During a recent route check on NCN63 I took in a ride to Hicks Lodge from my home in Castle Gresley. Having worked on the local cycle network for quite some time I suppose I take it for granted. The aim of the ride was to look at options for signing links from Hicks Lodge back to NCN63 in Moira.
The link from Moira Furnace to Hicks Lodge is not part of the National Cycle Network but by signposting links between the network and places of interest it adds to the user experience. The new link means there are now around up to 4 miles of extra traffic free cycle routes directly available off the main routes.
Having enjoyed this particular ride more than I have done in a long time, I felt it was worth making a feature of it in our local rides page. You can access that page via the home page and links or by clicking here.
From Castle Gresley to Swainspark (which is a link route itself) and on to the NCN63 which is also the Conkers Circuit and then Ashby Wolds Heritage trail, there are several different off road options to get to Hicks Lodge and back. There are alternative routes around the Ashby Canal and around Donisthorpe Woodland Park, Albert Village Lake and Conkers. You can do the full trails once at Hicks Lodge, or just cycle around the lake or follow the Gruffalo trail. You could go round in circles, do a figure of 8 route around Conkers or just take the shortest route depending on time and who is cycling.
With most of these routes bases around railways and canals it is mainly flat with the occasional hill but generally suitable for families. There are cafes and toilets throughout the route and plenty of points of interest, lots of nature and signs of the industrial heritage of the area. There are several access points to enjoy the ride shown.
The link signing between Moira and Hicks Lodge will hopefully be done this year by our local team of rangers.
The route mentioned is shown in preview below. Hopefully a map will be added in the future.
