Exploring disused lines

[yorkie]

Anyone here exploring disused lines (by cycling or walking) this Summer? Which have you done, and which do you intend to do?

Over the next 5 weeks I plan to cycle quite a few, including:

Bangor - Caernarfon (to do the Welsh Highland Railway)
Frome - Radstock
Bristol - Bath
Norwich - Aylsham
High Peak / Tissington Trails
Paisley - Kilbirnie & Paisley - Port Glasgow

Anyone done, or plan to do, any of these?

Which other routes would you recommend?

[LaSeandre]

Well, I go in for sort of urbex style ones, a few that come to mind in the Glasgow area:

Botanic Gardens station (you can see the station cutting support arches supports here, to get in, go to the north of the park (at Addison Rd) and you'll see a railway bridge support, get on top of it, then look into the park, you should see some disused platforms and the tunnel entrance; just go down the hill. http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 4&t=h&z=19)
Kelvingrove Tunnel (a bit tricky to get access to, and it's a bit overgrown/flooded in places; though it is possible, just watch you don't go over the Glasgow City Council/Network Rail boundary - there's a marker painted inside one of the tunnels at the top left in the direction towards the live line at Exhibition Centre station) (entrance is underneath Gibson St bridge, use Kelvinbridge Subway to get down, then use the park and ride exit and keep walking south - http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 4&t=h&z=19)
Crow Road station (to the left at the blue van, then right after the garages and over the wall) (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 67.41,,0,5)

[EXTspotter]

I cycled part of the SR's withering claw from Wadebridge to Padstow. It's very pretty and a real hotspot for cyclists, definately worth a visit.

[teccuk]

Bristol to Bath is amazing to cycle. Well worth the trip.

Also in the area is the Strawberry Line from Yatton to Cheddar which is fantastic and the Whitchurch railway path which is not quite so scenic but ok. Goto www.betterbybike.info for maps etc.

The old Bath to Radstock line will be spectacular if its ever finished.

[Kevo00]

County Durham has a good network of former lines turned into pathways. http://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show ... ath_id=133. I particularly recommend the Waskerley Way, from Consett over the top to Stanhope, including former rope hauled inclines. Railways are quite often slightly boring walks but this one isn't.

[Dave]

I've walked from Brettell Lane to the Stambermill Viaduct in the cess of the Round Oak Line on a Saturday - no trains booked and I wasn't the only one but obvs a bit naughty haha. Also did some exploring of the old Longridge Railway in March.

[welshdragon]

Bangor - Caernarfon

It's primarily a bus route or the route's disappeared completely due to development.

Best bet is to do Corwen - Trawsfynydd or Caernarfon - Afon Wen. the latter has a cycle track and is in a rural area so won't be as developed.

[Gord]

I've walked from Brettell Lane to the Stambermill Viaduct in the cess of the Round Oak Line on a Saturday - no trains booked and I wasn't the only one but obvs a bit naughty haha. Also did some exploring of the old Longridge Railway in March.

Cycling to catch a train at junction would be so much easier if they turned that line into a cycle path. (I know its still used a little bit though!)

Then again, catching a train would be so much easier if the line and Brettel Lane station had never been closed.

[Dave]

Just a half-hourly shuttle from Stourbridge-Brierley Hill would be nice.

[yorkie]

Bangor - Caernarfon

It's primarily a bus route or the route's disappeared completely due to development.

Best bet is to do Corwen - Trawsfynydd or Caernarfon - Afon Wen. the latter has a cycle track and is in a rural area so won't be as developed.

We're staying the night in Bangor and want to get the 10:00 from Caernarfon. According to Sustrans' site, the old line from Caernarfon to Y Felinhelo is a cycle path, and from Y Felinheli to the outskirts of Bangor there is a cycle path along a different alignment.

[Badger]

I've walked from Brettell Lane to the Stambermill Viaduct in the cess of the Round Oak Line on a Saturday - no trains booked and I wasn't the only one but obvs a bit naughty haha.

*Wags finger at Dave, tells him he should know better*

[Dave]

I've walked from Brettell Lane to the Stambermill Viaduct in the cess of the Round Oak Line on a Saturday - no trains booked and I wasn't the only one but obvs a bit naughty haha.

*Wags finger at Dave, tells him he should know better*

Yes yes I know.

[orudge]

I've 'explored' a number of disused railway lines while driving along them at 60mph on a shiny new bypass.

In some of those cases though, it would be nice if they'd build a shiny new railway line next to them as well these days...

[Dave]

I've 'explored' a number of disused railway lines while driving along them at 60mph on a shiny new bypass.

You road lobbyist you

[ostlandr]

Pretty easy to explore more recent disused lines in the US, since they tend to build "rail-trails" on them for walkers and cyclists. One of my hobbies is tracing out where long abandoned rail lines ran. Was tracing the lines of the Bradford, Eldred & Cuba RR, a 3-foot narrow gauge line in Allegany County, New York. Here's a map of the line. It may seem insane to build a line into that terrain, but that's where the oil was. Pipe and supplies went in and oil came out in tank cars. I surveyed the line with mapping software, and there was method in their madness; all those loops hold the ruling grade to 3% with very little earthwork.

[Gord]

Just been for a walk with the dog along the disused line at Tettenhall in Wolverhampton. Its a nice walk. The old Tettenhall station has all be done out with well. Then the walk actually crosses the canal on the original girder bridge. Lots of dog walkers and cyclists making use of the path. It's well looked after anyway.

[yorkie]

Just been for a walk with the dog along the disused line at Tettenhall in Wolverhampton. Its a nice walk. The old Tettenhall station has all be done out with well. Then the walk actually crosses the canal on the original girder bridge. Lots of dog walkers and cyclists making use of the path. It's well looked after anyway.

Yep, I agree, very nice route . We did that in June (our timings!) including the canal towpath to Kidderminster, a trip on the Severn Valley Railway and then disused lines from Bridgnorth to Telford.

[Mojo]

I very much enjoy doing these rides in the Summer when the weather is good and can recommend them. I've done them with yorkie in the past and they are a good way to spend the day

[Kevo00]

Just a short one, but you can explore the former site of Buckingham station quite well, and there is about a mile or so of ex-railway footpath out to the town's bypass. But the platforms survive at the station (though buried) and you can walk over a couple of quite spectacular overbridges. Its also quite an attractive town, so probably worth an afternoon's visit.

[yorkie]

Buckingham is a pain to get to by rail, so we'll have to give it a miss. We can do short bits of line, but only really where you can join them up either by cycling or getting a train.

We're going to be riding the Weardale Railway next week, on Friday 27 August, then walking up from Stanhope along the old incline to the summit at Parkhead. It's then downhill (or level) all the way to Newcastle! Anyone here willing to join us? You'd be most welcome...