//the autumn hub 2019 Sustrans bi-annual supporter magazine Issue 35 Welcome Welcome to the autumn hub. wedding anniversary. And you can You’re helping so many people discover There’s been lots to celebrate since our last edition of delve into some of Britain’s Roman the joys and benefits of walking and the hub. A year on from publishing our National Cycle history as supporter Robert and his cycling, and creating a better world Network review Paths for Everyone, we’re working friend Steve recount their trip along now and in the future. Thank you. hard to upgrade your Network. And with people like Hadrian’s Cycleway in this edition’s you behind us, we’ve recently passed a number of My Favourite Ride feature. Xavier Brice, milestones on our journey to making the Network safe It’s people like you who make all of Chief Executive and accessible for everyone. these amazing developments possible. Earlier this year, we celebrated the completion of our first Network review activation project: a new path at Ledaig, Argyll and Bute. This traffic-free route connects Young people from Craigmillar take part in a www.sustrans.org.uk local communities and is the first crucial step towards Circus of Lights Glow Parade along National achieving the Network’s true potential. Cycle Network Route 1 in Edinburgh. /Sustrans Photo: Colin Hattersley/Sustrans The new link reminds us of the importance of projects @Sustrans like this. They’re not just about numbers or transport. They demonstrate the potential of creating places that @Sustrans bring people together – places for everyone, regardless Sustrans is the charity of who they are or how they use them. making it easier for people And that’s not the only work we’ve been doing to to walk and cycle. make it easier for people to walk and cycle – we’re also We connect people and celebrating two exciting digital milestones. In July, we places, create liveable launched our redesigned website and we’ve teamed up neighbourhoods, transform with mapping experts Ordnance Survey to offer you a the school run and deliver a happier, healthier commute. brand-new online map of the National Cycle Network. They’re both designed to bring people like you the best Sustrans is a registered charity possible online experience to discover and access the no. 326550 (England and Wales) SC039263 (Scotland). Network and other information about our work. Read © Sustrans September 2019 more about these developments on page 15. Xavier Brice photo: J Bewley/ As ever, we’ve also packed this hub full of exciting photojb updates and stories from your local areas. In the Cover: Autumn bike ride through News sections, you can find out about everything from green city space on Quietway 2 amazing new artwork on the Network to big birthday West, Wormwood Scrubs. Photo: J Bewley/photojb celebrations. In the People of the Path feature, you can meet Sue and Ivan, an incredible couple who have just cycled Land’s End to John O’Groats to celebrate their golden the hub the hub Welcome Welcome Roman Army Museum. Another pit stop birthplace of famous railway engineer My favourite ride awaits at Bardon Mill, where there’s George Stephenson, and with a little an excellent local village store and tea railway museum of its own. Hadrian’s Cycleway room. Before long, we’re on the Newcastle Carrying on, we take a short detour Quayside, cycling under the famous Steve and I are currently in the process of cycling to the new visitor centre at the Sill in bridges linking Newcastle and clockwise around the coast of Britain. Not all at once – Northumberland National Park. Next Gateshead. We cross the marvellous we’re much too old for that. Our wives only wave us off is Steel Rigg, where we walk along Millennium Bridge to visit the Baltic for a fortnight each year – we’ll finish this epic journey the Wall to Crag Lough and Sycamore Arts Centre and the Sage Centre next June on the wonderful Hadrian’s Cycleway, which Gap. We’re then back on track for more Gateshead. For the final ten miles, runs around the Cumbrian coast and along Hadrian’s Roman history at Vindolanda Roman you can stay on the north bank to Wall to South Shields. Fort, well worth a visit. Tynemouth or cross via the cycle tunnel We live in the middle of the cycleway and often Soon, we’re on top of the world, or the Shields Ferry to reach the Arbeia venture out on our local section. Sometimes, we hop with panoramic views across Roman Fort marking the end of the Robert is a long-term Sustrans supporter and on a train for a three-day trip along the entire route. Northumberland – Hadrian’s Wall on route. After another stop for coffee and former volunteer on the From Ravenglass, we follow quiet roads and paths our left and wide-open moorland on cake, we cycle back into Newcastle for National Cycle Network. through quaint villages towards Whitehaven. The Lake our right. A Sustrans signpost marks the train home. And next time we do He’s cycled many miles District peaks rise on our right – magical in spring the 255-metre summit of the cycleway. that, we can celebrate having cycled of the Network alongside when they’re still covered in snow. We listen for curlews and skylarks, around all of Britain. his friend Steve, including Winding round the coast towards Bowness-on- with the occasional sight of buzzards Land’s End to John O’Groats Solway, we arrive at the start of Hadrian’s Wall. A and ravens. It’s a gorgeous ride down Hadrian’s Cycleway Cycle and the Hebridean Way. stiff sea breeze pushes us towards Carlisle. It’s our the Stanegate into Newbrough, with Route Map (Route 72) Here he tells us about favourite city, with plenty to offer – a fine cathedral, an bracken and heather giving way to the fantastic Hadrian’s and other route maps art gallery, museum and castle, and a massive second- sheep and cattle grazing behind stone Cycleway, where the duo are available at hand bookshop with a café. walls, and fine old stone farmhouses. will complete another epic shop.sustrans.org.uk adventure next year. We stop in Brampton for coffee before joining the Crossing the River Tyne, we join the Above: Robert Bluck. Wall again at Banks. The Sustrans map promises traffic-free path into historic Hexham, Main photo: Nikki Wingfield/ “some of England’s most dramatic and wild with its ancient abbey and marketplace. Don’t forget your Sustrans countryside,” and from up here, with wide views Now the hills are over and the route 20% discount if you’re across the Irthing Valley, you can see why. Tracing the follows the river all the way to the sea. a regular giver or volunteer. footsteps of the Romans, we pass Birdoswald Fort We pass through Wylam, which is part before descending to Gilsland and Greenhead with its of a different kind of history – being the the hub My favourite ride: Hadrian’s Cycleway Sue and Ivan setting off from Land’s End Working together forteamed up with a number of experts to make sure that the initiative’s design healthier London streetsand implementation has people and communities at its heart and is truly for Boost for sustainable travel in London everyone. People of the followedpath wonderful routes as Transport for London launches new Public health specialist Lucy Saunders along disused railway lines, programme managed by Sustrans. has designed the Healthy Streets canal towpaths, beside rivers approach, putting people and their Sue and Ivan e are delighted to be supporting and quiet roads. We’re accustomed to W health at the centre of decision making. Sue and Ivan Godfrey have been travelling light and carried everything a new Healthy Streets programme And we’re also working with inclusive cycling and walking for many years. in our Sustrans Ortlieb panniers and announced by Transport for London cycling expert Tiffany Lam to address This year, to celebrate their golden handlebar bags. We did most of our own (TfL) in August. The programme aims gaps in those using cycling as a mode wedding anniversary, they took on maintenance but a few times stopped to transform local neighbourhoods, of transport. Her research, expertise and a new cycling challenge. Here Sue at one of the excellent cycle shops reduce school-run traffic and boost input are helping to ensure that Healthy talks to Sustrans about their journey along the route if we needed specialist walking, cycling and public transport Streets is inclusive and appropriate for and their enthusiasm for cycling. help. Apart from this, we didn’t have use across London. It is also the first London’s diverse population: any specialist equipment. Another time, ever London-wide programme to “Walking and cycling are the best Ivan and I are both retired teachers however, I’d like waterproof footwear – focus on behaviour change, which is ways to experience cities, and enable who have always loved the great cold, wet feet feel horrible! supporting all boroughs on behalf of TfL. you to connect with where you live, work outdoors. We’ve trekked in the Alps, In June, after completing almost 1200 It forms part of the Mayor of London’s or go to school in a social and enjoyable Pyrenees and Himalayas and our first miles in 34 days, we arrived at John plans to increase the number of people way.” choices for day-to-day travel are always O’Groats.