Cathedrals Cycle Route challenge

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RickH
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Cathedrals Cycle Route challenge

Post by RickH »

The start of Bike Week also sees the start of a relay ride of the Cathedrals Cycle Route challenge (https://www.cyclinguk.org/cathedrals-cy ... -challenge). It is a route devised to link all 42 Church of England cathedrals on the English mainland.

There has been some discussion about one of the legs - Blackburn to Carlisle - in another topic (viewtopic.php?f=16&t=145652). Also, a friend in Chester is planning to ride the Lichfield to Chester leg when the relay gets to there.

Consequently I have been looking at a few of the routes & find myself somewhat puzzled by the choices. It is billed as "mostly paved surfaces suitable for all skill levels and makes use of existing trails where possible." I thought I would open some discussion where the route passes through terrain familiar to others.

Here are a few observations of mine so far.

Blackburn to Carlisle is around 100 miles but, at around 70 miles in, it takes to an unmade pass that could mean , depending on bike/skill/confidence, a push of up to 6 miles.

Lichfield to Chester seems to largely follow the towpaths of the Trent & Mersey Canal and the Shropshire Union Canal, apart from a detour to take in the Stafford bypass (presumably on a cycle path) . Whilst the final section of towpath into Chester is quite good, & has even been improved with fresh smooth tarmac very recently, the preceding section is largely just grass covered with no hard surface. I don't know the state of the towpaths on the route further south.

Liverpool to Manchester seems to basically make a beeline for the A580 East Lancs Road, a busy dual carriageway, & follow that most of the way. The East Lancs does have a cycle path of varying quality but it is not a road I personally would want to spend too long riding alongside.

What do others think about the route?
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Re: Cathedrals Cycle Route challenge

Post by wirral_cyclist »

When cycle charities write about cycle friendly what they really mean "is not suitable for motor vehicles", so in this case canal use means that by being narrow it precludes any vehicles with a wheel at each corner, then making it a grassy canal tow path with slippery grass gets rid of fat tyred motorbikes, then the low arches of hump back bridges gets rid of just about everything else (including cyclists).

The A580 East Lancs road bike path if at all rideable (being alongside a seriously debris strewn road) is likely to be deafening, and have all the usual issues of giving way at every side turn, the main carriageway riding primary isn't too bad at all and mob handed is better as a poor driver is unlikely to kill all the witnesses :evil:

I've seen a post somewhere about Lichfield to Chester, a Chester Fabulous Lady from memory. (So Sue Booth then...)
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Re: Cathedrals Cycle Route challenge

Post by horizon »

As discussed on another thread, I did Lincoln, Peterborough, Ely and St Albans on a tour last summer. I found the usual mixture of difficult junctions, blocked-off high streets, muddy cycle paths and the sides of noisy dual carriageways. But I also discovered quiet roads, rural lanes and quaint suburban streets.

I haven't even looked at the recommended routes (I don't think the idea existed last year in any case). I find it much better to find your own route using unclassified roads, B roads and possibly even the old A roads where these have been superseded by new dual carriageways. The idea of the traffic-free route is a bit of a chimera IMV - great idea but the reality falls short.

The idea of linking up the cathedrals though is good - almost a pilgrimage - and something to aim for. But I think cyclists should find their own way between them.
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Re: Cathedrals Cycle Route challenge

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

There was a brief discussion about it in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=16&t=105714

By and large the routes don't seem significantly better than you'd get by punching each cathedral into a route-planner for start and end points - indeed, they're often very similar. I did wonder why the Ely-Norwich route went along a track that cycle.travel hadn't found, but a little desktop recce suggests there's no public right of way on the suggested CCR itinerary...
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Re: Cathedrals Cycle Route challenge

Post by Sweep »

Richard Fairhurst wrote: 22 May 2021, 10:37am I did wonder why the Ely-Norwich route went along a track that cycle.travel hadn't found, but a little desktop recce suggests there's no public right of way on the suggested CCR itinerary...
:)
calls for a large cross on the front of the bike - tell irate landowners you are on a pilgrimage.
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Re: Cathedrals Cycle Route challenge

Post by gbnz »

horizon wrote: 22 May 2021, 1:28am . I find it much better to find your own route using unclassified roads, B roads and possibly.....

The idea of linking up the cathedrals though is good - almost a pilgrimage - and something to aim for.
+ 1. Whilst not remotely religious, have to admit I tend to drop by Cathedrals in passing. Lincoln, York and Durham proved to being favoured parts of various routes back from Italy, France, New Zealand etc (I.e. Land at Heathrow, dock at Poole or wherever and drop in on passing. Fantasic if you hit evensong).

Lincolns much the best, the size & statue of York without the crowds, c/w with miles of empty, stunning countryside, easy for wild camping and quiet cycling (Nb. Though a nuisance when heading North if the Humber Bridge is now closed to cyclists)
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Re: Cathedrals Cycle Route challenge

Post by Mike Sales »

Sweep wrote: 22 May 2021, 10:44am
calls for a large cross on the front of the bike - tell irate landowners you are on a pilgrimage.
Or a helmet in the shape of a scallop shell?
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Re: Cathedrals Cycle Route challenge

Post by backnotes »

gbnz wrote: 22 May 2021, 6:54pm (Nb. Though a nuisance when heading North if the Humber Bridge is now closed to cyclists)
I thought it was open again in daytime hours? https://www.cyclinguk.org/news/humber-b ... edestrians says:

"People on cycles or on foot can now cross the bridge between the hours of 5am and 9pm without the need to register in advance; however, anyone wishing to cross outside these hours will still need to send their details to bridge officials ahead of time."

This was two weeks ago though.

The website https://www.humberbridge.co.uk says "West Footpath Open" at the moment.
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Re: Cathedrals Cycle Route challenge

Post by RickH »

I've been revisiting a few of the routes posted on the Cycling UK site & see that some of thenm have been drastically changed since I last looked. Notably Lichfield to Chester & Blackburn (edited: I had wrongly put Lancaster) to Carlisle.

I gather from Sue Booth (mentioned earlier in this topic) that there is advice being given about some other legs of the route in this part of the country.
Last edited by RickH on 17 Jun 2021, 7:58pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Cathedrals Cycle Route challenge

Post by Mick F »

Cathedrals?

I've cycled to every CofE parish church in Cornwall. All 226 of them, plus the two in Devon who the diocese of Truro also own.
Chap I know very well suggested the task, and it took me two years to do it. Obviously I took in Truro Cathedral of course.

English CofE cathedrals?
I could do them all, but it could take me the rest of my life perhaps.
Nearest (other than Truro) would be Exeter I reckon.
Plymouth doesn't have one other than an RC one.
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Re: Cathedrals Cycle Route challenge

Post by Mick F »

Just checking on the CUK links, and there isn't a route to do them all.
It's only 1800miles ............. I could have eaten that a few short years ago. Three or four weeks?
Not fit enough this year, but it would be do-able for me next year methinks.

Give me a list, and I'll work out an efficient route.





Ok, I'll look it up later! :wink:
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Re: Cathedrals Cycle Route challenge

Post by Mick F »

Birmingham
Blackburn
Bradford
Bristol
Canterbury
Carlisle
Chelmsford
Chester
Chichester
Coventry
Derby
Durham
Ely
Exeter
Gloucester
Guildford
Hereford
Leicester
Lichfield
Lincoln
Liverpool
London (St Paul’s)
Manchester
Newcastle
Norwich
Oxford (Christ Church)
Peterborough
Portsmouth
Ripon
Rochester
Salisbury
Sheffield
Southwark
Southwell
St Albans
St Edmundsbury
Truro
Wakefield
Wells
Winchester
Worcester
York
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Re: Cathedrals Cycle Route challenge

Post by Mick F »

St Edmundsbury ......................... is in Bury St Edmunds.

I copied and pasted the list without reading it properly. :oops:
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Richard Fairhurst
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Re: Cathedrals Cycle Route challenge

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

RickH wrote: 17 Jun 2021, 7:29pm I've been revisiting a few of the routes posted on the Cycling UK site & see that some of thenm have been drastically changed since I last looked.
You had me briefly hopeful there! And then I looked at Gloucester to Hereford... and it's still sending people along the lethal B4215. No thanks.

I'm bemused as well why CCR 30 (Bristol-Oxford) follows the Windrush valley from Northleach to Oxford - no problem with that at all, it's a lovely route until you get onto the A40 - and then CCR 31 (Oxford-Gloucester) does exactly the same but in reverse. Ok, I know not everyone is going to be doing it stage by stage, but surely there's an opportunity there to cycle some different roads/paths on subsequent days rather than retracing your steps?
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Re: Cathedrals Cycle Route challenge

Post by mjr »

Richard Fairhurst wrote: 17 Jun 2021, 10:57pm You had me briefly hopeful there! And then I looked at Gloucester to Hereford... and it's still sending people along the lethal B4215. No thanks.
Similar problem with Ely-Norwich using the A134 instead of RR30. Odd that it's so keen on tarmac when others report the routes being too keen on grass!
I'm bemused as well why CCR 30 (Bristol-Oxford) follows the Windrush valley from Northleach to Oxford - no problem with that at all, it's a lovely route until you get onto the A40 - and then CCR 31 (Oxford-Gloucester) does exactly the same but in reverse. Ok, I know not everyone is going to be doing it stage by stage, but surely there's an opportunity there to cycle some different roads/paths on subsequent days rather than retracing your steps?
Similar into and out of Norwich, with both being the Blue Pedalway from/to Wymondham (pr. Whin-dum). It would be fairly simple to use the Edith Cavell Pilgramage route out, then Hethel, Old Buckenham and Kenninghall before joining NCN 13.

The Ely-Norwich route seems to have been revised, by the way, with the oddest thing I spotted being a U-turn in a dead-end at Shippea Hill.
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