NCN54 Branston Locks Diversion

Approach to the school based on a wide shared path.

Although most of the National Forest cycling network is based in rural settings there are several built up areas including Burton, Swadlincote and Coalville.  All of these places have seen significant growth over recent years and one area of Burton is going through a particularly significant change which has had a major effect on the National Cycle Network (NCN).

The Branston Locks development is a large mix of industrial and residential development which covers a large section of land between Tatenhill and Shobnall, bordering the A38 and including the Trent and Mersey Canal.  NCN 54 formerly passed through this area as a quiet track called Anglessey Street.  Access to this lane has now been obstructed  by the development and an alternative route has been sought after by ourselves for some time.

Jim signing new entry from Shobnall Road to Callister Way

We discussed several routes around the development and finally had clearance to start signing a route earlier this year.  It is proposed for this route to have proper signage provided by Staffordshire County Council but until this is done we have signed it as best we can with our adhesive signs.

When the Branston Locks development is completed it should feature a number of different cycling and walking routes which could be adopted as NCN54 and hopefully this might follow the Trent and Mersey canal.

The route that has been replaced was good as it was flat, direct and in quite a peaceful rural setting, despite it's proximity to the A38 as it approached the Albion pub.  Whilst the alternative route goes through more built up areas, the vast majority of it is off-road on shared paths.  There are also a few eateries, shops and pubs on the route and it passes close to Branston Water Park.  Though it does intersect some busy roads most of the crossing points are Toucan crossings.

The initial route planning was done by our ranger Jim and after some discussion with one of our Network managers we agreed on a slight tweak.  The signing was done in 2 stages due to a shortage of signs and the need for a second look at one of the key areas within Branston village.

Description of the route (West to East - Tatenhill to Shobnall)

End of cycle route sign despite brand new path to Tatenhill

From Tatenhill, the route makes the most of a new path to John Taylor Free School which starts approximately 300 yards from the junction in Tatenhill.  For some reason this path is not signed as shared and not quite 3 metres wide even though it is clearly a safer alternative to the adjacent road.  The egress from the path in direction of Tatenhill is not ideal, which might be a reason for this.

At the end of the new path the route into Tatenhill is road based.

At the school there is a wide Toucan crossing which now carries the route safely across the road.  The route then follows a shared path through the car park and drop off zone, past the rugby club entrance and along Branston Road then onto Tatenhill Lane.  This shared path is continuous all the way to the Bridge Inn at the Trent and Mersey canal.  Clearly, during school run times, this area will be busy but should be quiet outside of the peak times.

At this point it is necessary to cross over the road and continue down Tatenhill Lane.  This leads to a dead end at the A38 and is relatively quiet though there is a new housing development under construction in this area.  Passage under the A38 is made via a shared path tunnel and there is a link to the nearby Branston Water Park.  The tunnel features some barriers to deter motor vehicles which may be tricky for certain bikes.

Hopefully the future route will feature a nice wide canal towpath

Once through the tunnel the route is on road but through the residential area around Branston Main Street before crossing the main road via a Toucan Crossing at Rykneld Primary School.  After another tricky barrier the route continues onto The Parkway - the main road into Burton from the A38 Branston exit.  At the junction by the Carvery restaurant and adjacent Steakhouse the route crosses the Parkway via a double Toucan crossing and subsequent further Toucan over First Avenue before continuing.

Safe passage under the A38 but mind the barriers.

New signage near canal-side Bridge Inn

The crossing at First Avenue features the most ridiculous cyclist dismount signs (aimed at deterring cyclists from cycling along the rarely used footpath along First Avenue).  They are around the size of a bank card but placed aloft a dedicated post - a completely unnecessary but no doubt significant on-cost to cycling infrastructure.  The picture below shows this, but you may struggle to see it.

Award for the most pointless dismount sign

One part of the new link which gave us cause for concern is the crossing at the roundabout of Second Avenue, near the Corner House and Holiday Inn Express.  Although there is a refuge and it is slightly away from the roundabout, there is no lighted crossing and the roundabout is busy with a 40mph speed limit.  During our check of the signing there were roadworks in place here with the inevitable cyclist dismount signage!

Once over this road the shared path continues along Parkway, crossing Third and Fourth Avenue before a relatively long section to Callister Way roundabout.  Whilst the path is wide, there are sections of vegetation which protrude significantly in some places.

Vegetation narrowing the path!.

At Callister Way the route turns away from Parkway and heads over the Trent and Mersey Canal and through an area yet to be developed, onto an off-road section which rejoins the old section of NCN 54 on the other side of the A38 from the Albion pub close to the Marstons brewery.

The new route will take slightly longer than the old route, perhaps around 20-25 minutes without stopping but does feature a lot more in terms of refreshments and facilities.

We will continue to monitor the new route and also intend to look at routes around Burton next year amongst several other areas.  We'll also be keeping an eye on how the Branston Locks development progresses and ensure that the infrastructure is of NCN standard.