New Peak District routes?

[johnmac]

A couple of years ago, funding was announced for several new paths in the Peak District, due to open this year. Has this gone ahead? I can find no new information.

Pedal Peak Phase 2

On 12 August 2013 the Pedal Peak Phase 2 project was awarded £5 million from the Government's National Park Cycle Fund. The bid was produced by a partnership of authorities including:

Staffordshire County Council
Derbyshire County Council
Peak District National Park Authority
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Sheffield City Council
The project will deliver four new cycle routes, including the Staffordshire Moorlands Link, to encourage more recreational visits to the Peak District by bike. It will also provide a boost to tourism and the rural economy.

The Staffordshire Moorlands Link is an off road route from Stockton Brook, at the boundary with Stoke City Council, along the Caldon Canal towpath to both Cheddleton and Leek. From there it is an on road signed route to the Roaches from Leek and to the Manifold Valley from Cheddleton where there is already a recreational cycle route.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Yes, it is going ahead. I believe towpath improvement works are taking place on the Caldon Canal at the moment, which forms part of the routes.

[TrevA]

More details here:

http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/images/Ped ... 224114.pdf

Includes extending the Monsal Trail down to Matlock so that people can travel by train to Matlock and get straight onto the route. Also, joining up the Monsal and High Peak trails at the northern ends

[johnmac]

TrevA, thanks for taking the trouble to reply, which I appreciate, but the document you've linked to is two years old. I can find details of the original plan and bid, but I wonder what the current state of works is?

I gather the Caldon Canal part is due to complete in June, but as for the rest of it???

[buxtonAndy]

Your support is needed for every step of the way when it comes to planning applications for various sections of the White Peak Trail. The whole stretch from Matlock to Rowsley is divided into 4 phases. Phase 1 is from Matlock to Old Road, Darley Dale. The planning application for this is to be heard shortly.

The planning application for Phase 2, Old Rd to Church Rd, has not been submitted yet.
Phase 3 is Church Rd to Harrisons Way, the application is in, and some of you have already made comments in favour of the project.
Phase 4, Harrisons Way to Rowsley, has only just been submitted and there are very few comments in favour.

Please do not imagine this is a done deal! There is still opposition to this whole project, as can be seen from some of the negative comments online. If you have not commented on Phases 3 and 4, please find time to do so now. The planning applications can be found through these links:

http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/environmen ... &AppType=2

http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/environmen ... &AppType=2

Thank you.

[Valbrona]

But cycling is all wrong in the Peak District. You get zillions of drivers with bikes strapped to their cars bombing into the Peak District to ride designated cycle trails when greater use of roads should be encouraged, of which there are lots of quiet ones which could be developed as designated cycle routes.

[Tangled Metal]

I've only done short bits of the Tissington and high peak trails (railway lines) and IMHO the peak district seems relatively well set up for riding. The bits I have done are in the white peaks to the south and even the small roads are great for cycling. Anything to add to that is very positive and welcoming since we like to spend early spring visiting the area. We have a young child and always take our bikes so we can get as much cycling in as we can. Anything that is added to the excellent cycling facilities is to be supported. I just wish more could be spent near where I live such as the Lakes. There are very fewer family friendly routes through the Lakes unless you are a mountain biker of course. I'm not trying to cast national parks against each other but I just wish the LDNP could get a Tissington or Dark Peak trail sometime.

Can anyone comment on these proposals or is it only locals? I live in north Lancs but try to visit each year to the Peak District to get a cycle in and will no doubt benefit from any extra facilities added to those excellent ones already in the PDNP. If it is relevent for visitors to comment I reckon I will try to get time to review the applications via those links and give my comments too.

[reohn2]

But cycling is all wrong in the Peak District. You get zillions of drivers with bikes strapped to their cars bombing into the Peak District to ride designated cycle trails when greater use of roads should be encouraged, of which there are lots of quiet ones which could be developed as designated cycle routes.

There's no one stopping anyone riding on the roads,it's not clear from your post if you mean those ''designated cycle routes'' should be only for cycling.If so can't see that could be done.

[Valbrona]

I have found cycling facilities in the Peak District to be very much in the mould of those types of facilities you get when non-cycling/car driving types create them... 'Here's your special cycling trail. Only don't stray off it because it's a dangerous world out there for cyclists and we are not much interested in making the Peak District's roads any safer for cyclists. And most of all don't buy your ice creams and Kit-Kats from anywhere else other than those strategically placed retail outlets situated along our cycle trail'.

[reohn2]

I have found cycling facilities in the Peak District to be very much in the mould of those types of facilities you get when non-cycling/car driving types create them... 'Here's your special cycling trail. Only don't stray off it because it's a dangerous world out there for cyclists and we are not much interested in making the Peak District's roads any safer for cyclists. And most of all don't buy your ice creams and Kit-Kats from anywhere else other than those strategically placed retail outlets situated along our cycle trail'.

But doesn't that attitude go for the rest of the UK too?
Cycle infrastructure and attitude toward cycling in generally is abysmal for much of the UK,not just the Peak district.

[TrevA]

I have found cycling facilities in the Peak District to be very much in the mould of those types of facilities you get when non-cycling/car driving types create them... 'Here's your special cycling trail. Only don't stray off it because it's a dangerous world out there for cyclists and we are not much interested in making the Peak District's roads any safer for cyclists. And most of all don't buy your ice creams and Kit-Kats from anywhere else other than those strategically placed retail outlets situated along our cycle trail'.

i cycle in the Peak District a lot and there's a wonderful network of quiet country lanes with hardly any traffic on them. The main roads carry nearly all the traffic. The lanes may not be signposted routes but anyone with a map can make a decent circular route which hardly touches main roads. However, you do have to be prepared to climb some quite steep hills.

Some of my favourites are the road from Crich to Beeley Moor and beyond. The tiny lanes around Youlgreave. The road from Over Haddon to Chelmorton. The climb up Crowdicote hill from Longnor. Our favuorite cafe is the Craft Centre in Longnor market place. Miles from the nearest off-road route.

I'm not sure we need "infrastructure" apart from alternative routes to main roads.

[Valbrona]

i cycle in the Peak District a lot and there's a wonderful network of quiet country lanes with hardly any traffic on them. The main roads carry nearly all the traffic. The lanes may not be signposted routes but anyone with a map can make a decent circular route which hardly touches main roads. However, you do have to be prepared to climb some quite steep hills.

Some of my favourites are the road from Crich to Beeley Moor and beyond. The tiny lanes around Youlgreave. The road from Over Haddon to Chelmorton. The climb up Crowdicote hill from Longnor. Our favuorite cafe is the Craft Centre in Longnor market place. Miles from the nearest off-road route.

I'm not sure we need "infrastructure" apart from alternative routes to main roads.

There, I think, speaks/writes an experienced cyclist, who knows the Peak District and who can read a map. The car free trails in the Peak District attract a lot of visitors from outside the area who only think in terms of turning up and riding along the well-known and car-free trails ... and not anywhere else. These car-free trails are great for family groups and inexperienced cyclists, but they lack much in the way of integration with the wider road network. I can't help think that a lot of the people who bomb along the car-free trails might actually enjoy themselves more if they used the network of roads, many of which are quiet, and what is lacking are systems of encouragement and integration with the wider road network.

[reohn2]

.................Some of my favourites are the road from Crich to Beeley Moor and beyond. The tiny lanes around Youlgreave. The road from Over Haddon to Chelmorton. The climb up Crowdicote hill from Longnor. Our favuorite cafe is the Craft Centre in Longnor market place. Miles from the nearest off-road route.

We quite like the bimble down the Manifold,which you can 'escape' from at various point along it
I like that cafe at Longnor too

I'm not sure we need "infrastructure" apart from alternative routes to main roads.

And if drivers treat you with courtesy there's no problem.

[sjs]

.................Some of my favourites are the road from Crich to Beeley Moor and beyond. The tiny lanes around Youlgreave. The road from Over Haddon to Chelmorton. The climb up Crowdicote hill from Longnor. Our favuorite cafe is the Craft Centre in Longnor market place. Miles from the nearest off-road route.

We quite like the bimble down the Manifold,which you can 'escape' from at various point along it
I like that cafe at Longnor too

I'm not sure we need "infrastructure" apart from alternative routes to main roads.

And if drivers treat you with courtesy there's no problem.

+1
We're especially fond of the cafe at Wetton Mill, which is also great for paddling for those who don't mind very cold water. And the pub at Wetton is great, albeit at the top of a very big hill.

Anyone tried the ride down the minor road along the ridge at Morridge? Brilliant.

[TrevA]

I actually have vague idea of where I want to go and let the Garmin site plan the route. I've been caught out a few times with roads that turned out to be tracks. I've found some great little lanes this way. When my kids were young, we did the High peak and Tissington trails and linked them up with a road route via Brassington to get back to Middleton Top.