Sustrans East Midlands Regional Volunteer Conference 2014

On Saturday 22nd November, the Sustrans East Midlands Volunteer conference was held in the centre of Nottingham.

Following refreshments and an introduction we took part in some exercises relevant to our roles as rangers including route maintenance and greener greenways.  Following this we had a ride through Nottingham city centre on one of the City bikes provided for the day. 


Preparing the city bikes for action

The ride took us along the Beeston Canal to the River Trent.  We cycled up the embankment to the pedestrian bridge before cycling along the opposite embankment under Trent Bridge then under the Trent End Stand of the Nottingham Forest City Ground.


Cycling towards the City Ground

A little further up we reached the Hook, which is a nature reserve alongside the River Trent.  The chairman of the Friends of the Hook, Sam, then gave us a guided tour of the area and showed us several of the different areas of the reserve and explained some of the challenges faced and achievements made.  More information can be found on http://www.friendsofthehook.org.uk/wp/


Part of the Hook Nature reserve

Following the tour around we then headed back.  The peace and serenity of the nature reserve soon gave way to the noise and bustle of a city centre including a League 1 football match at Notts County, followed by a busy city centre.



Heading back towards the city

The event was, as always, good for networking and understanding other rangers issues and successes and new contacts were made.  There was also a number of volunteer awards given.  Another good day.





A Cycle around London

On a recent visit to London I decided to try out the cycle hire more commonly known as Boris Bikes.  I needed to get to Pimlico from Euston Station.

An early but comfortable start..

I had taken a London Midland train from Tamworth at just after 6am and arrived just after 8am. The advance ticket only cost £36 return and included an upgrade to 1st class.  The difference in price between this and via Derby was significant and bordering on scandalous!  In order to take advantage of the deal, I was unable to take a train form Burton early enough to connect.

At Milton Keynes and then walking along the platform on arrival I did notice that only fold-up bikes are now allowed on services into Euston which is restrictive!

As I did not need to be at the venue until after 10am I decided to let the rush hour quieten and have some breakfast. Just after 9am I walked around the corner to the bike docking station at Drummond Street.

A decent amount of bikes available for use at Drummond Street

In just a matter of yards I saw a number of different approaches to cycling around traffic- none of which were ideal. However I proceeded anyway.

I read some instructions and put my card in the machine and selected the day hire option for £2 then took the receipt and code ticket. I then selected a bike, activated it to ensure a red light lit then entered the code and released the bike when the green light lit.  A simple adjustment of the seat followed before departing.

The easy to follow payment & information machine

I had an idea of the route I wanted to take and had consulted the map before setting off. I'm keen on keeping cycling simple so I didn't have sat nav.
 
Deciding to avoid the busiest areas once I had crossed Euston Road I carried on a relatively quiet stretch which took me past the British Museum. Inevitably there were busy stages ahead such as Piccadilly Circus but the bus lanes helped.

Having left plenty of time I was one of the few people in London in no rush and surprised a few pedestrians by stopping at zebra crossings and even traffic lights which sadly many cyclists did not, though many pedestrians walked aimlessly into the road.

The route took me through Theatreland down Picadilly and onto Mayfair past the Ritz, though I had intended a route a block to the south. I decided to cut through a side entrance into Green Park blissfully unaware that cycling is banned there - a fact I only noticed on the exit. 

On approach to Buckingham Palace.

Thankfully I escaped censure and continued.  Next I crossed the road quickly before section of soldiers on horseback approached with Police escort (probably more military & police personnel in this section than on duty in the whole of South Derbyshire) and headed past Buckingham Palace to Victoria .

After Victoria I missed a left turn and diverted a little out of the way but saw some pleasant areas of Pimlico before finding NCN4 (an NCN sign was a sight for sore eyes) my destination and docking my faithful chariot in Rampayne Street.

Due to my detours I was unable to make the journey free by making it in under 30 minutes so an extra £1 was added so a.total cost of £3.

On return I was not so free for time so took the tube back.  The 10-15 minute 5 stop and inevitably crowded journey cost £4.30.  I guess I enjoyed the experience but don't think there is adequate provision of signage or cycleways to make the experience as safe and fun as it should be.  Rather like most cycling initiatives the publicity given to this scheme hides the lack of real cycling infrastructure investment.

On a more positive note, the train back from London arrived in Tamworth at 1810 making the journey very good value.

Consultation on range of disability cycles at Rosliston Forestry Centre.

This post is a bit short notice but please see the link below for details of a consultation event at Rosliston Forestry Centre where different designs of bikes adapted for those with disabilities will be put to the test.

We have been asked about provision of such bikes in the area when we have attended events so hope to bring more news on this going forward.

The event runs from 12-2pm on Tuesday 28th October.

http://www.south-derbys.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/council_news/october/news_items/have_your_say_on_new_disability_bicycles.asp

Half Term Activities at Rosliston Forestry Centre

Please see below 2 posters advertising the cycling activities taking place at Rosliston Forestry Centre over the half term break.

Review of Leicester Skyride 2014

As previously advertised on the Blog, the Leicester Sky ride took place on 24th August.

Apparently attended by a crowd of 14000 cyclists the event took place in decent weather and a great atmosphere.

The route passed through several areas including the Castle, De Montfort University, The Phoenix Theatre, past the Cathedral and Richard III museum and most notably the King Power Stadium, home of Leicester City.

The ride passed along the touch line of the stadium before going into a sprint zone outside the stadium.

Throughout the city there were lots of attractions put on including bike stunt shows and singers.

The Sustrans stall was very well attended and featured exercise bikes as well as all of the normal information.

Leicester Sky Ride - This Sunday

The annual Leicester Sky Ride takes place this Sunday 24th August from 10am.

As always there will be a bit of a twist.  To celebrate Leicester City's return to the Premiership, there will be a loop circling the pitch at the Kingpower Stadium.

There will be Sustrans stall near the Phoenix Theatre, so if you are going, look out for us.

Here is a map of the route:

To find out more, visit the website link below:

http://www.goskyride.com/LeicesterSkyRide/?DCMP=knc-google:na_BrandLocation

New book "Cyling Manchester to the Malverns"

I have recently received notice of a great new cycling book which passes through part of our local cycling network, albeit not around the Swadlincote sections. 

Robin Summerhill is a self-publishing author, producing books on long distance cycling and walking opportunities around the country, mainly concentrating on former railway routes which are now footpaths/ cycle tracks, and canal towpaths. The books also have a strong flavour of local transport history about them. They are very much aimed at the “leisure” end of the market, breaking the journeys down into easy manageable sections of about 5 miles each way.
 
His latest book “Cycling Manchester to The Malverns” looks at the cycling and walking opportunities between Manchester Victoria station and the southern end of the Worcester & Birmingham canal at its junction with the river Severn at Worcester.
 
The route described leaves Manchester along the Ashton Canal towpath to Dukinfield Junction and then takes the Peak Forest Canal to Marple. From there, two routes are described to Birmingham; the “Potteries” route goes via Macclesfield, Congleton, Stoke on Trent and Stafford, taking in a number of former railway lines en route which are now footpaths and cycle tracks (the Middlewood Way, Biddulph Valley Way and the Isabel Trail at Stafford) together with parts of the Macclesfield, Caldon, Trent & Mersey, Staffordshire & Worcester canals and the Birmingham Canal Main Line.
 
The alternative route described goes via Buxton, Cromford and Derby, utilising parts of the Peak Forest, Cromford, Trent & Mersey and Birmingham & Fazeley canals, and also the former railway routes of the Cromford & High Peak Railway (High Peak Trail) and the Mickleover to Egginton Junction section south of Derby. It rejoins the “Potteries” route at Gas Street Basin in Birmingham.
 
The final section takes the Worcester & Birmingham canal over all of its length.
 
 Should you be interested, further details are available on his website www.robinsummerhill.co.uk and the page dealing specifically with this book is here:  http://www.robinsummerhill.co.uk/55253.html
 

The Tour de France hits Yorkshire

The recent Grand Depart of the Tour de France was a fantastic occasion for Yorkshire (and Derbyshire briefly) and the UK.

As I was born in York, I was very pleased a couple of years ago when it was announced that Yorkshire had beaten other places including Barcelona to host the Grand Depart.  This was an opportunity too good to miss.

Bizarrely I spent the weekend avoiding my home city despite the action there all weekend.  I had been invited by a friend to watch the event in Mytholmroyd near Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire.  We decided to go by train from Micklefield near Selby through to Mythomroyd.  Northern Rail had put more trains on and more coaches on the trains but the train was very full by Bradford, more full at Halifax and sardine-like at Sowerby Bridge.


The Train companies entered into the spirit of the day!

We were relieved to get off at Mytholmroyd Station which has a cycle path passing right through.  The short walk down from the station led straight to the rather narrow main street which was itself the route of the tour.

There were lots of cyclists making the most of the closed roads to do their bit of the route in the hours before the race arrived and some rather over officious marshals telling people to get on the extremely narrow pavements hours before the arrival of the caravan - though it was all good natured.

My friend was keen to find a spot very early and we found a corner opposite a very nice pub (whose beer was just too good to pass on) and next to a church, which was open and very useful when there 3 children 8 and under with you!  The corner was at the bottom of a 5 mile climb and we were roughly half way through the day.

The atmosphere built and the streets became more full while the sun shone brightly overhead.  It was nice to see a new place on such an occasion.



The leading pack speed through Mytholmroyd

The caravan came through with police outriders and their fellow gendarmes.  Various free gifts were thrown from the sponsors vehicles including Yorkshire Tea, Fruit Shoot Frisbees, Haribo sweets and other items.  We were grateful that no cricket ball manufacturers were involved. Official tour merchandise vans then stopped stocked with tee shirts and umbrellas.  The crowds flocked, then quickly dissipated as it was explained that they were not free - a proud moment for a Yorkshireman to bear witness to!



The Peloton makes it's way up the hill.

Rumours of the progress of the ride passed amongst the crowd and the sound of a couple of helicopters meant they were close.  We knew that a group of around 7 had gone ahead and they arrived between 13:30 and 13:45.  The atmosphere was fantastic as the level of noise rose on their arrival.  Approximately 18 seconds later they were gone - up the hill!



The noise rose again just a couple of minutes later as the peloton came through.  This lasted a little bit longer and gave a chance for a few more quick pictures.


Following all of the support vehicles passing, the crowds broke and savoured what they had just seen.  We went back to watch the rest of the race on TV and gave it a good couple of hours before getting a train back.



Several generations greeted the tour with great enthusiasm.

It was a great day and am so pleased that we managed to see it.  I get the feeling that the Grand Depart will come back to England but am pleased that my children can say they were there.  Whilst the trains were busy, the staff at Northern Rail were excellent, as were the transport police who helped to marshal as the tour approached.  I'd also like to go back to Mytholmroyd and do some cycling there.

Work on the Ferry Bridge

One of the most important and iconic parts of the local cycle network has been in the local news recently.

The Ferry Bridge over the River Trent takes NCN 63 in and out of Burton and along with the adjoining Stapenhill Viaduct provides a valuable traffic-free route into Burton.

The bridge is in a poor state of repair and a close look at it really brings this home.  On the positive side the new Leader of East Staffordshire Borough Council has raised the profile of the issue with several meetings with users, who themselves have set up a Friends of the Ferry Bridge group on Facebook - see link below.  Work is due to start soon.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/278606155635034/

From a National Cycle Network point of view the bridge is a vital link.  The only possible diversion would involve using the extremely busy St Peters' Bridge and the busy roundabout on approach.  Whilst the footpath on one side is wide the surface is poor and it is not marked for shared use.

Aside the above issues, the Ferry Bridge is a unique structure that deserves to be restored to its former glory and provides a great first impression of Burton and access to the Washlands.

Updates on progress will be posted when appropriate.  One of several items in the local press is attached in the link below:

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/News/Bridge-will-be-brought-back-to-what-it-once-was-20140415171743.htm

Cyclists familiar with the bridge will know that Staffordshire County Council made some temporary repairs to the surface of the bridge over a year ago and installed "Cyclists Dismount" signs. After some time had elapsed, I enquired via the County Council how long the "temporary" surface would be present and whether the dismount signs could be changed for "Dismount at Busy Periods" or "Give Way to Pedestrians" as there are some who could benefit from this instruction.  I was met by a stony email silence.

Unintegrated cycle paths!

During the recent roadworks on the A444 for the construction of a new housing estate I have been diverting via Cadley Hill Road.  The main reason for this is the risk of the traffic lights changing whilst cycling through and diverting via the footpath makes it difficult to rejoin the road.

The below picture shows a couple of crazy pieces of cycling infrastructure that is frustrating. I often question whether the first thing put up on a cycle path is the "end of cycle path" sign.  The first is the end of the cycleway that runs all of the way through the Castleton Park estate, then "dumps" cyclists onto the road to avoid the obscured entrance to the Wyedale estate.

Despite this being very near my home I have not noticed the below piece of path. Whilst we support and encourage development of paths there is something wrong when they don't link up with anything.  This is the roundabout between Hearthcote Road and Swadlincote Lane and must be the shortest piece of cycle path in the area and kindly filters cyclists back into the traffic.

The same can be said on Cadley Hill Road itself. The development under construction claims to link up with the cycle network but as shown below this cycle network ends after a few yards!  It is frustrating when these developments claim to have considered sustainable travel but ultimately end up unconnected other than by road.  The crossing of Cadley Hill Road does not look to be one that I will envy.

The sign says "end of cycle path" so the alternative is to rejoin a 40mph limit road approaching a 2 lane roundabout.

Positive news relating to this development is that the developer is considering providing cycling storage around the flats proposed.  There are too many flats built without consideration for those who are or may be tempted to use bikes and housing associations are not always sympathetic and residents often end up living with bikes taking up valuable living space.  Hopefully, by working with these organisations a change of mindset can be achieved and such facilities can become part of the design.

A ride along the Monsal Trail

Although the main aim of our blog is to encourage cycling in the local area we also like to share our cycling experience from other areas.

I recently took my 8 year old daughter for a ride on the Monsal Trail for a change of scenery.  It was early March and a lovely sunny Sunday. We were not disappointed.

Hassop Station

Arriving at Hassop Station, just the other side of Bakewell, a little after an hour after leaving Gresley we looked to have just timed it right as the car park was already getting full.

Hassop Station houses a cycle-hire shop, a well stocked bookshop and a very good cafe.  The trail follows part of the old Midland line that linked Derby with Manchester via Bakewell and Buxton.

The trail starts in Bakewell approximately 2 miles from Hassop but we headed in the other direction towards Buxton.  The panniers were crammed with a decent packed lunch and drinks as well as the mandatory bananas.

Our first impressions were a little concerning as the first mile or so near Hassop was busy with a lot of walkers and it looked like progress would be difficult but after a mile or so it became clear that there were lots of people taking a short walk from Hassop. As we progressed the path became clearer.

Great Longstone Station (on return)

After a short stop to adjust my daughter's seat (they grow so quickly!) we started to pick up pace and started to enjoy the scenery. The first point of note was the station at Great Longstone which was built specifically for access to the nearby Thornbridge Hall.

View from Headstone Viaduct

A short time later we came to the first of the tunnels - Headstone tunnel. The tunnels are well surfaced and well lit but be prepared for a drop in temperature and the odd drop of water! Coming out of the tunnel into daylight for the first time is a great feeling and even moreso on this trail as the track then leads onto the Headstone viaduct with wonderful views over Monsal head and surrounding valley.  It is one of the most pleasant places to have a picnic.

Riding through the tunnels

After setting off again it became more noticable that we were cycling up a gradient. We continued through the next 2 tunnels (Cressbrook and Litton) before the trail took us to Millers Dale where the industrial history of the route became prominent through the remains of a number of kilns and also the large station.  There are numerous information boards along the trail telling some important facts about the trail and its history.

It would have been easy to turn around here having seen most of the trail but with the promise of an ice cream on our return to Millers Dale and a pot of tea and cake back at Hassop we agreed to continue to the end of the trail around 2 miles further up.

The 2 Chee Tor Tunnels

It took us over 2 hours to reach the end of the trail from the start. The end of the trail is around 6 miles short of Buxton. There are toilets and refreshments available as well as car parking.

The journey back was much quicker with the gradient becoming obvious on the downhill leg.  We called in to Millers Dale Station for the ice cream and a little rest on the platform edge. We also had our photo taken by a lovely couple who had followed us into the old station.

Millers Dale Station

 Another great thing about cycling and walking is meeting and talking to others.  There were toilets at the station which was useful.  There are many good cycle tracks that don't have suitable toilet provision for youngsters but the Monsal was clearly good for this.

In almost half of the time we made it back to Hassop via another brief stop on Headstone viaduct.  The ride back was more relaxing though we did spot a couple of incidents with children and dogs getting in the way if bikes despite a good number of signs explaining the code.

Cressbrook Mill

After just over 14 miles at a steady average of around 6mph we decided to call it a day and put the bikes back in the car.  The extra 3-4 miles to Bakewell and back will have to wait for another day and my daughter had done really well.  As promised, we had a lovely pot of tea and some cake before making our way back and reflecting on a great ride.

Local rangers partake in Ride Leader Training

On Tuesday 11th March a selection of Sustrans staff and volunteer rangers met in Nottingham for Ride Leader training.

The course taught several key points that enable us to lead rides safely though a further stage is required to lead large rides in built up areas.

The course was a good mixture of classroom based learning and practical ride training in the surrounding area.  We were given the chance to lead rides.  There will be more details of rides to follow.

It was also a good opportunity to network with staff who are involved in a number of different activities including school engagement projects and also with fellow rangers from Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.

We attended via the park & ride on Queens drive following a frustrating journey into Nottingham.  The ride into the Meadows area down the Big Track was a much more pleasant experience.

The training took place at a community garden which looked to be a great community facility and also in the surrounding area alongside the River Trent in the near shadow of the 2 football grounds and Trent Bridge Cricket ground.

On the way back I chose to go via Beeston and take the train back to Burton. I enjoyed the ride out of Nottingham along the Trent and am encouraged to do so again. The train experience was ok but with an increase in cycling I do think there will be issues for those using non folding bikes going forward.

All in all it was another great day.

The pictures below were taken by a Sustrans colleague from Northampton.

Training in progress!

A brief break for the Swad 2 and friends

Smiles all round at the end.

New Link from Swainspark to Castle Gresley

The new link from Swainspark through Tunnel Woods to Castle Gresley is now rideable and virtually complete, including a link along Mountpleasant Road to the A444 where a new gate has been installed.

This is the first phase of an aspirational link to Rosliston Forestry Centre.  We will continue to monitor progress of this route as it currently ends in Castle Gresley between the A444 subway and the footbridge over the railway line.

This section makes an ideal extension of the Conkers Circuit and is also a good access point for those living in Castle Gresley and Castleton Park.

This new path has already been signed showing the way to NCN63 and is ideal for families - certainly downward!

Here are some pictures.

This is looking back from Tunnel Woods to Swainspark Wood at the highest point.

This is looking from Tunnel Woods towards the Mountpleasant Road section at the highest point.

The downhill stretch with Castleton Park, Church Gresley on the Horizon and the A444 bypass. The Shobnall Maltings tower in Burton can be seen from here too.  Drainage channels have been dug alongside the path to avoid any flooding issues.

Looking back up the hill from near the former Gresley Railway Station site.

Looking towards the current end of the track near the old Gresley Railway Station and new A gate.

The link to cycle-ways on Castleton Park is sadly obstructed by the footbridge.  Options around this are under discussion.

New Year Update

Visitors to our blog may have noticed that there have not been any updates for a while.  I can assure you we have been busy in the meantime.  Since our last update, as well as the day to day issues on the National Cycle Network, we have been doing the following:

• We have reviewed our re-signing in Burton town centre with the help of West Midlands staff and now completed this task. 
• Involved in the above was a new ranger recruited in Burton; a most welcome addition.
• We continue to monitor the effect of the work done on NCN63 in the Moira / Donisthorpe area last year and look to gain funding for those parts not yet repaired.
• We are glad to note that a new path has been built from Swainspark Wood to Castle Gresley via Tunnel Woods (see separate post).
• We have attended the Healthier South Derbyshire Event in Swadlincote on 25th January.
• Some work has been done with a local school to assess the potential to improve cycling to school.
• A series of cycle rides are being planned for the commemoration of the First World War and we have some input to this.
• We are looking into the resources we use when running a stall to see if we have a suitable mix of materials.  Any feedback is appreciated.

The Healthier South Derbyshire Event once again provided a useful forum for promoting cycling in the area.  We had some very positive feedback and had some good questions. We are grateful to the Safer South Derbyshire Partnership for sharing their hi-viz equipment with us to distribute.

This year the event was attended by myself and Robert, our group coordinator as unfortunately Shawn was at work.  We missed his repartee but as you can see we still enjoyed ourselves!