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Ben Robinson, Lancashire Evening Post Reporter, got on his bike to try out the proposed route for the Preston Guild Wheel Cycle Route, due to be launched for the next Preston Guild in 2012.
Ben clearly enjoyed the ride - and said that 'the most pleasant part of the ride is to the south, where it follows the banks of the River Ribble before emerging at Avenham & Miller Parks'.
The Guild Wheel Cycle Route is the idea of Peter Ward, former international cyclist, and it is being developed with the help of former Lancashire County Council cycling officer Mike Atkins (who is also involved with SUSTRANS and is working tirelessly to develop the Guild Wheel and other cycling projects in the Preston and South Ribble area).
Although most of the route already exists, and most of it will be "off-road", new improvements and links will see it forming a 21 mile circle around Preston, with "spoke" routes leading into the City centre too.
It will be great for cycling for pleasure, but also fantastic as a commuter route into and out of Preston.
It will link to numerous other cycle and walking routes, including the Ribble Way, and will link together five National Cycle Network (NCN) routes heading to the centre of Preston from Blackburn, Wigan, Southport, Blackpool, and Lancaster.
These and other cycle routes will form the ‘spokes’ of the Guild Wheel. Along the route, cyclists and walkers can visit the Docks, the Bull Nose, Lea, the Ribble Link, Cottam, Tanterton, Broughton, Haighton Top, Cow Hill, Red Scar, Boilton Wood, Brockholes, Fishwick, Frenchwood, Avenham & Miller Parks, and Broadgate, with a long section running along the north bank of the River Ribble.
As Mike Atkins says 'There are not many cities where you can go along the river without crossing traffic'.
There may also be an ‘inner wheel’, to the north of Preston, staying to the south of the M6 and M55.
We think it's a cracking idea!
On yer bike!
Garstang Cycling Club are riding the Guild Wheel on 3rd June!
Other news about forthcoming cycling strategies for Preston.
You can contact me at ribblecyclediaries@tiscali.co.uk
2 comments:
Great initiative - but where can I find details of the proposed route to give it a go?
Hi Andy,
The route is currently "under construction" but clearly accessible in some parts for the keen - but as you point out, impossible to identify the whole thing!! I've tried finding out the exact route before but with no luck - all I know is there is to be a circle which includes along the Ribble - the easiest sections of the route to identify - and includes Lea and the Ribble Link, Cottam, Tanterton, Broughton, Haighton Top, Cow Hill, Red Scar, and back to the Ribble for the wholly obvious sections taking in Boilton Wood, Brockholes, Fishwick, Frenchwood, and Broadgate. There are to be a number of "spokes" from the outer wheel into Preston centre, and suggestions of an "inner wheel" of a circular route nearer the centre of Preston.
I'll try again to find out more, but in the meantime, PCC & South Ribble have a number of other great routes up and running so check out:
http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/web/view.asp?siteid=3732&pageid=12513&e=e
and:
http://www.visitpreston.com/site/what-to-do/cycling
Happy cycling!
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