Trivia: Circumnavigation (Loopage gone Large)

[D841 Roebuck]

I've just read a thread started by 185143 of this parish, regarding a potential Leeds-Carlisle-Barrow-Carnforth-Leeds trip. 《Mods/someone not posting from a phone feel free to post link》

This got me thinking about circumnavigating cities or stations WITHOUT visiting or passing through the target - the planned route would do so for Oxenholme, the Windermere Branch and Penrith.

So what other options are there, using Network Rail only?

A Fridays only Stockport-Stalybridge-Huddersfield-Brighouse-Hebden Bridge-Blackburn-Bolton-Wigan-Warrington-Chester-Stockport route would circumnavigate Manchester, and ought to be doable in a few hours.

Leeds is more awkward - would be something like Bradford-Pontefract-York-Newcastle-Carlisle-Shipley-Bradford.

I personally fancy not visiting Ipswich, the route being Felixstowe-Westerfield-Lowestoft-Norwich-Ely-Cambridge-Stratford-Manningtree-Harwich and then a late, cheating, ferry!

Then there is the banal - a Kings Cross to Green Park return (Victoria Line one way, Piccadilly t'other) would clear Tottenham Court Road and Goodge Street. Although if tubes and trams are allowed then Wigan-Huyton-Eccles-Cornbrook-East Didsbury-Wilmslow-Stockport could replace going via Chester on the Manchester loop above.

Anyway, anyone got any more, or is it just me that's weird?

 

[fishquinn]

Leamington Spa-Coventry-New Street-Worcester-Oxford-Leamington Spa would be one with Leam.

 

[306024]

I personally fancy not visiting Ipswich, the route being Felixstowe-Westerfield-Lowestoft-Norwich-Ely-Cambridge-Stratford-Manningtree-Harwich and then a late, cheating, ferry!

And what is wrong with Ipswich? I'll let the Norwich correspondents answer that.

I hope you can swim. The guy that runs the (summer only) Harwich - Shotley / Felixstowe ferry has put the business up for sale due to retirement. Any takers?

 

[alex17595]

I did Burton to Tamworth via Nottingham, Norwich, London, Salisbury and Exeter. Im sure that loops around something! It was originally back to Burton but I had agreed to do a 10hr shift straight after.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

And what is wrong with Ipswich? I'll let the Norwich correspondents answer that.

I hope you can swim. The guy that runs the (summer only) Harwich - Shotley / Felixstowe ferry has put the business up for sale due to retirement. Any takers?

Nothing much wrong with Ipswich as far as I know. I chose the place as an example of a coastal town which it's possible to circumnavigate (in a fashion).

Thinking about this one, Norwich-Stowmarket-Cambridge might be preferable to going via Ely.

I hope someone takes over the ferry though -it was on my "to do" list if I'm ever in that part of the world..
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Leamington Spa-Coventry-New Street-Worcester-Oxford-Leamington Spa would be one with Leam.

That looks like a decent circumnavigation of Stratford upon Avon!

 

[306024]

Nothing much wrong with Ipswich as far as I know. I chose the place as an example of a coastal town which it's possible to circumnavigate (in a fashion).

Thinking about this one, Norwich-Stowmarket-Cambridge might be preferable to going via Ely.

I hope someone takes over the ferry though -it was on my "to do" list if I'm ever in that part of the world..

Global warming hasn't yet made Ipswich a coastal town, it is quite a few miles up the River Orwell to get there but I see what you mean. Norwich - Ely - Cambridge would be my preference, never tire of the view of Ely cathedral.

Barking - Pitsea - Grays - Rainham - Barking means you miss Chafford Hundred and the lovely Lakeside shopping centre, somewhere I always fancy not visiting.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Global warming hasn't yet made Ipswich a coastal town, it is quite a few miles up the River Orwell to get there but I see what you mean. Norwich - Ely - Cambridge would be my preference, never tire of the view of Ely cathedral.

Barking - Pitsea - Grays - Rainham - Barking means you miss Chafford Hundred and the lovely Lakeside shopping centre, somewhere I always fancy not visiting.

That's a good point re the coastal/non-coastal status of Ipswich. I suppose Exeter, Preston and maybe even Chester and Carlisle could be thought of as "coastal" depending on your own preferences. Even Goole or GGloucester, although that might be stretching things

I entirety agree with you regarding Chafford Hundred/Lakeside - definitely a place to avoid. Quite a nifty little loop there, though. The equivalent loop to avoid the Metro Centre in Geordumberland would be a tad longer, being Edinburgh-Leeds-Carlisle-Edinburgh!

 

[Techniquest]

Ooh this is fun, I like it. How about this one, just to avoid Worcester?

Hereford > Shrewsbury > Birmingham > Reading > Newport > Hereford

I would do one for London, from Reading, but it depends whether you count London as starting from the boundaries of Greater London. If not, where does London begin?

This one to avoid Salisbury:

Bath Spa > Bristol Temple Meads > Exeter St Davids > Yeovil Junction > Yeovil Pen Mill > Dorchester West > Dorchester South > Basingstoke > Reading > Bath Spa

Without a doubt I could probably think of plenty more!

 

[iantherev]

Bristol TM - Parkway - Swindon - Westbury - Taunton -Bristol TM circumnavigates Bath

 

[Techniquest]

Bristol TM - Parkway - Swindon - Westbury - Taunton -Bristol TM circumnavigates Bath

Aye that's an excellent one fair dos.

Trying to think of one for Birmingham, which is proving harder than expected, but I suppose you could have:

Smethwick Galton Bridge > Wolverhampton > Stafford > Nuneaton > Coventry > Oxford > Worcester > Smethwick Galton Bridge

Can't think of a route (with passenger services at least for the entire route) that avoids Birmingham which doesn't go so far out!

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Aye that's an excellent one fair dos.

Trying to think of one for Birmingham, which is proving harder than expected, but I suppose you could have:

Smethwick Galton Bridge > Wolverhampton > Stafford > Nuneaton > Coventry > Oxford > Worcester > Smethwick Galton Bridge

Can't think of a route (with passenger services at least for the entire route) that avoids Birmingham which doesn't go so far out!

If you can get there for the appropriate time, Wolves》Walsall》Aston》Lichfield》Nuneaton would shorten this. Need Aston for "shack visitage" as well - this might be a goer at some point...
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I think Stafford may be a tad awkward.

Start from Wolverhampton on the Psul train to Walsall. Then head to Rugely, but Afaik nothing which stops at Rugeley heads for Stoke via Hixon. So it looks like Rugeley-Tamworth-Derby-Stoke-Crewe-Salop-Wolves to complete the trip.

 

[Abpj17]

To avoid Luton to great public acclaim:

Marston Vale line from Bedford to Bletchley
Bletchley to Watford Junction on the mainline
Abbey Line from Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey
walk/bus etc.
St Albans City to Bedford on the mainline

 

[IanD]

To avoid Luton to great public acclaim:

Marston Vale line from Bedford to Bletchley
Bletchley to Watford Junction on the mainline
Abbey Line from Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey
walk/bus etc.
St Albans City to Bedford on the mainline

How do you get from St Albans City to Bedford without passing through Luton?

 

[backontrack]

Circumnavigating Crewe:

Stoke-Stafford
Stafford-Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton-Crewe
Shrewsbury-Wrexham
Wrexham-Shotton
Shotton-Chester
Chester-Stockport via Altrincham
Stockport-Stoke

Probably easier using parly services around Ellesmere Port and Runcorn.
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How about Wakefield?

Leeds-York
York-Doncaster
Doncaster-Sheffield
Sheffield-Huddersfield
Huddersfield-Leeds

Bradford 's longer...

Leeds-Lancaster
Lancaster-Preston
Preston-Sowerby Bridge
Sowerby Bridge-Leeds via Brighouse
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That looks like a decent circumnavigation of Stratford upon Avon!

If only we still had the Honeybourne Line...

 

[Springs Branch]

Circumnavigating Wigan:-

Preston > Ormskirk > Liverpool > (Earlestown/Warrington) > Manchester > Preston

Maximum distance from target 17 miles as crow flies

 

[backontrack]

Circumnavigating Leicester Station (circumnavigating the whole of Leicester would be much longer).

Also, this does use old track that, although still in situ, has no passenger service.

Syston-Oakham
Oakham-Kettering
Kettering-Knighton Junction, south of Leicester
Knighton Junction-Burton via the old Ivanhoe Line through Coalville
Burton-Derby
Derby-Syston

A fun fact is that, when Willington was reopened in the 1990s, it was painted in blue Ivanhoe livery and branded that way, because there were plans to re-open the Burton-Leicester Line, which were dropped. So it remains a curious anomaly, separated from the rest of the reopened Ivanhoe line.
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Circumnavigating Leicester as a whole:

Syston-Oakham
Oakham-Kettering
Kettering-Bedford
Bedford-Bletchley
Bletchley-Tamworth
Tamworth-Derby
Derby-Syston

Oo-er.

 

[Springs Branch]

Circumnavigating Wigan:-

Preston > Ormskirk > Liverpool > (Earlestown/Warrington) > Manchester > Preston

Maximum distance from target 17 miles as crow flies

A couple of other sizeable towns in the north-west that can be circled by train are ...

Warrington:
Liverpool > (Earlestown) > Manchester > (Knutsford) > Chester > (Birkenhead) > Liverpool

Bolton:
Manchester > (Atherton) > Wigan > Preston > (Blackburn) > Hebden Bridge > Manchester
When the Todmorden Curve opens, this trip will become a bit shorter as Blackburn > (Todmorden) > Manchester.

Both achieved travelling within a 20 mile radius of the respective town.

 

[backontrack]

Huddersfield:
Wakefield Kirkgate > (Mirfield) > Brighouse > (Sowerby Bridge) > Hebden Bridge > (Todmorden) > Manchester Victoria > Stalybridge > Guide Bridge > (Chinley) > Sheffield > (Barnsley) > Wakefield Kirkgate

 

[Mag_seven]

Yate:

Gloucester-Kemble-Swindon-Bristol Temple Meads - Severn TJ -Chepstow-Gloucester

 

[D841 Roebuck]

I think the furthest North potential loop must be Invergowrie.

The shortest loop involves a Psul move or two as well:

Dunfermline-Dalmeny-Livingston-Dunblane-Perth-Inverness-Aberdeen-Markinch-Dunfermline.

 

[Chapeltom]

Sheffield.

Leeds - Doncaster - Lincoln Central - Nottingham - Derby - Crewe/Stoke - Manchester Picc - Leeds.
OR Doncaster - Grantham - Nottingham which is a bit further, but more frequent!

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Sheffield.

Leeds - Doncaster - Lincoln Central - Nottingham - Derby - Crewe/Stoke - Manchester Picc - Leeds.
OR Doncaster - Grantham - Nottingham which is a bit further, but more frequent!

Or the once-a-week route. Stockport-Stalybridge-Huddersfield-Meadowhal-Doncaster-Worksop-Nottingham-Derby-Stoke-Stockport...

How about Chester? Warrington-Ellesmere Port-Hamilton Square-Bidston-Wrexham-Shrewsbury-Crewe-Warrington.

 

[BurtonM]

Huddersfield:
Wakefield Kirkgate > (Mirfield) > Brighouse > (Sowerby Bridge) > Hebden Bridge > (Todmorden) > Manchester Victoria > Stalybridge > Guide Bridge > (Chinley) > Sheffield > (Barnsley) > Wakefield Kirkgate

I'm not sure if you're aware but Stalybridge - Guide Bridge isn't generally possible. The only service that calls at both of those stations is the Stockport parly - so you'd have to do this on a Friday morning, and the other way round.

Very banal - nobody mentioned avoiding Travelcard Zone 1 using the Overground?

 

[IanD]

Very banal - nobody mentioned avoiding Travelcard Zone 1 using the Overground?

It's not possible using only the Overground. Think you'd have to get off at Whitechapel and use the Underground to Stratford to rejoin the Overground.

 

[BurtonM]

Oh yeah, Shoreditch High Street. :roll:

 

[backontrack]

Bedworth is an easy one, just go Tamworth-Nuneaton-Rugby-Coventry-Birmingham-Tamworth.

 

[Techniquest]

It's not possible using only the Overground. Think you'd have to get off at Whitechapel and use the Underground to Stratford to rejoin the Overground.

I'm certainly avoiding Z1 is easy enough, as long as you're able to use the DLR and such like as well.

 

[IanD]

I'm certainly avoiding Z1 is easy enough, as long as you're able to use the DLR and such like as well.

As I said, get off the Overground at Whitchapel, District/H&C to Mile End, Central to Stratford then back on the Overground.

Or there's Shadwell-Poplar-Stratford via DLR.

Or Canada Water-Stratford via Jubliee.

The point being it's not possible on Overground alone (although it is possible to do the loop without being charged the zone 1 fare - but that's not the aim!) and my first suggestion used Overground for as much of the journey as possible.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Nottinghamshire
Saturdays only.
Doncaster-Barnetby-Gainsborough C-Gainsborough Lea Road-Lincoln-Sleaford-Grantham-Leicester-Nuneaton-Tamworth-Derby-Sheffield-Doncaster.

 

[pne]

Circumnavigating Leicester as a whole:

Syston-Oakham
Oakham-Kettering
Kettering-Bedford
Bedford-Bletchley
Bletchley-Tamworth
Tamworth-Derby
Derby-Syston

Oo-er.

You'll want to start and finish at Sileby (or Loughborough or the like) rather than Syston, won't you?

At least, the map I has doesn't show any trains calling at both Syston and Melton Mowbray/Oakham. The only TOC that goes that way is XC, which doesn't stop at Syston, so you'd either have to change at Leicester or at somewhere further north.