Cycling UK Forum

For those of us in the North Wales and Wirral areas, I've just had an update on the development of the route from Deeside to the Wirral across the Burton Marshes. From Peter Williams, the local CTC Rights Officer:

All the planning applications for the route in Flintshire and Cheshire have gone through.
Work on the route will start in Flintshire this December and in January on the Cheshire side.
Permissive agreements still have to be signed by the RSPB ?

The new route will go behind the MOD Firing Range alongside the railway. A Boardwalk will be constructed to take you over a wet field from the old steel road up to the railway embankment. The route then drops down the embankment to connect with the access road to the Firing Range.

As regarding a date for opening the route it could be in the Spring. Cheshire West and Chester Council will make an announcement.

This is a really useful link route and avoids the horrible A550 to Two Mills.

Further to this huge boon for West Wirral cyclists is a bid being put together to have a short shared use path from Eureka cafe, Two Mills to nearby Woodbank Lane, this will also provide a good route to Deeside (from the West/South Wirral area, cycle routes NCN56/70/71). This scheme requires only 3/4 miles of shared use provision alongside the quite nasty A540 (a pinch point from Dual to Single carriageway) this will bring a huge benefit to those cyclists who avoid this area just because of this stretch of road currently - alternatives routes are available but are rat-runs often enough to be considered no safer sadly.

I like that it goes behind the firing range. Reminds me of 'Duck Shoot' that old computer game classic...

kwackers wrote:I like that it goes behind the firing range. Reminds me of 'Duck Shoot' that old computer game classic...

There's nothing wrong in being behind the firing range. It's being in front which causes the problems.

Graham O wrote:

kwackers wrote:I like that it goes behind the firing range. Reminds me of 'Duck Shoot' that old computer game classic...

There's nothing wrong in being behind the firing range. It's being in front which causes the problems.

Perhaps I have the wrong end of the range?
To me behind puts me behind the ducks - i.e. the second row. Does it actually mean behind the gunners?

kwackers wrote:

Graham O wrote:

kwackers wrote:I like that it goes behind the firing range. Reminds me of 'Duck Shoot' that old computer game classic...

There's nothing wrong in being behind the firing range. It's being in front which causes the problems.

Perhaps I have the wrong end of the range?
To me behind puts me behind the ducks - i.e. the second row. Does it actually mean behind the gunners?

This could be the start of a long forum debate, but to my mind, when talking about shooting, behind means behind the gun. Unless of course, someone knows better?

Latest update:

"Flintshire County Council are in the process of undertaking the construction of a cyclepath linking Deeside Industrial Park Zone 3-4 and Burton, Cheshire. The scheme will require the construction of 3m wide cyclepath running adjacent to the Railway line and the MOD Sealand Range, and then crossing the marsh land with a raised wooden boardwalk linking into the existing path in Cheshire.

The works will commence on the 7/01/2013 with a completion time of 10 - 12 weeks."

Graham O wrote:

kwackers wrote:

Graham O wrote:There's nothing wrong in being behind the firing range. It's being in front which causes the problems.

Perhaps I have the wrong end of the range?
To me behind puts me behind the ducks - i.e. the second row. Does it actually mean behind the gunners?

This could be the start of a long forum debate, but to my mind, when talking about shooting, behind means behind the gun. Unless of course, someone knows better?

That depends on whether you are behind the butts or behind the firing point. I would agree with Kwackers that behind a range means behind the butts, but it all depends on which end of the egg you start at.
In your own time....
Fire!

Sounds more like an assault course than a cycle route.

For cyclists from outside the area, this Sustrans route 568 was finally opened in July 2013 and has been a magnet for cyclists ever since. I heard last year, but have no evidence, that approx 11,000 people use it every month. My house is at the Northern end of 568, so call in for a cuppa if you're passing

Has it reopened now, then? RSPB had withdrawn permission and closed their section, causing a long diversion (and a long backtrack from one direction). They blamed teenagers.

mjr wrote:Has it reopened now, then? RSPB had withdrawn permission and closed their section, causing a long diversion (and a long backtrack from one direction). They blamed teenagers.

Yes it was only closed for a few days in the end & re-opened (or was due to - but I've not heard anything to the contrary from the Chester & North Wales CTC folk I know) on 20 May (link).

Cycled from Mold to Net's Cafe at Burton Marsh on Sunday. All open again after temporary closure as result of threats & abuse to RSPB personnel.
Very busy with both walkers & people on bikes of every sort.
Net's take away only,but you sit on grass or benches outside.

Yes, its all back up and running. Its been a marvellous addition, especially now that Nets cafe is open.