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!