Royston Woods - A Safer Way - Who has actually done it ?

Specific board for this popular undertaking.
mkbutters
Posts: 15
Joined: 14 Nov 2017, 10:41am

Royston Woods - A Safer Way - Who has actually done it ?

Post by mkbutters »

Doing my LEJOG on June 14th and looking at Roystons route. Anyone actually done it and if so did you make any amendments (or would you have)? Looking to do it in 13 days. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks Mike
Igobybike
Posts: 33
Joined: 2 Apr 2018, 10:44pm

Re: Royston Woods - A Safer Way - Who has actually done it ?

Post by Igobybike »

Haven't done it but look forward to reading your account of it, since that's the route I'm planning on later in the year, in the same number of days. Thanks for being the vanguard :D
mkbutters
Posts: 15
Joined: 14 Nov 2017, 10:41am

Re: Royston Woods - A Safer Way - Who has actually done it ?

Post by mkbutters »

Ill let you know ! Have you made any ammendments?
Igobybike
Posts: 33
Joined: 2 Apr 2018, 10:44pm

Re: Royston Woods - A Safer Way - Who has actually done it ?

Post by Igobybike »

Not so far. There are odd sections where I wonder why it takes the route it does rather than a more direct route, but not really knowing the reasons why it is as it is or the roads concerned have left it as it is for the time being. It will be interesting to hear of your experience.
Igobybike
Posts: 33
Joined: 2 Apr 2018, 10:44pm

Re: Royston Woods - A Safer Way - Who has actually done it ?

Post by Igobybike »

Hi Mike. Wish you well on your trip, assuming you've started, and look forward to hearing the account of it. Having looked in more detail at the route, it seems to involve a lot of cycle trail and canal towpath routes. More than I ever knew existed - it seems you can travel a long way south to north using little else but them! I'll be especially interested to know how it went on those - whether the surfaces were reasonable or rough, whether they were clear of overgrowth and litter or the cause of puncture nightmares, whether you were able to maintain a reasonable pace or could only pootle along sharing them with dog walkers, runners and other people on foot, fishermen with their rods and gear spread out etc!
pwa
Posts: 17366
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Royston Woods - A Safer Way - Who has actually done it ?

Post by pwa »

I've no idea about this route, but just in case some of it turns out to be too muddy, too slow or whatever, why not have alternatives arranged that you can get to easily from your initial route.
Igobybike
Posts: 33
Joined: 2 Apr 2018, 10:44pm

Re: Royston Woods - A Safer Way - Who has actually done it ?

Post by Igobybike »

pwa wrote:I've no idea about this route, but just in case some of it turns out to be too muddy, too slow or whatever, why not have alternatives arranged that you can get to easily from your initial route.


For sure, but it would be useful to know in advance what works and what doesn't rather than find out a few miles up along a canal where it might be less easy to get off and get on to something more useful without backtracking. Since Mike has planned to do the route it'll be interesting to know his experience, if indeed he is doing it exactly or has changed anything.
pwa
Posts: 17366
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Royston Woods - A Safer Way - Who has actually done it ?

Post by pwa »

Does it take in the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal (Stourport, Kidderminster and up west of Wolverhampton, and the Shropshire Union Canal up towards Cheshire? If so, I'll be doing that at a sedate 4mph in a canal boat in a few weeks. Having scoured Youtube some of the towpath on the Shroppie looked very muddy. Not the sort of thing you could cruise at 12mph+ on.
Igobybike
Posts: 33
Joined: 2 Apr 2018, 10:44pm

Re: Royston Woods - A Safer Way - Who has actually done it ?

Post by Igobybike »

pwa wrote:Does it take in the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal (Stourport, Kidderminster and up west of Wolverhampton, and the Shropshire Union Canal up towards Cheshire? If so, I'll be doing that at a sedate 4mph in a canal boat in a few weeks. Having scoured Youtube some of the towpath on the Shroppie looked very muddy. Not the sort of thing you could cruise at 12mph+ on.


It takes in part of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal from Stourport to north of Kidderminster - approximately Cookley. It doesn't use the Shropshire Union canal, it goes east using the Trent & Mersey canal from Stone to Stoke on Trent, and the Bridgewater canal from Stretford to Boothstown near Wigan.
pwa
Posts: 17366
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: Royston Woods - A Safer Way - Who has actually done it ?

Post by pwa »

The better towpaths can have a nice compacted stone chip surface, still not as fast as tarmac but okay. Even so you should expect little delays as you meet other path users, including anglers with rods extending across your path. You'll have to budget for going a bit slower.
mkbutters
Posts: 15
Joined: 14 Nov 2017, 10:41am

Re: Royston Woods - A Safer Way - Who has actually done it ?

Post by mkbutters »

Update ------ LEJOG completed in 13 days using the Roystons route the majority of the way. 986 miles and 40699 feet

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27674531

I changed some of it to suite our overnight stops. Have to say it is a fantastic route and very safe. One major change was not using the A9 when north of Inverness as that is DEFINITELY a sure way to die! I went North at Alness to Lairg/ Crask Inn and the Bettyhill on final day. I drove back down the A9 on the return journey and was so glad I did not cycle it! The canal paths in general are all pretty good. There are 10-20 or so miles which are not so good but in the scheme of things are better that than busy roads.

Would definitely do the route again with some minor adjustments but other than that go for it.
User avatar
Paulatic
Posts: 7804
Joined: 2 Feb 2014, 1:03pm
Location: 24 Hours from Lands End

Re: Royston Woods - A Safer Way - Who has actually done it ?

Post by Paulatic »

You’ll need to make the route public for others to view it. :D
Whatever I am, wherever I am, this is me. This is my life

https://stcleve.wordpress.com/category/lejog/
E2E info
Igobybike
Posts: 33
Joined: 2 Apr 2018, 10:44pm

Re: Royston Woods - A Safer Way - Who has actually done it ?

Post by Igobybike »

mkbutters wrote:Update ------ LEJOG completed in 13 days using the Roystons route the majority of the way. 986 miles and 40699 feet

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27674531

I changed some of it to suite our overnight stops. Have to say it is a fantastic route and very safe. One major change was not using the A9 when north of Inverness as that is DEFINITELY a sure way to die! I went North at Alness to Lairg/ Crask Inn and the Bettyhill on final day. I drove back down the A9 on the return journey and was so glad I did not cycle it! The canal paths in general are all pretty good. There are 10-20 or so miles which are not so good but in the scheme of things are better that than busy roads.

Would definitely do the route again with some minor adjustments but other than that go for it.


Great! Thanks for that, was wondering how you got on. That's good to know and very timely as my friend and l are leaving in less than a week!
mkbutters
Posts: 15
Joined: 14 Nov 2017, 10:41am

Re: Royston Woods - A Safer Way - Who has actually done it ?

Post by mkbutters »

Sorry here is the file (now marked as public)

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27674531
Tizme
Posts: 119
Joined: 10 Apr 2012, 12:41pm

Re: Royston Woods - A Safer Way - Who has actually done it ?

Post by Tizme »

I am planning on going both ways using Royston Woods route for a good part of it, but trying not to cover the same roads up and back where possible.

mkbutters, have you written a blog at all? I'd be very interested in hearing how you got on.
Post Reply