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The best places to cycle without worrying about traffic
Looking for fun, safe riding options away from traffic? Discover local, quiet trails and family friendly routes across the UK with Traffic-Free Cycle Trails. Below we've highlighted one route from each of the book's ten regional sections, which cover each part of Britain. The book features over 400 trails including railway paths, forestry routes, canal towpaths, round-reservoir routes, purpose-built cycle paths and easier ridge rides on byways and bridleways. A few of the trails have sealed surfaces so it is best to use a mountain or hybrid bike. Children’s bikes are normally built to withstand knocks and will cope with all of the easier trails.
SOUTH-WEST
Flat Lode Trail Camborne
This well-waymarked circuit is a real celebration of the area’s mining heritage and at every turn it seems there is another atmospheric ruin, characterised by the typical tall chimney. The trail is predominantly on improved gravel tracks with occasional short sections of lane. There are one or two short, steep climbs where you may wish to push, rewarded with fine views out into the surrounding countryside, dotted with clumps of yellow gorse and even the occasional glimpse of the sea.
Distance: 8-mile circuit
Starting point & parking
The main car park for the trail is on the minor road south-west of Carnkie, a hamlet lying 3 miles south-west of Redruth. There are a few much smaller parking spots around the course of the route.
On your bikes!
There are too many junctions to describe in detail but the route is very well waymarked, either as ‘Flat Lode Trail’ or with a black icon of a mining chimney. There are several short climbs, two of them quite steep.
Station: Camborne.
TIC: Redruth, 01209 219048.
Refreshments: Brea Inn, Carn Brea. Lots of choice in Camborne and Redruth.
Other trails:
2 Cornish Mineral Tramways Coast to Coast Trail
3 Camel Trail: Padstow to Wadebridge and Bodmin
4 Pentewan Valley, St Austell
5 Clay Trails, Bugle
6 Cardinham Woods, Bodmin
7 Tarka Trail: Braunton to Barnstaple
8 Tarka Trail: Barnstaple to Bideford
9 Tarka Trail: Bideford to Meeth
10 Granite Way, south of Okehampton
11 Drakes Trail, Plymouth
12 Princetown Tramway, Dartmoor
13 Wray Valley & Stover Trail, Bovey Tracey
14 Exe Estuary Trail: Dawlish – Exeter – Exmouth
15 Haldon Forest, south-west of Exeter
16 Exeter along the River Exe
17 Grand Western Canal, east of Tiverton
18 Exmouth to Budleigh Salterton
19 Bridgwater & Taunton Canal
20 Willow Walk, west of Glastonbury
21 Strawberry Line: Yatton to Cheddar
22 Colliers Way: Radstock to Frome
23 Severn Bridge Cyclepath
24 Bristol to Pill Riverside Path
25 Forest of Dean Family Trail, south-west of Gloucester
26 Coleford to Parkend & Cannop Wharf, Forest of Dean
27 Gloucester & Sharpness Canal, south of Gloucester
28 Stroud Valleys Cycle Trail, south of Gloucester
29 Bristol & Bath Railway Path
30 Kennet & Avon Canal: Bath to Bradford-on-Avon
31 Kennet & Avon Canal:Bradford-on-Avon to Devizes
SOUTH-EAST
Newport to Sandown Isle of Wight
This ride forms part of what might be considered the easiest coast-to-coast ride in the country: from Cowes on the north coast of the Isle of Wight to Sandown on the east coast. The middle section is a complicated route on streets through Newport. The final part follows a railway path south and east across the island through rich agricultural land and clumps of broadleaf woodland, to arrive in Sandown and a chance for a paddle on the beach.
Distance: 8 miles each way
Starting points & parking
- Newport: the trail starts close to the junction of the A3020 with the B3401 Shide Road at the south-east edge of Newport.
- From Sandown railway station, turn right to go under the subway, turn right on Perowne Way, then after 400yds turn left just before the shops on to the start of the traffic-free trail.
Station: Sandown (connects with the ferry from Portsmouth to Ryde).
TIC: Newport, 01983 521555.
Refreshments: Lots of choice in Sandown and Newport.
Other trails:
2 Cowes to Newport Cycleway
3 New Forest, Hampshire
4 Test Way, Stockbridge
5 Queen Elizabeth Country Park
6 Centurion Way, Chichester
7 Alice Holt Forest, Farnham
8 Wey Navigation, Guildford
9 Downs Link (1): Bramley
10 Downs Link (2): Cranleigh
11 Downs Link (3): Southwater
12 Downs Link (4): Bramber
13 Brighton Promenade
14 Friston Forest, Eastbourne
15 Cuckoo Trail, Eastbourne
16 Worth Way, East Grinstead
17 Forest Way, East Grinstead
18 Tudor Trail, Tonbridge to Penshurst Place
19 Bewl Water, Lamberhurst
20 Bedgebury Forest, near Hawkhurst
21 Hythe Seafront
22 Dover to Folkestone
23 Reculver to Margate
24 Crab & Winkle Way, Canterbury
25 Basingstoke Canal (1): Odiham
26 Basingstoke Canal (2): Fleet
27 Basingstoke Canal (3): Weybridge
28 Norbury Park, Leatherhead
29 Horton Park, Epsom
30 Kennet & Avon Canal, Newbury
31 Kennet & Avon Canal, Reading
32 Thames: Reading to Sonning
33 The Look Out, Bracknell/Swinley Forest
34 Windsor Great Park
35 Wey Navigation, Weybridge
36 Thames west from Putney Bridge
37 Tamsin Trail, Richmond Park
38 Slough Arm, Grand Union Canal
39 Grand Union Canal: Denham
40 Thames: Greenwich to Erith
41 Thames through Oxford
42 Phoenix Trail, Thame
43 Wendover Woods, Chilterns
44 Milton Keynes to Winslow
45 Grand Union Canal, Leighton Buzzard
46 Milton Keynes and the Willen Lakes
47 Ouse Valley Trail, Milton Keynes
48 Grand Union Canal, Milton Keynes
EAST
Grand Union Canal between Hemel Hempstead & Tring Reservoir
The Grand Union Canal connects London to Birmingham, but it would take a brave person to jump on their bike at one end and imagine a straightforward ride to the other. There is an enormous variety of surfaces you will encounter from very rough and rutted to fine, smooth gravel; parts may be overgrown with vegetation, other parts are very narrow and then there are barriers to keep out motorbikes. So it is best to pick and choose the best bits. Parts of this ride, through Berkhamsted, for example, are as good as it gets. However, even on a ride like this there are short, rougher sections, so be prepared for these. The ride runs alongside Tring Summit, the highpoint of the canal
between London and the Midlands; to the north it drops down to Milton Keynes and to the south towards London. You won’t be stuck for refreshments on this ride as there are cafes at both ends and many pubs along the way, especially through Berkhamsted.
Distance: 12 miles each way
Starting points & parking
- Tring Reservoirs – Startops car park, north of Tring, on the B489 in Marsworth just south-west of Bluebell’s Tearoom.
- Apsley Marina/Nash Mills, Hemel Hempstead – just off the A4251 to the east of Apsley railway station.
On your bikes!
- From the Red Lion pub (by Nash Mills, at the southern edge of Hemel Hempstead) follow the canal towpath north-west towards Berkhamsted. Go past Apsley Marina.
- Go past the Fishery Inn then after 1 mile, another marina and the Three Horseshoes pub.
- The path improves through Berkhamsted as you pass several pubs and information boards about the history of the canal and the town itself.
- The surface is good as far as Cow Roast Lock. After this the path becomes narrower and at times overgrown. This is the summit section of the canal.
- The towpath improves again at Bulbourne as the canal starts its descent. It is suggested you go as far as Marsworth where there are two pubs and a cafe. There is also a car park here where you may prefer to start.
Station: Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Tring.
TIC: Tring, 01442 823347.
Refreshments: Red Lion pub, Hemel Hempstead. Fishery Inn, Boxmoor. Three Horseshoes pub, Bourne End. Lots of choice in Berkhamsted. Grand Junction Arms pub, Bulbourne. Bluebell Cafe, White Lion pub, Anglers Retreat pub, Marsworth.
Other trails:
2 Ashridge Estate, north-west of Hemel Hempstead
3 Nickey Line from Hemel Hempstead to Harpenden
4 Ebury Way from Rickmansworth to West Watford
5 Ayot Greenway from Wheathampstead, north of St Albans
6 Albanway from Hatfield to St Albans
7 Cole Green Way, west of Hertford
8 Lee Navigation (1): Hertford to Waltham Abbey
9 Lee Navigation (2): Islington to Waltham Abbey
10 Epping Forest, north of London
11 Flitch Way, west of Braintree
12 Valley Walk, Sudbury, north-west of Colchester
13 Colchester to Wivenhoe along the riverside path
14 Alton Water, south of Ipswich
15 Bedford to Sandy
16 Grafham Water, south-west of Huntingdon
17 Cambridge to Waterbeach
18 Rendlesham Forest, north-east of Ipswich
19 Peterborough & Ferry Meadows Country Park
20 Thetford Forest: north-west of Cambridge
21 Marriott’s Way, Norwich
EAST MIDLANDS
Brixworth Country Park/Pitsford Water north of Northampton
This cycle trail around Pitsford Water is a model of its kind, keeping you close to the water for the whole circuit, on well-maintained paths and avoiding time spent on roads, which is so often the failing of circuits around reservoirs. The lake is popular with swans, anglers and windsurfers, and if the wind is blowing strongly you may well witness some pretty amazing acrobatics by top-class windsurfers whizzing over the surface of the lake and turning on a sixpence! Anglian Water, in conjunction with Northamptonshire County Council, has been successful in gaining a grant from the Millennium Fund to provide ‘Access for All’ at Pitsford Water. Brixworth Country Park is being developed to include special gardens and ponds, tracks suitable for disabled access and a link to the Brampton Valley Way. It is intended that the project will provide an opportunity for everyone to experience the wonderful countryside around Pitsford Water.
Distance: 7-mile circuit of the reservoir
Starting point & parking
The visitor centre at Pitsford Water in Brixworth Country Park, off the A508, about 6 miles north of Northampton.
On your bikes!
From the visitor centre, head downhill towards the masts of the dinghies. At the main track around the reservoir you can turn right or left, as the circuit is signposted in both directions and there is
no obvious advantage one way or the other. The dam is at the western end of the circuit, close to the visitor centre; at the eastern end, the cycle trail uses the causeway across the water.
Station: Northampton or Kettering.
TIC: Northampton, 01604 367997.
Refreshments: Cafe at the visitor centre.
Other trails:
2 Brampton Valley Way
3 Market Harborough Arm: Grand Union Canal
4 Rutland Water
5 Leicester to Watermead Park
6 Ashby Woulds Moira Heritage Trail
7 Etwall to Derby
8 Cloud Trail, Derby
9 Derby to Elvaston Castle Country Park
10 Nutbrook Trail, Long Eaton
11 Shipley Country Park
12 River Trent through Nottingham
13 Southwell Trail
14 Newark to Cotham
15 Tissington Trail
16 Carsington Water
17 High Peak Trail
18 Monsal Trail
19 Five Pits Trail
20 Silverhill Trail
21 Pleasley Trails
22 Sherwood Pines Forest
23 Clumber Park
24 Worksop to Sherwood
25 Routes through Lincoln
26 Sett Valley Trail
27 Longdendale Trail
28 Upper Derwent Valley
29 Chesterfield Canal
WEST MIDLANDS
Stratford Greenway south-west of Stratford-upon-Avon
Finding the start of the trail will be your hardest task when you choose to explore this railway path, running south-west from Shakespeare’s Stratford and crossing the River Avon on a fine metal bridge. The trail soon runs past the racecourse and a bike hire centre, operating out of an old railway carriage. It is an easy, wide, flat trail that forms part of National Cycle Network Route 5 from Oxford to Birmingham. Renowned as the birthplace of Shakespeare, the well-preserved market town of Stratford-upon-Avon is a showcase of Tudor architecture, its broad streets lined with half-timbered houses.
Distance: 5 miles each way
Starting points & parking
- Stratford-upon-Avon. It is very hard to give detailed instructions to get to the car park at the start, on the southern edge of town. Follow signs for A4390 and Shipston-on-Stour to get to the roundabout where the trail starts.
- If coming from outside Stratford, it may be better to start from the Milcote car park about halfway along the trail on the minor road between Welford-on-Avon and Clifford Chambers.
On your bikes!
The trail ends after 5 miles at the industrial estate in Long Marston, but you will need to leave before the end if you wish to go to the pub in Long Marston: on your outward journey from Stratford, cross the road at Milcote car park, then at a house called Railway Cottage, by a line of telegraph poles, turn right signposted ‘Village shop and post office’. At the T-junction at the end of Wyre Lane, turn right for 200yds for the Masons Arms pub.
Station: Stratford.
TIC: Stratford, 01789 264293.
Refreshments: Cafe in railway carriage near the start. Cafe in railway carriage about halfway along (just after road crossing and second car park). Masons Arms pub, Long Marston (just off the route).
Other routes:
2 Routes through Worcester
3 Wyre Forest, west of Kidderminster
4 Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal: Stourport
5 Shropshire Woodlands (3 routes)
6 Worcester & Birmingham Canal: SW of Birmingham
7 Rea Valley Route
8 Birmingham & Fazeley Canal: E of Birmingham
9 Kingswinford Railway Walk
10 Birmingham Canal: Birmingham to Wolverhampton
11 Sutton Park
12 Silkin Way
13 Cannock Chase
14 Stafford to Newport Greenway
15 Salt Way
16 Trent & Mersey Canal: Stoke
17 Caldon Canal: East of Stoke
18 Biddulph Valley Way
19 Rudyard Lake
20 Churnet Valley Trail
21 Manifold Trail
NORTH-WEST
Whitegate Way east of Chester
There aren’t many cycle trails in the country that end at a salt mine, as the Whitegate Trail does just to the north of Winsford. The railway path is predominantly wooded through the cuttings with views across to arable farmland and pasture on the more open sections. As with so many of these railway paths, the Whitegate Way is at its best either in late spring/early summer when the young leaves are a fresh green and the verges and woodland are full of bright wildflowers, or in late autumn when the leaves are changing colour and the path is carpeted with all shades of yellow and red. The Whitegate Line was opened in 1870 to transport salt from the mines along the west bank of the River Weaver. The line closed in 1966. The old railway is now managed for maximum benefit of wildlife as well as providing an attractive environment for people to enjoy. Trees are coppiced in a traditional form of woodland management whereby the trees are cut down to ground level every 6 to 8 years. This encourages tremendous re-growth and provides useful timber for poles and logs.
Distance: 6 miles each way
Starting point & parking
The car park for the Whitegate Way is at Marton Green, to the north of the A54 between Kelsall and Winsford (about 10 miles west of M6, Jct 18). Turn onto Clay Lane, opposite a lane signposted ‘Budworth’. After 1 mile, just before a railway bridge, bear right downhill signposted ‘Whitegate Way’ for the car park.
On your bikes!
The route follows the course of the old railway so it is impossible to get lost. From the car park you can:
- Head east (turn right) for 3 miles until you reach the T-junction with the road by the salt mines.
- Head west (turn left) for 3 miles until you come to a huge railway bridge over the trail by Ravensclough Manor House in Cuddington. If you wish to visit the pub in Cuddington you will need to follow the lane for 1/2 mile then at the T-junction at the end of Waste Lane, turn right uphill for another 1/2 mile.
Station: Cuddington.
TIC: Nantwich, 01270 628633.
Refreshments: None on route. White Barn pub in Cuddington at the crossroads with the A49 at the top of a climb.
Other trails:
2 Delamere Forest
3 Chester to Hawarden Bridge
4 Shropshire Canal:
Chester to Ellesmere Port
5 Wirral Way: Hooton to West Kirby
6 North Wirral Coastal Park
7 Cheshire Lines Path
8 Liverpool Loopline
9 Otterspool Promenade alongside the Mersey
10 Saint Helen’s Canal, Widnes
11 Warrington to Altrincham
12 Tatton Park, north-west of Knutsford
13 Middlewood Way
14 Mersey River, South Manchester
15 Fallowfield Loopline
16 Salford Looplines, West Manchester
17 Irwell Sculpture Trail (Bury)
18 Blackpool Promenade
19 River Ribble & Cuerden Valley Park, Preston
20 Leeds & Liverpool Canal: Preston to Wigan
21 Canals & railway paths in Blackburn
22 Leeds & Liverpool Canal: Burnley to Barnoldswick
23 Gisburn Forest, north of Clitheroe
24 Morecambe Promenade
25 River Lune Millennium Park
26 Lancaster Canal: Carnforth to Lancaster
27 Grizedale Forest (6 routes)
28 Whitehaven to Workington
29 Whitehaven to Rowrah, West Cumbria
30 Ennerdale Water
31 Whinlatter Forest Park
32 Keswick Railway Path, Lake District
YORKSHIRE
Rother Valley Country Park south to Staveley
With its craft centre, exhibitions, cafe and plentiful wildfowl, Rother Valley Country Park is an ideal place to spend the day. At the centre of the park stands an historic complex of buildings based around Bedgreave Mill, now the visitor centre. The Green grade 3-mile circuit of the two lakes may be all the cycling that you want to do but if you are interested in other challenges there is a 3-mile Blue grade trail, a 3.4 mile Red grade trail and a dismantled railway on the western side of the lakes that runs 6 miles south from Beighton to Staveley through a mixture of wooded cuttings and open stretches with views out into the surrounding countryside. The ride forms part of the southern link of the Trans Pennine Trail from Barnsley through Sheffield to Chesterfield.
Distance: 3.2-mile Green grade trail
Starting point & parking
The Rother Valley Country Park Visitor Centre, 6 miles south-east of Sheffield. The closest motorway is M1, Jct 31.
On your bikes!
The railway trail to Staveley may be signposted as the Trans Pennine Trail, Route 6 or Route 67.
1. From the Rother Valley Country Park Visitor Centre, make your way to the lakeside and turn right (i.e. keep the water to your left). Pass between the two lakes and continue alongside the water.
2. You can either complete a circuit of the lake for a 3-mile ride OR for a link to the Trans Pennine Trail, when you reach a point opposite the Sailing Club (on the other side of the water), turn right
by a metal ‘National Cycle Network Route 67’ sign (NCN 67) and a Rother Valley Country Park information board to pass under a railway bridge, soon turning left and following ‘NCN 67’ signs towards Killamarsh.
3. After almost 3 miles pass around a barrier, descend beneath power lines then bear left uphill signposted ‘Chesterfield 7.5 miles’, soon passing under the A616 road bridge.
4. At a fork of tracks after 2 miles you can either turn around or, for a 4-mile extension to the route along the Chesterfield Canal, bear right by a low wooden post marked ‘Doorstep Ride’, ‘Trans Pennine Trail’. Go as far as Tapton Lock Visitor Centre then turn around.
Other routes:
2 Sheffield to Rotherham via the Five Weirs Walk
3 Wharncliffe Woods
4 Upper Don Trail from Penistone
5 Dove Valley Trail
6 Trans Pennine Trail from the Old Moor Wetlands Centre to Sprotbrough
7 Barnsley Canal
8 Spen Valley Greenway
9 Calder Valley Cycleway
10 Leeds & Liverpool Canal: Aire Valley, west of Leeds
11 Aire & Calder Navigation Towpath
12 Harland Way, south-east of Harrogate
13 York to Riccall Cyclepath
14 York north to Overton
15 Hudson Way: Beverley to Market Weighton
16 Hull to Hornsea Trail
17 Hull to South Holderness
18 Dalby Forest
19 The Cinder Track from Scarborough to Whitby
NORTH-EAST
Guisborough Forest south of Middlesbrough
This Forestry England holding stretches up the steep escarpment of the North York Moors to the south of the market town of Guisborough, once the ancient capital of Cleveland. This route combines a railway path trail with a tougher challenge in the hills. The railway path is flat with a good surface. The forest trail is steeper and mountain bikes are recommended.
Distance: Railway path - 3 miles each way
Starting point & parking
Pinchinthorpe Forest Visitor Centre, to the west of Guisborough, just south of the junction of the A173 with the A171. Guisborough is south-east of Middlesbrough.
On your bikes!
- From Pinchinthorpe Visitor Centre, go west along the railway for 2 miles (to its junction with the existing railway) or east along the railway path and up into Guisborough Woods.
- Blue route (Easy/Moderate, 4.5 miles) – follows forest roads and grass tracks with small climbs and descents.
Station: Nunthorpe, 1 mile west of the western end of the railway path.
TIC: Guisborough Forest Visitor Centre, 01287 631132.
Refreshments: Cafe at the Visitor Centre. Lots of choice in Guisborough.
Other routes:
2 Castle Eden Walkway, north-west of Stockton
3 Hart to Haswell Walkway, north of Hartlepool
4 Hamsterley Forest, south-west of Durham
5 Brandon and Bishop Auckland Way, south of Durham
6 Auckland Way, south of Durham
7 Deerness Valley Way, west of Durham
8 Lanchester Valley Way, north-west of Durham
9 Waskerley Way, south of Consett
10 Consett & Sunderland Railway Path
11 Derwent Walk, south-west of Newcastle
12 Keelman’s Way from Wylam
to Gateshead and Hebburn
13 Hadrian’s Cycleway from Prudhoe to Newcastle
WALES
Brunel Trail from Neyland to Haverfordwest
This ride is a gentle climb from the array of colourful yachts at Neyland Marina (north of Pembroke), up through the attractive broadleaf woodland of Westfield Pill Nature Reserve alongside the Daugleddau estuary, to Johnston. Beyond here, the trail follows an undulating path parallel to the railway to Merlin’s Bridge on the edge of Haverfordwest. The trail starts on the course of the Great Western Railway line, built between 1852 and 1856 under the direction of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the most famous of all Victorian engineers. Neyland developed after the opening of the line as the terminus of the Great Western Railway, initially attracting passenger ships bound for southern Ireland, although this trade ceased at the end of the 19th century. The village remained a busy fishing port until the middle of the 20th century. The Cleddau Bridge, a crucial road link between the south and north banks of the waterway, was opened in 1975, replacing the ferry that used to run between Neyland and Hobb’s Point.
Distance: 8 miles each way
Starting points & parking
- Car park at the end of Neyland Marina, just off the B4325 to the north of Pembroke Dock.
- Merlin’s Bridge (Caradog’s Well Road), off the roundabout at the junction of the A4076 and A487 on the south-west side of Haverfordwest.
Station: Pembroke Dock, Johnston or Haverfordwest.
TIC: Pembroke, 01437 776499.
Refreshments: In Neyland Marina, Johnston and Haverfordwest.
Other routes:
2 Canaston Woods, east of Haverfordwest
3 Llys-y-Frân Reservoir
4 Pembrey Country Park
5 Llanelli Millennium Coastal Park
6 Llanelli to Tumble, the Swiss Valley Trail
7 Llyn Llech Owain Country Park
8 Brechfa Forest, north-east of Carmarthen
9 Swansea Bikepath along the seafront
10 Swansea and the Clyne Valley
11 Swansea Canal, north-east of Swansea
12 Neath Canal, east of Swansea
13 Port Talbot: Bryn to Goytre
14 Neath Canal
15 Tondu to Pyle, north-west of Bridgend
16 Afan Argoed Countryside Centre
17 Ogmore Valley, north of Bridgend
18 Neath to Pontypridd High Level Route
19 The Taff Trail (1) Cardiff: Tongwynlais
20 The Taff Trail (2) Castell Coch: Glyntaff
21 The Taff Trail (3) Abercynon: Merthyr
22 Hengoed Viaduct to Trelewis
23 Sirhowy Country Park
24 Newport Canal (Fourteen Locks) to Crosskeys
25 Newport Canal (Fourteen Locks) to Pontypool
26 Pontypool to Blaenavon
27 Llanfoist to Govilon railway path
28 Cwm Darran Country Park
29 The Taff Trail (4) Merthyr Tydfil towards Pontsticill Reservoir
30 Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal north of Pontypool
31 The Taff Trail (5) Talybont Reservoir to Taf Fechan
32 Usk Reservoir
33 Claerwen Reservoir, west of Rhayader
34 Elan Valley Trail, west of Rhayader
35 Nant yr Arian Forest, east of Aberystwyth
36 Mawddach Trail, Dolgellau to Barmouth
37 Coed y Brenin Forest, north of Dolgellau
38 Caernarfon to Bryncir, Lôn Eifion
39 Caernarfon to Y Felinheli, Lôn Las Menai
40 Bangor to Tregarth, Lôn Las Ogwen
41 Lôn Las Cefni, Llangefni, Anglesey
42 Beddgelert Forest, north of Porthmadog
43 Colwyn Bay/Rhos-on-Sea to Prestatyn
44 Llyn Brenig Reservoir
45 Llandegla Forest, west of Wrexham
SCOTLAND
Glentrool Forest Dumfries & Galloway (three routes)
Glentrool is the westernmost of the 7stanes – seven centres of mountain biking excellence spread out across Southern Scotland. Five of the seven centres are located in Dumfries & Galloway, a sparsely populated and heavily forested region of South-West Scotland. For the most up-to-date information about Glentrool it is worth going to the 7stanes website at www.7stanesmountainbiking.com then click on ‘Glentrool’.
Starting point & parking
Glentrool Visitor Centre, off the A714 about 8 miles north of Newton Stewart. Turn off at Bargrennan and after passing through Glentrool take the right fork.
The rides
The Glen
Distance: 4 miles
Grade: easy
Waymarks: green
Follow the same gentle singletrack as the Blue route around the Pulnagashel Glen before dropping back down on forest tracks that lead back to the visitor centre.
Green Torr Blue Route
Distance: 6 miles
Grade: moderate
Waymarks: blue
The purpose-built singletrack is wider than the trails at nearby Kirroughtree and has none of the rocks and roots found there, so it should not prove intimidating to less experienced riders. It is not without its challenges though – it climbs 715ft (218m) to the Green Torr overlooking Loch Trool, before descending quickly back to the visitor centre.
Big Country Route CTC Ride
Distance: 36 miles
Grade: strenuous
Waymarks: purple
Unlike the other 7stanes trails, the whole of the route is on minor public and forest roads, without any singletrack. With magnificent views of lochs and hills contrasting with sheltered woodlands, and some testing climbs and big descents, it is a challenging but rewarding day out.
Station: Dumfries or Girvan.
TIC: Dumfries, 01387 253862.
Refreshments: At the Glentrool Visitor Centre (seasonal – call 0300 0676800 for opening times).
Other routes:
2 Glentrool to Gatehouse of Fleet, Loch & Glens Cycle Route
3 Kirroughtree Forest, east of Newton Stewart
4 Dalbeattie Forest, south-west of Dumfries
5 Mabie Forest, south of Dumfries
6 Forest of Ae, north of Dumfries
7 Drumlanrig Castle, north of Dumfries
8 Newcastleton Forest, south of Hawick
9 Glentress Forest, Peebles, Scottish Borders
10 Dalkieth to Penicuik, south of Edinburgh
11 Pencaitland Railway Walk, east of Edinburgh
12 Haddington to Longniddry, east of Edinburgh
13 Innocent Railway, east of Edinburgh
14 Water of Leith, south-west of Edinburgh
15 Newbridge to the Forth Road Bridge
16 Airdrie to Bathgate, east of Glasgow
17 Forest trail on the Isle of Arran
18 Johnstone to Kilbirnie
19 Johnstone to Greenock
20 Glasgow to Loch Lomond
21 Glasgow to Uddingston along the Clyde
22 Strathblane to Kirkintilloch
23 Forth & Clyde Canal, between Glasgow and Falkirk
24 Carron Valley Forest Trails, south-west of Stirling
25 Union Canal, west of Edinburgh
26 Dunfermline to Clackmannan, Fife
27 Aberfoyle to Callander, Trossachs
28 Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, Trossachs
29 Loch Katrine, Trossachs
30 Callander to Strathyre, Trossachs
31 Killin to Glen Ogle, north of Callander
32 Argyll Forest Park, Cowal Peninsula
33 Witch’s Trails near Fort William
34 Great Glen: Fort William to Gairlochy
35 Great Glen: Clunes to Kilfinnan
36 Great Glen: Oich Bridge to Fort Augustus
37 Great Glen: Fort Augustus to Drumnadrocchit
38 Laggan Wolftrax Forest Trails
39 Aviemore Forest Routes
40 Rothiemurchus Estate, east of Aviemore
41 Speyside Way, Craigellachie
42 Deeside Way, west of Aberdeen
43 Formartine & Buchan Way, north of Aberdeen
44 Scolty Trail, Banchory
45 Pitfichie & Kirkhill Trails, west of Aberdeen
46 Moray Monster Trails, in the Spey Valley
47 Learnie Red Rock Trails, Black Isle
48 Kyle of Sutherland Forest Trails, north of Inverness
49 Highland Wildcat Trails, Golspie, north-east Scotland
Photographs taken from the book © Nick Cotton, Howard Cotton, Chas Thursfield, Ralph Hughes, Tom Burslem, Mike Hams, John Coefield and Eve Kelly-Jones.
