long at 32 miles there and back. But very good if a little bumpy.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yeah, I'm slightly put off by the length of the latter - not sure my backside can cope!

 

[E759]

Shout out for the newly opened "Missing Link" section on the Downs Link west of Christs Hospital station on the Guildford line removing a road de-tour. A platform sign has been erected on the disused Guildford line platform at Christs Hospital.

The Downs Link is a 37 mile foot/cycle path linking the North and South Downs on the formation of the Christs Hospital to Guildford line and Christs Hospital to Shoreham line.

 

[Gathursty]

I've recently walked the section of the Whelley Loop Line from Whelley Road to Pendlebury Lane (the untarmaced bit).
From Pendlebury Lane, it's a short walk to Red Rock where the disused Wigan-Chorley line takes you to the edge of Adlington.

Altogether, you can walk (or mostly cycle) from Adlington to Worsley wholly on disused railway lines (via Whelley) - no idea how far it is, maybe 30 miles.

 

[shredder1]

Did Sandy-Bedford and back yesterday, was very pleasant though a little narrow in places if you're obsessive about the 2m thing.

That's one I`ve been meaning to do for a while now, my son lives in Sandy, be nice to see it reopened.

 

[PeterY]

Living in Hertfordshire I ride on a regular basis all the disused lines that are cycle paths.
This evening I rode Hemel to Harpenden (Nickey line) and then Harpenden to Luton and back home. A round trip of 25 miles.
Sunday I did the St Albans to Hatfield line. That's a great path, tarmac the whole way.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Drove up to the Peak today to do the Monsal Trail, which I've been meaning to do for literally years. Good surface (tarmac in the tunnels only) and the tunnels are an interesting addition. Beware though if you start from Bakewell it's quite noticeably uphill towards Buxton (but wonderfully downhill on the way back!), and there's no nice way to Buxton from the end of the trail, just the main road, so I didn't bother as most things would be shut anyway.

 

[LMS 4F]

Rode along the old colliery line from Methley to Stanley near Wakefield today. Part of the Trans Pennine trail. At the Methley end I got onto part of the Castleford avoiding line which is being restored at the Methley end, rest has been done with a hard surface.
This avoider was open in the late 1970s but is now well used by locals, especially since last year when the bridge over the Wakefield Kirkgate line was rebuilt. Good surfaces throughout but not a lot of railway stuff left.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I did Northampton to Market Harborough and back today - this at 32 miles round trip is probably my limit. A few things of interest include the railway at the southern end (Northampton and Lamport) which I didn't know existed, with an odd mix of rotting rolling stock including a Greater Anglia Mk3 DVT and buffet car, and two long tunnels (unlit, unlike the one in the Peak District).

Worth doing, but beware that the surface on this one is of very poor quality particularly for 3-4 miles north of the end of the railway (seems to be mostly ballast ground into mud rather than smaller stones) and so a mountain bike or at least a rugged hybrid with front suspension is well advised. Not one for a tourer.

Parking wise there's a large car park at the southern end of the N&L which is free of charge. I didn't do the bottom end of the line up to the junction with the open railway, but TBH as Northampton is, I find, somewhat boring and nondescript, I doubt I missed much.

Market Harborough very pleasant to sit in for half an hour for a rest and flask of tea.

 

[Nippy]

Yes me and my 10 year old lad did this a few weeks ago. Very enjoyable but as you say, a bit rough in places.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Today's adventure was the Bristol and Bath Railway Path - from Bath itself (Council operated car park 2, as Waze called it, had plenty of space though was a little pricey, however is conveniently right alongside the river), a slight diversion at the start, then off along the path which runs across countryside (basically the same scenery as the GWML as it's very nearly alongside it) then curves off right and does a loop around Bristol, passing by the Avon Valley Railway as it does.

Excellent tarmac surface throughout (with the odd tree root but not too many), so suitable for narrow-tyred road bikes, unlike many of these paths, and I did see a few no doubt attempting Strava segments given the speed. I didn't return via the full loop but by roads near the river which was shorter but very hilly indeed! Total came in at about 30 miles and 800ft of ascent, again close to my limit but worthwhile doing particularly if you're nearby.

I would say character wise it's very much two routes - the rural bit, apart from the higher quality surface, is a bit like most rural converted lines like this with pleasant scenery and the occasional bench to sit on, but once you get onto the urban bit the character changes to be a lot more like an MK Redway (indeed a bit like the Newport Pagnell branch), with it being used by people for transport as well as pleasure.

I can see this one (on the section within Bristol only) being a potential for conversion for any tram network Bristol may have in future (the way it loops round gives it very good coverage a bit like the way the Severn Beach line does the same) - but in the meantime enjoy