Taff Trail cycle route overall rating: ⭐⭐ The Taff Trail runs from Cardiff Bay to Brecon. The route as shown on the map below starts at Cardiff Central train station, and there are various other train stations along the route. Because the Taff Trail officially starts in Cardiff Bay, I added a section from the […]
Two Rivers Cycleway
Two Rivers Cycleway Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ The Two Rivers Cycleway runs from the mouth of the river Wear at Sunderland to near the mouth of the river Tyne in South Shields. It is the route of NCN 1, too. The route is about 8 miles long. Getting there There are metro stations near the endpoints […]
Consett & Sunderland Railway Path
Consett & Sunderland Railway Path Overall Rating: ⭐⭐ The Consett and Sunderland railway path, as the name suggests, is a former railway line which was the Stanhope and Tyne railway. It is also the route of NCN 7 which forms part of the long distance Coast 2 Coast route which runs from Whitehaven in Cumbria […]
Escape The City
Overall Route Rating: ⭐⭐ Escape The City is a route that runs from the Thames, up the Lee valley, all the way to the Hertford East train station. It is a 31 miles route that can be rough in places. Some of the route is on shared pavements along fast A-roads. In various places, the […]
Brampton Valley Way traffic-free cycle route
Brampton Valley Way Overall Rating: ⭐⭐ The Brampton Valley Way is another rail trail. Stretching for 18.6 miles, from Northampton to Market Harborough. The route as show on the map below ends at the Market Harborough train station, and it’s possible to catch a train back to Northampton, but that goes via Milton Keynes and […]
Hayling Billy Line traffic-free cycle route
Hayling Billy Line cycle route overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐ The Hayling Billy Line mostly follows the path of a disused railway, from Havant onto Hayling Island, South East Hampshire. It’s quite a short route, at just 5.6 miles, and that includes a short stretch on quiet lanes, to end at the Inn On The Beach. If […]
Lagan and Lough Cycleway cycle route
Lagan and Lough Cycleway overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐ The Lagan and Lough Cycleway is a (mostly) traffic-free route, running from Jordanstown, though Belfast, to Lisburn. There are some segments along busier roads, but on shared pavements alongside the road. There are also several short segments along (normally) quiet roads. The route shown on the map has […]
Lincoln to Fledborough cycle route
Lincoln to Fledborough Cycle Route Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ Cycle from the heart of Lincoln to Fledborough, along a Roman towpath, then a disused railway. This traffic-free route of 11.6 miles is perfectly flat, and can be combined with the Water Railway for a nice day out. Credit to Dan for the photo and some of […]
The Water Railway traffic-free cycle route
Water Railway Cycle Route Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ The Water Railway is a traffic-free cycle route of 16 miles, linking Lincoln with Kirkstead. It was built on the course of a disused railway, from which it got the name. The trail is sandwiched between the river Witham and the South Delph drain. The route as shown […]
Lon Eifion Cycleway
Lon Eifion Cycleway is a 12.5 mile traffic-free route, running from Caernarfon to Bryncir. Offering a range of views, from rich woodland to spectacular mountains (at one point you can see Snowdon) it is cycling heaven. Disappointingly, there is no café of pub at the end, in Bryncir. The name simply means Eifion’s Lane. The […]
Grand Union Canal – Paddington Branch
Originally built to link Paddington with the Grans Union Canal, the Paddington Branch is 13.5 miles long, and offers surprisingly serene cycling in the heart of London. It can get very busy at times, and further along can get rather narrow. Of course, when the Paddington Branch meets the main Grand Union Canal, you can […]
Tissington Trail Traffic-free Cycle Route
Tissington Trail cycle route overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐ The Tissington Trail is a disused railway in Derbyshire, and is now a traffic-free cycle path. It follows the route of the old Buxton to Ashbourne railway line, which opened in 1899. Stretching for almost 17 miles, from Ashbourne to Pomeroy, the route offers Victorian railway heritage in […]
High Peak Trail cycle route
High Peak Trail cycle route overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐ The High Peak Trail is an 18 mile traffic-free cycling route that follows the course of the old Cromford and High Peak Railway. Normally, trails along disused railway lines have gentle gradients, and most of the High Peak Trail is either flat, or has a very gentle […]
Peak Forest & Ashton Canals
Stretching for 14 miles from Marple into the centre of Manchester, the Peak Forest Canal and Ashton Canal combine to form a delightful traffic-free route. As you’d expect from a canal towpath route, it’s mainly flat, but do take care at several of the bridges where you need to cross the Peak Forest Canal. They’re […]
The Cinder Track
The Cinder Track runs for 21 miles, from Scarborough to Whitby, along a disused railway line. As with most disused railway lines, it’s quite flat. The Cinder Track got its name because the track ballast was made from cinders, rather than the usual crushed stone. The start and end of the route shown on the […]
Basingstoke Canal – Saturn Trail
The Saturn Trail is a 9 mile trail along the Basingstoke Canal towpath, in Woking, Surrey.It’s a largely a straight line trail, and as you’d expect from a canal towpath, flat but with gentle increase in height east to west. It is secluded and peaceful, passing houseboats, locks and wildlife. To the east it begins […]
Bowes Railway Path
The Bowes line is an old railway, which like many others in north East England was built by George Stephenson. It originally ran to carry coal from collieries around Dipton in County Durham down to ships moored on the Tyne in Jarrow. Most of it is now a walking and cycling route which runs from […]
Port Talbot to Kidwelly
Part of the Celtic Trail, the 34 miles of mostly traffic-free cycling between Port Talbot and Kidwelly is cycling bliss. Just be aware from the outset that it isn’t a continuous traffic-free ride – there are segments on shared pavements, short sections on quieter urban roads, and some parts on quiet rural lanes. The route […]
Prestatyn to Rhos-on-Sea
This stunning and mainly flat route of 15.2 miles winds its way from Prestatyn to Rhos-on-Sea, almost entirely traffic-free. I started the route on the map at Prestatyn train station, and ended it just past the Colwyn Bay station. That allows you the option of cycling it one way, and returning by train. Just do […]
New traffic-free cycling route guides?
Isn’t WillCycle all about cycle touring? WillCycle has a strong focus on cycle camping and cycle touring, but the site isn’t limited to just those two subjects. Many posts deal with related topics, such as navigation, while others deal with climate change. Traffic-free cycling is blissful cycling I’ve cycled on roads in London, and several […]
