Whaley Bridge diversion

[plumby]

Thought I'd start a new thread. I need to get from Newtown to Buxton avoiding WB for obvious reasons.

I've come up with this hilly alternative! Can anyone suggest something better? If you have a RWGPS account and you could map it that would be fantastic! It took me an age just to do this on on my phone...

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30745209

[pwa]

Canal towpath to just north of WB where it goes under the B6062, then to your route from that road, or is that too low lying and out of bounds?

[roubaixtuesday]

Thought I'd start a new thread. I need to get from Newtown to Buxton avoiding WB for obvious reasons.

I've come up with this hilly alternative! Can anyone suggest something better? If you have a RWGPS account and you could map it that would be fantastic! It took me an age just to do this on on my phone...

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30745209

The NCN part of the route was totally unridable ( from the top of the hill out of Combes), even on a mtb, when I last went over there a couple of years ago. Is there a back lanes route from Chapel to Dovestones that's Ok, then cross the A6 there and descend to Buxton?

[charliepolecat]

Obviously not me, but wouldn't it be great if someone with local knowledge could meet Plumby and guide him around this mess?

[The Gazman]

Hi, plumby - I reckon your best bet would be to change your planned route almost completely and head south out of Newtown towards Kettleshulme, then east between the Fernlee and Errwood reservoirs, dropping into Buxton via the A5004, which would also be about 12 miles.

I suggest this because almost as soon as you join NCN 68/Old Road from Lesser Lane it becomes unrideable to say the least: a significant stretch of it looks like it's been struck by an earthquake! IIRC, having struggled over it last June, lifting my bike over rocky bits of road in places, that is the case with roughly half of the section marked between 9 and 10 on your RWGPS (which I don't use btw).

And although the A5004 is currently closed according to this article, https://www.buxtonadvertiser.co.uk/news ... -1-9911477, I'd imagine it would still be safe to ignore any 'Road Closed' signs that are up.

Alternatively, if you don't want most of your route-planning to have been rendered a waste of time , you could head due east from Combs to Dove Holes, although the obvious drawback with that is the likelihood of heavy traffic on the A6 - including HGVs - for those last three miles into Buxton. However, there is a footpath - albeit a rather bumpy one - that runs alongside for at least part of the way.

[The Gazman]

P.S. I was only local-ish as a result of living in Salford for 16 months until March but you can get up-to-date local knowledge on the Facebook page of Buxton Weather Watch, which is especially useful regarding road closures.

Also, I meant to add that, in my experience, it seems that wherever roads haven't been captured by Google Street View (as with that stretch of Old Road), they're often unrideable.

[Cunobelin]

[youtube]BT5NhP0MrIc[/youtube]

The whole kit fits into a rucksack!

[rareposter]

I've come up with this hilly alternative! Can anyone suggest something better?

Yes, my original route from Marple -> Marple Bridge -> Mellor -> Birch Vale -> Hayfield -> Chinley -> Chapel -> Dove Holes -> Buxton
You might b able to get alog Strines Road (B6101) from Marple to New Mills. It's listed as closed but a mate on Twitter posted about how amazing it was to cycle along there without fear of your life.

Your route won't work because a) the climb out of Combs is an absolute pig, b) route 68 is unrideable unless you're on an MTB and c), the A5004, Long HILL is COMPLETELY CLOSED TO EVERYTHING.

If I can't get to work on Tuesday (that's the day you're going through it isn't it?) I'll guide you round it.

[plumby]

Thanks rareposter. I'll definitely follow that route. Is there any chance you could map it on RWGPS for me??? I'm struggling to do it on my tiny phone!! Hey no worries if not. Thanks man.

Had a snapped pedal today, otherwise great ride

[plumby]

Is this it rareposter?

1800 feet in 16 miles!

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30751766

[pwa]

Is this it rareposter?

1800 feet in 16 miles!

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30751766

That would work out shorter and with less climbing if you started at New Town (New Mills) station.

[rareposter]

At the moment, the road closures are quite "fluid" (no pun intended!)
Some of them you can get a bike / person through but not a car. Some of them are going in at short notice to move heavy machinery around. Some of them are being lifted - sometimes for short periods to allow residents to gain access to collect belongings, smoetimes becasue the risk is deemed very minor.
If you can get to New Mills via a flatter route then absolutely go for it. B6101, Strines Road from Marple to New Mills seems (from reports I've seen) to be open to bikes in which case you miss out the massive climb of Mellor and get a pleasant traffic free road!

Will investigate further tomorrow - maybe they'll have lifted some of the restrictions by then but (given the weather), maybe they won't!

As I say, it's a fairly fluid situation at the moment.

[Cyril Haearn]

The Grauniad reports that people were allowed to go back for 15 minutes to collect pets and other essentials, but some refused to leave
Apparently the cops may not order them to come out
There must be many other places below dams that could give way, -1

[pwa]

One problem with anything that results in road closures is that all the traffic that is not completely deterred from doing the journey all looks at the same maps and spots the same backroad alternatives, resulting in normally quiet lanes becoming clogged.

[Lilyf]

The route that Rareposter has suggested, going via Mellor, is the way (at the moment) that most traffic is getting from the Marple direction towards New Mills. It’s a long climb, as he says, and is also narrow in parts. Some lorries and buses are also using this route and there are long queues and many frustrated drivers. Other roads that you are hoping to use are in a similar situation.
There is another option of avoiding the area altogether. You could pick up The Middlewood Way NCN 55 (in Marple) and have a nice easy ride as far as Macclesfield (it’s an old railway line and now a good surface).
From Macclesfield you could then head towards Rushton Spencer and Leek then Ashbourne. You will have to spend some time on A roads but there are also some minor roads and trails that you could use. One trail goes past Rudyard Lake, picked up just after Rushton Spencer. Other people may be able to give you better advice for the roads after Macclesfield. At Ashbourne you can rejoin your original route.
The situation at Whaley, at the moment, is still classed as critical although the water levels are coming down nicely.
Which ever route you choose I hope you have an uneventful journey through.