National / Regional Cycle Network

The National Cycle Network is co-ordinated by Sustrans and is made up of over 10,000 miles of shared use paths and quiet roads linking city, coast and countryside.
 
The first route was the Bristol & Bath Railway Path, a 17-mile traffic-free trail along a disused railway. Completed in 1984, this route immediately became hugely popular with locals and visitors alike, and now carries nearly two million trips a year.
 
According to Sustrans 75% of the UK population live within 2 miles of a route. The National Cycle Network continues to grow and so does its popularity - an amazing 232 million trips were made on the Network in 2005 alone. The routes are free to use and open to all, making them a great way for you and your family to stay fit and healthy while enjoying a breath of fresh air.
 
Visit www.sustrans.org to view details of the national network and online mapping as well as ordering maps (some of which are available free of charge).
 
 
September 11 2011 is the 15th anniversary of the National Cycle Network (NCN)
 
As well as being the official opening day of the new coast to coast route - the Way of the Roses (see below). Keep an eye out for information on activities taking place locally on this day.
 
 
 
 
 

Way of the Roses

way of the rosesOpened in September 2010 - a new coast to coast route connecting the seaside towns of Morecambe and Bridlington.
 
A new 'coast to coast' cycle route across Lancashire and Yorkshire featuring Morecambe Bay, the Lune Valley, Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Yorkshire Dales National Park, Nidderdale AONB, medieval York, Yorkshire Wolds and Bridlington Bay.
 
The route is well signed in both directions and Sustrans have published a map of the whole route avilable from the Sustrans Shop priced £6.99. The map is also available from our local Visitor Information centres and at their online shop.
 
See the new website www.wayoftheroses.info for more information.
 
 

National Cycle Network Route 6

National Route 6 of the National Cycle Network will connect London and Keswick in Cumbria when complete. The route will pass through Watford, Luton, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Market Harborough, Leicester, Derby, Nottingham, Worksop, Sheffield, Manchester, Blackburn, Preston, Lancaster, Kendal and Windermere.
 
Preston to Lancaster
This route leaves Preston and follows the A6 via Goosnargh, Inglewhite and Scorton. It then continues to Galgate and conder Green from where you can join the River Lune Millennium Park South shred use path to Lancaster following the Lune Estuary.
 
At the end of this path there is a short on-road stretch (New Quay Road) before reaching the Millennium Bridge.
 
Download: Preston - Lancaster (pdf)
 
 
Lancaster - Kendal
The route begins at Lancaster’s Millennium Bridge and crosses Ryelands Park before joining the Lancaster Canal. The towpath takes you through attractive canal-side villages with panoramic views across Morecambe Bay.
 
Leaving the canal south of Carnforth, the route continues to Warton, home of George Washington’s ancestors, and through quiet wooded lanes within the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty including the pretty villages of Yealand Conyers and Yealand Redmayne.
 
Just over the border into Cumbria, the marvellous views more than compensate for the climb to the attractive village of Beetham, where you can visit the Heron Corn Mill and Museum of Papermaking. The route continues downhill along a tree-lined lane through Dallam Park and into the market town of Milnthorpe. From there the route undulates along quiet lanes into the medieval market town of Kendal, where a traffic-free path along the line of the old canal takes you safely into the town centre via the footbridge at Gooseholme.
 
Route 6 continues to Windermere, mainly on quiet roads, and the route northwards from there is still under development.
 
 

National Cycle Network Route 69

National Route 69 of the National Cycle Network will connect Morecambe with Grimsby via Settle, Skipton, Cullingworth, Huddersfield, Horbury, Pontefract, Althorpe and Caistor. There is also a branch between Stockbridge and Shipley. The route also uses sections of National Route 62, National Route 66, National Route 67 and National Route 68.
 
In Lancashire the route is currently open and signed between Hest Bank and Bull Beck Picnic Site - just east of Caton, via Morecambe and Lancaster.
 

Lancashire Cycleway

The Lancashire Cycleway comprises two circular routes which meet in the historic village of Whalley in the Ribble Valley. The Cycleway follows minor roads, where possible and takes you through a host of different landscapes from the rugged Bowland Hills and West Pennine Moors to the rich pastures of the Fylde Plain and the outstanding coastal scenery at Silverdale. Part of the Cycleway at Rivington was used in the 2001 Commonwealth Games.

The Cycleway is around 260 miles long. You can do the Cycleway as one long tour or in two halves. You can also base short rides on the Cycleway. On some roads you will see more sheep than traffic. Parts of the Cycleway are as remote as anywhere in the country. With attractive scenery, the Lancashire Cycleway is a challenging and rewarding route to complete.

Northern Loop (Regional Route 90)
The northern loop explores the remote Bowland Fells, the rich Fylde Plain and the lush valleys of the Lune and Ribble. Highlights include the Cross o’ Greet pass, at 1400 feet the highest point on the Cycleway. On the road up to pass, there are stunning views of the Pennine Hills, and to the south a wonderful run through the beautiful Hodder Valley. The Lune Valley is one of the country’s loveliest river valleys, with outstanding views to the surrounding hills. Away from the hills, the quiet country lanes of the Fylde Peninsula offer you a respite from steep gradients of the Forest of Bowland. From the Cycleway, there are outstanding views across Morecambe Bay to the Lake District Hills.

There are many attractive places on the route in which to stop, including the peaceful Dales village of Slaidburn; Silverdale, with its outstanding coastal scenery, and Arkholme, with its quiet street leading down to the river. It is also worth spending time in Whalley to explore its historic abbey and impressive railway viaduct.
 
 
Southern Loop (Regional Route 91)
The southern loop takes you past mighty Pendle Hill, with its associations of witchcraft, and across the brooding West and South Pennine Moors. In between the moors there are attractive valleys with ancient weavers’ villages in which to rest. Away from the hills, the Cycleway crosses the rich West Lancashire plain with its market gardens before returning to the Ribble Valley.

Highlights include the spectacular and little used road in the shadow of Pendle Hill between Downham and Barnoldswick, the roller-coaster route on the edge of the South Pennines south of Trawden, and the descent into Rivington used in the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

On the route there are pretty places to stop such as the weavers’ villages of Edgworth and Chapeltown, surrounded by a tapestry of reservoirs; Wortshorne, above Burnley; and unspoilt Downham in the Ribble Valley.