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After 3 months of cycling to work through the busy streets of south Manchester, dodging boy racers and careless school-runners, I decided to try and find a more scenic route for nice evening rides home.
Anyway, I now cycle 7 miles in every morning and home every night through one of the busiest areas in the north west, and it is 90% off-road. I mostly see only other bikers and joggers, and the occasional fisher. My route takes me down a half mile brick-lane downhill, some bits of flowing singletrack in Reddish Vale, old railway lines,the tree-lined banks of the river Tame and Mersey, and finishes with a short sharp blast up some cobbles next to an old clay mine before spewing me out about 100m from home.
It has even inspired me to get a canoe, and I am now taking the kids down the river whenever we can. They are loving it.
And I've just discovered 28dayslater, which is tempting me to expand my explorations. Who'd have though all this adventure was right on my doorstep...
[url= http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/uk-draining-forum/60342-secret-stockport-mersey-paradise.html ]28dayslater - River Mersey exploration[/url]
Cheesy to say, but my new found route means I now start and finish every work day with a massive grin.
Any hidden gems on your morning commute?
You start thinking very differently about places once you get the bug - I now can't go past a crane or tunnel or old factory without thinking about how to get in there.
Can I plug my site please? http://www.transientplaces.co.uk 😉
Ben is the shizzle when it comes to urbex..
Cracking picks- especially the strata? of rock below brick in the King st one?
Can you just get on the Mersey in a canoe OrmanCheep? Like mountain biking, you just get on with it - but are there watery analogs of footpaths, where you're not permitted to paddle? [never done it in my life, and live near to the areas you're talking about].
I had a 6 mile running commute which was a bit like that, Changed jobs now though 😥
Garry,
I'm not really sure about the stretch under the town centre, still new to it myself.
I know you need a waterways licence to go on the rivers and canals where canoeing is permitted. I got my licence included in membership to the British canoe Union.
There is an open agreement in place on the Mersey which allows canoeing from just after the viaduct, all the way to Carrington. Landowners either side own the river up to half way across, and one of the golf courses insists on people wearing helmets as part of the agreement.
I am planning to go under Merseyway one night next week, once I have looked into it a bit more.
There is a guy at Burnage rugby club that will hire boats and give you a proper guided tour if requested [url= http://www.messingaboutonthemersey.co.uk/ ]Messing about on the Mersey[/url]
School kids.. Don't get me started.
Sounds like you've changed your route for the better! Better for the mind, body & soul 😆
Good on ya!
I just felt that this thread needed a mention of the book [i]Edgelands[/i] by Paul Farley and Michael Symmons Roberts—"Journeys into England's true [urban] wilderness".
This is also really good:
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Thanks OrmanCheep - would like to look into it - must be some classic industrial heritage along that river.OrmanCheep - MemberGarry,
I'm not really sure about the stretch under the town centre, still new to it myself.
I know you need a waterways licence to go on the rivers and canals where canoeing is permitted. I got my licence included in membership to the British canoe Union.
There is an open agreement in place on the Mersey which allows canoeing from just after the viaduct, all the way to Carrington. Landowners either side own the river up to half way across, and one of the golf courses insists on people wearing helmets as part of the agreement.
I am planning to go under Merseyway one night next week, once I have looked into it a bit more.There is a guy at Burnage rugby club that will hire boats and give you a proper guided tour if requested Messing about on the Mersey
Saying that, I'd probably learn to canoe first - the Mersey looks to steam along when it's high after heavy rain.