Cycle Rides in West Lancashire All rides start from Railway Stations Cycle Rides in West Lancashire Banks Tarleton Croston Leisure Lakes M6 Southport Chorley Eccleston Rufford Bescar Lane Mawdesley New Lane Travelling by Train. Bikes and trains are natural partners; Manchester - Wigan - Southport Burscough Ainsdale Hoscar better for the environment and, (Northern Rail) Parbold often, more convenient than using a Trains run approximately every 30 Standish car. This is certainly true in West minutes Monday - Saturday and Appley Bridge Lancashire.The area is criss-crossed hourly on Sundays. (Northern Rail). Ashurst’s by rail lines, giving many options for All trains continue to Manchester. Beacon Ormskirk place-to-place rides as well as circular There are also connections at Wigan routes. Many of the stations are in to the West Coast Main Line. Cheshire Aughton Lines Path rural locations, allowing you to start Skelmersdale a ride without doing battle with Ormskirk - Preston (Northern Rail) Town Orrell urban traffic.They also offer ‘bale-out’ Trains run approximately every hour Green Upholland options on planned longer rides, e.g. Monday - Saturday. No Sunday Lydiate Bickerstaffe Wigan in case of mechanical problems or service. For further information M58 bad weather. telephone 0845 6001159 or visit Maghull There are three main routes. Bicycles www.northernrail.org are carried free of charge on all these routes. The National Rail Enquiry number is In the 19th century, the Industrial Most of the district is flat. Large areas have 0845 748 4950 or visit Revolution brought spectacular growth to few trees or hedges and the land stretches Liverpool - Ormskirk (Merseyrail). www.nationalrail.co.uk the towns and cities of eastern almost uninterrupted to the horizon. Trains run every 15 minutes Monday Lancashire.The west of the county It makes for easy cycling (except when - Saturday and every 30 minutes on became the main source of food for these there’s a breeze against you!). Sundays.There is no need to reserve A Circuit from Appley Bridge growing urban areas, and West Lancashire There’s variety in the east, where the two cycle spaces but customers are remains predominantly rural to this day, ridges of High Moor and Ashurst’s Beacon requested to try to avoid travelling A Circuit from New Lane with just two main towns, Ormskirk and flank the Douglas valley, and the landscape on busy peak hour services, if Skelmersdale, and a scattering of smaller is more pastoral.The district is easily possible. For further information A Circuit from Ormskirk towns and villages. reached from surrounding urban centres telephone 0151 236 7676 or visit like Liverpool,Wigan, Chorley and Preston, www.merseyrail.org A Grand our of West Lancashire and good rail links add to the options. Canal Towpath (Burscough~Appley Bridge) KeyKey Traffic-free Cycling The Cheshire Lines Path The main routes in this leaflet follow quiet The Cheshire Lines Path follows part of a A Circuit from Appley Bridge lanes as far as possible but busier roads still former railway line between Liverpool and have to be crossed and occasionally followed Southport, giving traffic-free riding across the Distance approx. 27.4 km/17 miles for a short distance. For those who would wide open spaces of the mosslands. Rufford prefer completely traffic-free routes there are For those arriving by train, the best station to Mawdesley B Take the next left on Back Lane and into several possibilities. start from is Ainsdale, on the present-day Andertons Bispham Green, emerging next to the pub. B Liverpool - Southport line, from where the Bispham Mill Go left and immediately right into Green Lane. At T junction go the left on B5246 then To wpath Cycling h 1st right. After 2km take 1st right on Wood Hoscar Lane and follow it round left into Bleak Lane, The Leeds-Liverpool Canal runs Parbold through the area and its which leads to a level crossing. Just after this towpath offers some fine cycling C fork left. At a 5-way junction go right and Newburgh A opportunities. For more then left into Hollowford Lane. Follow this to Ashurst’s information visit www. Beacon a swing bridge over the canal and then bear waterscape.com/cycling left on Back Lane. Follow this into Newburgh The best route starts from and a junction with the A5209 at a mini- Appley Bridge. If you get the roundabout.Turn right. (Post office and train back from Burscough A fine varied circuit, taking in the rolling hills Newburgh tea-rooms at this junction). In 50m Bridge or New Lane it’s and valleys in the east of the area as well as a turn left into Tabby’s Nook. downhill at the start and there’s taste of the flatlands of the west. If it isn’t hilly no corresponding uphill later. enough, Ashurst’s Beacon can conveniently be C Turn right at T junction and begin a steady As a one-way ride it’s about 10.5 km/ 6.5 miles route is well-signed (follow Trans-Pennine Trail added to the agenda. climb. Just over the top turn left on Beacon to Burscough Bridge. signs) on suburban streets and cycle paths Lane by the Skelmersdale boundary sign. At a From the station emerge to the road and turn before joining the Cheshire Lines proper.You Arriving by train: Appley Bridge is on the large roundabout take the 1st exit into the left, down the hill. Cross the canal and turn can make a one-way ride of it by catching Wigan - Southport line.The route also passes continuation of Beacon Lane and climb to T immediately right (parking here for those another train from Old Roan back into close to Hoscar, on the same line. junction opposite St Michael’s Church in arriving by car) to join the towpath. Follow it Liverpool. For those arriving by car there are Dalton.Turn left on Higher Lane and descend, past some locks. At Parbold it’s necessary to several access points, notably Downholland Arriving by car: Parking by the canal, just then turn 1st right on Hillock Lane. After a cross the canal on a road bridge.The towpath Moss and the former station site at Lydiate. below the start. steep descent turn right at T junction and resumes on the other side. follow the lane for about 2.5km to another T Continue along the towpath. After approx 9km Start A junction.Turn left and descend to Appley (5.5 miles) the towpath rises sharply on a Leisure Lakes Follow the station approach out to the road Bridge; the station entrance is a short way up steep little hump-backed bridge over the Leisure Lakes, at Mere Brow, near Tarleton, has and turn right, up the hill. Climb steadily for the hill ahead. Tar leton branch of the canal. Continue straight a permanent off-road circuit which hosts about 1km, levelling out shortly before the ahead into Burscough Bridge. mountain bike races during the winter months. A5209 (pub on the corner). Go straight Just after passing under the There are races for all categories including across and soon climb some more, then A59 there’s access into a side- novices.There is also a large bicycle shop on follow the road as it swings round to the street; the train station is just site. Follow signs off the A565/ B5426. For right.Turn left into Courage Low Lane. Follow about 300m further up the more details visit www.leisurelakesbikes.com or this and its continuation as Toogood Lane into main road. phone 01772 813446. Andertons Mill, then turn left on Bentley Alternatively, continue along Lane.Take the next right on Moody Lane, the towpath approx another Maps keep left at a fork then go left at T junction, 1.5km to a swing-bridge by a into the outskirts of Mawdesley, and straight Most of West Lancashire is shown on ahead to Cedar Farm (excellent cafe). pub.Turn right and New Lane OS Explorer 285 Southport and Chorley station is approx 500m up the 1:25,000. The map shows some road names in lane. rural areas. Wide Open Mosslands: After 1km turn right at a crossroads where the main A Circuit from New Lane route initially appears to go Distance approx. 37.6 km/23.5 miles straight ahead, and after another 500m turn right Windmill Farm Rufford Start A again on Langley Rd. At the B Pool Bescar Lane From the station cycle south (lined with next crossroads go straight Hey Martin Mere D houses) then turn first right (sign for Martin ahead into Crabtree Lane A w Lane Inn, Cycleway sign). Follow the lane to a T (shortcut to New Lane Shirdley junction and turn right (Bescar). Keep straight Station goes left here). Hill Short-cut ahead at a crossroads then go right at a T Cross a swing bridge by the A570 junction (Churchtown). Cross a level crossing. Slipway PH and keep The road narrows to single track with passing straight ahead to a T 7 4 C places.Take 1st left, go over another level junction where turn left. 1 5 A crossing and on to Pool Hey and a T junction 17.1 miles. Ormskirk with A570 (6 miles) If it’s a flat ride you’re looking for, this is the D Turn 1st right into one. It is worth saving for a calm day, however, B Turn left; there are separate cycle tracks Curlew Lane.The landscape here is Enjoy your cycling alongside the busy main road. In 500m turn very open.Turn sharp left into Mere as there’s little shelter from the wind that Cycling is meant to be fun.