R48, Little Lawford to Long Lawford

Above are 4 views of the Bridleway between Little and Long Lawford which is to be part of NCN route 48, the Fosse2. The footnote to page 7 of the January 2005 document which charts the suggested route as far as bath considers that this Bridleway is OK for use by most riders in dry seasons. This is, in my opinion, a fair assessment. The centre left and right photos show the section of Bridleway approaching the river Avon bridge from the south and from the north respectively. Despite a general lack of rain in past weeks this section is wet and muddy, albeit still rideable. The top photo shows the relatively inauspicious start of the Bridleway at the Long Lawford end while that at the bottom shows the approach to the Little Lawford end seemingly to be up the drive of a house. The Bridleway is accessed by turning right just beyond the house.

The 2005 document suggests that "Riders preferring to avoid the Lawford Bridleway should follow RR70/Badby YH/Gaydon." I dont think this is necessary. I would offer instead a route from Little Lawford west to Kings Newnham thence Church Lawford, cross the A428 (no worse than the crossing at Long Lawford), Lawford Lodge Farm, Lawford Heath, over the A45 onto the Straight Mile and then left towards Draycote village to pick up R41 on the current NE end of the old railway line.

NCN R48 - Moreton-in-Marsh to Shipston-on-Stour

At mid-morning on Sunday 7 June 2009 after almost thirty six hours of continuous rain the sky miraculously brightened allowing a doughty group of cyclists to undertake the inaugural ride on the National Cycle Network Route 48 between Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire and Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire in warm sunshine.

Also known as the Two Towns Cycle Route it establishes a specific link between the two towns which first began with a branch line of the Stratford-upon-Avon to Moreton-in-Marsh Tramway. This was opened in 1826 with horse drawn carts carrying coal and goods brought to Stratford by canal from the industrial areas of the West Midlands.

The on-road route is 8 miles in length and passes through attractive Warwickshire Feldon Parklands countryside and picturesque Gloucestershire Cotswold Fringe landscapes. These are identified and described in an accompanying leaflet which also includes photographs and descriptions of notable buildings and structures along the route. The project was managed by former Sustrans Area Manager and current Supporter David Miller who developed the route from proposals put forward by Sustrans Rangers and volunteer members of the Stour Local Delivery Group supported by the Stratford District Council and Gloucestershire and Warwickshire County Councils. The first photograph shows cyclists outside the Moreton Town Council Offices where a reception was held and where they were greeted by the Vice-Chairman of Moreton Town Council Mr. Colin Burford and Mr. Guy Stapleton of Moreton and District Local History Society who supplied information for the leaflet. The second photograph shows "the parting of the ways" just to the south of Willington.

The Last Leg!

The Fosse 2 extension from Exeter to Plymouth (NCN48) is likely to use part of the Devon Coast to Coast (NCN27) as it approaches Plymouth. The article found in the RangerNet which sources a local Tavistock paper is therefore good news.

http://www.tavistock-today.co.uk/tn/news.cfm?id=9431&headline=Almost%20there!

Comments from anyone who rides the new sections would be welcomed.

The Proposed Upgraded Path from Stockton to Southam

On 23rd March I attempted to follow the existing footpath from Stockton to Southam. After passing behind the goal of the football pitch in the playground at the Stockton end I went through a gap in a hedge and found what seemed to be a clear path heading west. The first photograph shows what seems to be a well trodden earth path. It had been dry for some days and it seemed to be possible to cycle along it but the soil is very sticky and within a short distance I had picked up enough of it to completely jam both wheels. At this point the path crossed a track leading from the A426 to a building in the middle of fields and beyond the track on the west side the path disappeared. Subsequent checking with the Google satellite facility and the OS getamap shows that the fields across which the path once went have been ploughed. The second picture is the getamap showing the path crossing the track from the A426 (in the top of the picture) then dipping slightly more southerly before regaining the original direction at the next field boundary. The third picture is a Google satellite shot and the path can be seen very faintly crossing the large odd shaped field. This, and the next to the west, are the ones which have been ploughed. It may be that the path has been rerouted by users around the edge of the fields in question. I regained the A426 (and took some time to clear the mud from my mudguards!!) and cycled into Southam to the by-pass. I located the western end of the path and discovered that the path crosses the by-pass at road level. There is a set of steps either side of the road which is in a man--made cutting and also a ramped egress from either side for wheeled traffic. Again users have to cross the road which, as far as I could tell, has a 60 mph speed limit. Visibility is reasonable.

On the Southam (west) side of the by-pass there is a kissing gate which can accomodate my folding bike but would not take a full sized bike without some acrobatics. Access into the town centre from the kissing gate is by narrow footpaths between properties.

The last two photographs show the steep sets of steps leading down to the road and the kissing gate with the road below.

The B4451 road from Southam to Harbury crosses the A425 at a roundabout on the town outskirts before heading south to Deppers Bridge and then west to Harbury. This road is not wide enough to allow for a cyclist and two cars together and clearly has a speed problem because there are a number of chicanes in the village of Deppers Bridge to reduce traffic speed. It is not a road to recommend as part of an NCN route. If the proposed path upgrade comes to fruition and the current problem of the flat crossing of the A423 Southam by-pass is resolved there are advantages in R48 passing through Southam because it is big enough to have shops and a cafe but my recommended route from Southam would be west on the minor road to Bascote Heath thence SW to Harbury. I have crossed the A423 near Ufton on a number of occasions successfully although I accept it is not ideal.

Trains to Fosse2 ~ the Alternate Fosse-Way

When the Highways Agency eventually provides a crossing of the A52 road, probably at Bingham in Notts, Fosse2 will become a cycling route between the East Midlands and South West, shadowing the old Fosse Way from Lincoln to Exeter. Until then, nearest railway stations to reach the route as useable today include: Leicester, Rugby, Leamington Spa, Moreton-in-the-Marsh, Kemble, Bath, Taunton, Honiton and Exeter.

For more, contact info@sustrans.org.uk

A Meeting at Southam re path to/from Stockton

There will be a public meeting at 18:30 on 23/02 at The Grange Hall, Coventry Road, Southam to consider the proposed Stockton-Southam link. If this goes well, the scheme could become a Links to School grant scheme. Then, subject to peer-review of the on-road Southam-Harbury link, NCN48 could also divert this way to avoid the hi-speed A425 Xing near Bascote Heath.

Birdingbury to Stockton and Southam

NCN48 (Southbound) is intended to join NCN41 at the North East end of the Birdingbury section of old railway line (SP448707) and run conjoined with it for a little over 3 km to the approach to the bridge over the minor road into Birdingbury. See top photograph for current NCN41 signage. From here it should eventually continue along the railway line to the old junction near Snowford but currently this path (seen disappearing into the distance) is cyclable for only 250 metres. For the time being, therefore, NCN48 continues along the existing (marked) route of NCN41 through Birdingbury and on to the Grand Union Canal at the small Marina east of Long Itchington, thence west along the canal towpath to Long Itchington. From there it turns south towards Harbury. The prospect of an new off-road route between Stockton and Southam allows for a second alternative for NCN48 from the Marina to Harbury. Under this option, NCN48 would turn left onto the canal towpath (instead of right) to pass under the A426 road. The second photograph shows the view looking back towards the bridge under the A426. To the right of the camera is an exit from the towpath (which deteriorates at this point going SE) onto the minor road which parallels the canal. The route follows this road which is narrow and tree lined to a tee junction. Turning right and subsequently right twice more takes the rider into village of Stockton. At the western periphery of the village a footpath leads from St Michael's Crescent to a Playing Field and on to Southam. The third photograph shows the commencement of the footpath, looking west. It is proposed to bring this footpath up to shared path standard so that cyclists could access Southam from Stockton without using the fast running A426.

On this visit time did not permit further investigation of the footpath nor to discover its western termination in Southam.