Great video. I've seen little parts of that route when driving around. I did not realise it was a long old railway walk/cycle route. It's one now on my future radar. Thanks for the tour. Great video. 👍🏻👍🏻
Nice video. This is quite local to me and I regularly use parts of it in my rides as well as using the full length. Sections have been improved greatly over the last few years. It's well worth a visit. It can easily be combined with rides along the Trent and Mersey canal and also Caldon canal.
There are some great routes in North Staffordshire, lots of old railways and canals make for some nice cycling and I’m looking forward to doing some more routes in the area. Thanks for watching!
Another brilliant video. I’m from Kidsgrove so these are right up the road almost to me and I never even knew these existed 😮 This looks such a beautiful ride and one I’m definitely going to try. These are brilliant mate and I love the little bits of history about the train lines etc. you’ve definitely inspired me.
Thank you so much for this great video. The section from Chatterley Whitfield to Halls Road is my daily dog walking route. It's been great to see it from your perspective. 🚴♀️🚂🐾🐾😊
These videos are excellent, much better than looking at maps/Komoot etc when planning a ride,these films give you a turn by turn narration & some local history as well,this channel should be a lot bigger than it is! If I’m ever going cycling up that part of the country I’ll definitely be referring to these videos as a guide! Brilliant work, well done 👍🏻
Keep the ppps comments coming, really interesting stuff. I think I remember reading about the reverse line change here when researching for this video. Thanks again!
I used to live in Knypersley from 1955 to 1971 before moving to Yorkshire. First cycled and walked this route from Knypersley to Brunswick Wharf in 1968. Then did whole route in 1988 with my son and I did article in the Evening Sentinel later that year. The bridge at Brown Lees was in a dangerous condition and has ptrobably infilled. The embankment at Whitmore collapsed and temporarily blocked the A527 Biddulph to Congleton road causing traffic to be diverted over the original road to Congleton via Poolfold and Overton. Was the crossing keeper's cottage at Marsh Lane still there on your ride? My dad used to work at Chatterley Whitfield colliery until it's closure in 1977 and then helped to build the museum which won a national industrial archaeology award in 1982. Chatterley Whitfield tip was reprofiled to produce the new country park. Our 1988 route went straight along the railway route without the diversion you encountered. Wharf Road railway depot was used temporarily as as Biddulph Urban District Council depot right next to Wharf Lane car park in Biddulph. I used to work there for a while before moving to Yorkshire and later Manchester. As a child I used to watch the Fowler 4F steam locomotives shunt the sidings at Knypersley from our school playing field. My son and I did this route in 2 sections in 1988. Knypersley to Brunswick Wharf. Knypersley to Milton Junction on the Stoke to Leek line and actually walked to the former Milton Station approx half a mile towards Leek on that line. The station had become a nursery. There was a halt at Knypersley but it was dismantled in 1927 when passenger services ceased. Biddulph staion or Gillow Heath station as it was really called as Biddulph or Bradley Green as it was formerly called lay half a mile away. I hope this gives you and your channel followers some more info on the change of this route from railway to cycle/foot route. Incidentally I saw the last sand train steam hauled in 1967. P.p.s. Biddulph/Gillow Heath station had extensive sidings, a goods shed and provender store shed and unusully tall signsl box the other side of the station level crossing. P.p.p.s. The aqueduct carrying the Macclesfield Canal over this railway between Whitemore and Brunswick Wharf was the scene of a fatal railway accident when a train derailed here causing the steam locomotive to strike the acqueduct abbuttments and it's boiler exlpode. There were signal boxes and stations at Ford Green and Victoria Colliery/Brindley Ford. All gone now. Sorry if I've rambled on a bit but your video brougjt back so many memories. I now live in Essex, my son in Northern Ireland.. Happy exploring! John
Thanks so much for all your insights and local knowledge on this! I find these types of route so interesting as it really wasn’t long ago they were train lines and they have often transformed so quickly to other uses. I can’t remember seeing g the keepers cottage at marsh lane but doesn’t mean it isn’t there still! Really interesting comment thank you!
