# Trans Pennine Trail: Southport to Manchester



## Chorlton (Jul 3, 2006)

so i thought i would do something a little different this weekend, me and a friend cycled into town and got the 07:05 train to southport with the aim of cycling back along the trans pennine trail - i figured it would be about 55 miles, the clock showed 60 miles at the end and that didn't include the trip into town

Southport was beautiful starting at the coast and then riding on cyle paths on road before hitting some large open plains on to sefton - we got lost around aintree - we followed the sign bu it took us along a canal path, that didn't feel right, so we left and rode up through the race course and rejoined the proper path...

this was the ace bit - the ride from aintree through liverpool down to speke was superb, i think it used to be trainline, but it was a great ride - perhaps lacking a view, but the trees and bridges kept us shaded.

Speke was a bit confusing, and a lot of broken glass - and one dodge looking underpass and loads of kids on wee scrambler bikes.

then suddenly into a ridiculously picturesque area, Hale, but at this point you have to ride on the road, down to widnes before hitting path again and coming down to the banks of the mersey

follow the mersey down to spike island and a rest in the shade - in the entire day we *each* drank

4l of water
1.5l of lucozade
1.5l of powerade
4 pints of coke

after a break it was onto warrington - the heat was becoming quite unbearable and at this point it was really beggining to hurt a lot, we were coming up to the 40mile mark, and i was riding with a rucksack that was breaking my shoulders.

Out of warrington and onto lymm, lymm to altrincham where we had to stop for pub lunch and pints of coke - i was in serious pain at this point, but a bit of food and it was back on the bike Altrincham, to stretford and we were back by the mersey, followed the mersey to stretford, where we were back on home turf, leave the mersey and ride into stretford, before leaving the road again to ride down into chorlton Ees and back home


A really fantastic day out, as i type i still have pins and needles in my hands and don't have full feeling back - i really need to get bar-ends for my bike. But it was worth it - a really great way to see the country.


We have talked about the remainder of the journey, manchester to Hull, but i honestly don't know whether i could do it - has anyone here done it? the hills scare me - the joy about southport to manchester was that it was so flat - hills would have destroyed me.


anyone else done it?


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## snouty warthog (Jul 10, 2006)

Really enjoyed reading this, Chorlton. I din't know the TPT went all the way from Southport... that's a cool idea for a day out.

Manchester to Hull I don't know about- I was briefly living out at Crowden this year, in Glossop*, they have the Longdendale trail there, which goes through the Pennines from Hadfield to Penistone, and possibly further... the amazing thing is that it is incredibly flat, as it's on an old railway line- It just snakes around the hills... not that I ever went anywhere- just the five miles into Hadfield (also known as Royston Vasey(!)) for a pint of milk and some smokes...

I don't know if the TPT is the same- I do recall seeing a sign for it, but that's about all... however, I do recommend the Longdendale Trail if you fancy it...

*now back in "sunny" Burnage... actually, it _is _pretty sunny right now... no wait... no, it's gone...


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## soulman (Aug 6, 2006)

Done parts of it, on foot and cycling, but not 60 miles in a day. More info on the  Trans Pennine Trail here - http://www.transpenninetrail.org.uk/


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## Wookey (Aug 6, 2006)

I also enjoyed reading that! 

I just need to get a thingy*, and I could join you!







*bike


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## Winkybag (Aug 6, 2006)

Wow... That sounds excellent, and I have a bike   Keep posting up details of lanned trips: a real-life urban adventure could be on the cards.


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## rosa (Aug 11, 2006)

The trans pennine trail runs by my house. i used to use it as a very pleasant shortcut to the shops until someone told me how many people have been attacked walking along it.


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## snouty warthog (Aug 11, 2006)

that is really interesting, Rosa... to add a brief comment, I bought a car when I was living out there (Crowden/Hadfield). I left it in a small carpark on the TPT for about an hour, in daylight... mine was the only car in the park. When I got back, someone had drilled through the locks in the boot, and the passenger side, stolen the spare tire and me jumper...   (where's me jumper?!)

there's definitely some organised people working up there. I was always safe on me bike trip into Hadfield though. and I'd say weekends are safe, if anyone's worried about that, cos there's a lot of people about...


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## tangerinedream (Aug 11, 2006)

A really nice ride is from Wigan to Southport, going up towards preston and riding round the edge of the Ribble estuary round to Southport then out to Ormskirk and up to Wigan again. That's about 30 miles I think and it's flat and deserted (at least round the estuary part)


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## soulman (Aug 13, 2006)

Sounds good got a route?


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## tangerinedream (Aug 13, 2006)

soulman said:
			
		

> Sounds good got a route?



Can talk you through it roughly. 

Go from Wigan centre up Wigan Lane, through Standish, acroos Junction 28(or is it 27) of M6 towards Parbold Hill - Before getting there (just after Wrightington Hospital) turn right and head toward Mawdsley. Ride as far towards Preston as you can before reaching the river and then turn left and follow the coastal roads round the estuary to southport, explore little lanes and stuff at you lesuire. Then ride from Southport to Ormskirk (boring duel carrageway type roads) before finding the Leeds to Liverpool canal somewhere near Ormskirk and follow that back to Wigan Centre. 

It's easy enough with any road atlas.


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## Chorlton (Aug 18, 2006)

rosa said:
			
		

> The trans pennine trail runs by my house. i used to use it as a very pleasant shortcut to the shops until someone told me how many people have been attacked walking along it.




there were police on mountain bikes at around about (i think) west derby

the place that looked the dodgiest was defniately speke tho


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## soulman (Sep 5, 2006)

Chorlton said:
			
		

> there were police on mountain bikes at around about (i think) west derby
> 
> the place that looked the dodgiest was defniately speke tho



dodgiest in what sense. kids on bikes...


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## Chorlton (Sep 5, 2006)

soulman said:
			
		

> dodgiest in what sense. kids on bikes...



a sea of broken glass - a pretty intimidating underpass, lots of burnt out stuff and the usual - being that the england portugal game was on at the time there was no-one around - it was very 28 days later


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## soulman (Sep 7, 2006)

yeah that's speke. one of the largest council estates around. while liverpool airport receives finance speke and garston is either bought up or left to rot until the developers can buy at a knockdown price. That's prime land now.


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## Chorlton (Sep 7, 2006)

yet it is right beside the ridiculous thatched cottages of hale - i have never (in england) seen such disparity so close


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