Route Overview
| Distance | At only 1.7 miles, this route is perfect for kids. |
|---|---|
| Surface | The surface is sealed throughout. |
| Suitable Bikes | Any type of bike, including trikes and cargo bikes can be used along this route. |
| Barriers | There are no barriers on the route at all. |
No, not that Central Park. This route runs through Central Park, in Plymouth. The land that forms Central Park is held in trust, and may only be used for leisure facilities, for the people of Plymouth. Started in 1928, and formally opened in 1931, despite what the local legend says, Plymouth’s Central Park isn’t older than that in New York.
The route shown on the map below is simply one of many options for cycling through Central Park. It does skirt the edge of the car park, so extra care is needed when cycling with very young kids.
Central Park cycle route overall rating:
(Colour explanation: blue = good, yellow indicates some warning, and red indicates issues to be aware of)
Surface on the route
This route is tarred throughout, and while it can be a bit bumpy in a few places, overall it’s very good.
Refreshments
There are two cafés – one in the Life Centre, and the Meadow Café by the roundabout.
Bikes
You can use any type of bike on this route.
Toilets
There are toilets in the Life Centre.
Hilliness
While not completely flat (there’s a mild gradient up from the duck pond) overall the route is flate.
Safety from traffic
The entire route is traffic-free.
Points of Interest
Spend some time at Ravenscar, looking at the town that never was.
Routes in Devon
- Dart Valley Cycleway
- DayCycle – A Redlake adventure
- DayCycle – Dawlish to Exeter St Davids
- DayCycle – Grand Western Canal
- DayCycle – Tarka Trail
- Exmouth to Budleigh Salterton
- Family-friendly Cycling on Drake’s Trail
- Family-friendly Cycling On The Granite Way
- Nun’s Cross Trail cycle route
- Princetown Railway traffic-free cycle route
- Saltram Loop traffic-free cycle route
- Tarka Trail – Barnstaple to Braunton
- Tarka Trail – Ilfracombe to Willingcott
- The Exe Estuary cycle route to Exmouth
- The Wray Valley Trail
Barriers
There aren’t any barriers along this route.
Cycle Hire
There are Beryl bikes for hire by the Life Centre.
Child friendliness
This route is very child-friendly. However, on sunny summer days it can get very busy.
Social safety
The route isn’t isolated at all, and during the day there will be plenty of people about.
Weather forecast for Central Park
What the route looks like
Getting to Central Park
While it is possible to get to Central Park from the train station (which is nearby) doing so involves either riding on a busy road, or taking quite a circuiteous routes. Neither option is appealing when cycling with especially younger kids.
As ever, read my Bikes On Trains guide for useful and helpful tips for taking your bike on the train.
Parking at Central Park
There is a free Park and Ride car park at Central Park, but do keep an eye on Plymouth Argyle matches. When there’s a home game on, there will be no parking anywhere nearby.
More Routes
To find more routes, click this link.
DayCycle
DayCycle routes are routes that can can easily be cycled by most people in a day, or part of a day. Do have a look at all the other DayCycle routes available on WillCycle.
Central Park cycle route interactive map
You can download the GPX file from the map below, simply by clicking the GPX button. Hovering over the elevation profile will show the elevation for that point along the route, in both metres and feet. It will also show the gradient.
If viewing the map on your phone, you will also see a Find Me, Navigate and Record Route button, below the map. WillCyclers can have voice turn-by-turn navigation of the route, and participate in any treasure hunts, or Fairy Trails that may be active along the route.
And finally…
If this route guide was of use to you, it will be of use to others, too. Don’t keep it secret! Share it with everyone, on social media, in Facebook Groups, on chat forums, and elsewhere.