Great Bike Rides from Rail Stations in the North

Chinley

Note there is no step-free access to this station.

From the station, take Green Lane down the hill from Chinley towards Whitehouse where there is a bridleway following the river. Follow this through to the old canal wharves at Bugsworth Basin, and you will come to the junction with the Peak Forest canal, just north of Whaley Bridge. This is your traffic-freeway to Manchester. Turn right to head north and it will take you through New Mills (where the Pennine Cycleway crosses on its way up to Glossop to meet up with the Trans-Pennine Trail) and the stupendous flight of locks at Marple (where you are not far from the railway path to Macclesfield, NCN route 55 - pick it up at Rose Hill station )

The Connect2 scheme at Chadkirk offers an opportunity to link in to Manchester via Stockport or towards Sheffield.

Heading east, a short trip along the B6062 will get you to New Smith where you can get on minor roads to explore the Slackhall area and if you make the climb up to the former Chestnut Centre you can make your way via Rushup Edge and a challenging mountain bike ride over Chapel Gate to Edale and the Hope Valley.

For Road Cyclists, from Chinley you can access the Goyt Valley, via the Long Hill or Pym's Chair climbs. Also within an hour would be the Brickworks climb.

Dent

As the highest main line station in England, it is possible to do some downhill cycling! There is also some stunning (and challenging) Mountain Biking available - you could try the route over to Ribblehead for a start. From Dent Village (about 4 miles, at first steeply downhill from Dent Station) turn left towards Ingleton and follow the Pennine Cycleway to Settle Market Place. A challenging but rewarding cycle. Note that the road to the south side of the River Dee is a more pleasant route to Dent village than the one to the north - which is not exactly the M6 but does get some traffic. 

Dore and Totley

(i) Ecclesall Woods. Turn right out of the Station Car Park and travel along Abbeydale Rd (can be busy) for about half a mile. Near the Miniature Railway you will see a signpost for a bridleway. Take this and you can do a loop of this beautiful ancient woodland (suitable for MTB's or Hybrids) or follow the bridleway up to Limb Lane. Turn right here and at the junction with Ecclesall Road South, cross the road and look for the bridleway at the side of Whinfell Quarry Gardens which, steep and rough at first, will take you over to Ringinglow (MTB recommended). Download GPX File

(ii) MTB route. Turn left out of the station car park and cross Abbeydale Rd (can be busy)   There is a bridleway that will take you up to Cavendish Rd, turn left onto Ashfurlong Rd which becomes Burlington Rd, then veer left onto Gilleyfield Ave, then right onto Bushey Wood Rd which becomes Savage Lane.  L. Vicarage Lane, becoming  Church Lne then Old Hay Lane. At the bottom of valley turn left  onto Penny Lane. Save the Cricket Inn until later, and at the top turn onto Strawberry Lee Lane, clearly the flipside of Penny Lane if you're a Beatles fan. Follow the lane along and it will bring you onto Blackamoor. You can continue on bridleways up to Fox House. For a circular route, take Houndkirk Lane (very rough) to Ringinglow, cycle down Ringinglow Rd to the Bridleway close to Bent Green school (Castle Dyke) take this down to Whirlow, cross Ecclesall Rd, take Limb Lane to the top of the Ecclesall Woods bridleway, enjoy the downhill, cross the bridge and follow signs to Abbeydale Rd, and you emerge very close to Dore Station (to your right) again.

To extend this a bit further, on arrival at Ringinglow by the roundhouse, turn left then first right (with care) Take the sign-posted cycle route at Porter Clough. Take the MTB option a little further down to your left, then follow to Forge Dam. Here there is a Bridleway to your right that will take you up to Bents Green. Here you can join the Bridleway to Whirlow as described above. Download GPX File

(iii) Dore Village. Cross Abbeydale Road by the pedestrian crossing, then turn left and walk a short way along the pavement. There is a bridleway that will take you up to Cavendish Rd, turn left onto Ashfurlong Rd which becomes Burlington Rd, then veer left onto Gilleyfield Ave, then right onto Bushey Wood Rd which becomes Savage Lane and you're there without having to negotiate busy Dore Rd. 

Dronfield

Dronfield is a useful station from which to access the Peak District. 

From the station, take Lea Rd over the bridge at the north end of the station, then turn right onto Cross Lane, then right onto Gomersal Lane,and left onto Gosforth Lane. This takes you to a bridge over the A61 bypass and suddenly you're in the country! Turn left for a downhill run to Commonside, near Barlow - one option here is to link up with the SheffieldCycleRoute to Derby.

There are also new bridleways at Unstone that link up to the Peak District. 

Edale

Edale puts you in the heart of the Peak District. From here you're not far off a great route between Sheffield and Manchester with plenty of options.

Mountain Bikers might like to head up Jacob's ladder and emerge at Hayfield, where there's a railway path down to New Mills - following the route that the Kinder Trespassers took in 1932. The bridleway across to Castleton also seems to be popular.

For Road Cyclists, Edale provides access to Mam Nick - a classic climb - and a popular route is via  Peak Forest to  return to Sheffield via Tideswell & Eyam (short route) or Millers Dale  and Great Longstone (longer route) or wherever you might be heading.

Garsdale

Not for the faint-hearted, but you can try out part of the Tour De France route from Garsdale Station - Take the A684 through Hawes and Aysgarth, then turn right for the B6160 through Buckden and Kettlewell. At Threshfield turn right for the B6265 to Skipton. The TdeF route continues through to Ilkley and beyond but this is on a busier road that was closed for the Tour that we can't recommend. 

For a quieter tour of the Dales, turn right at Hawes for Gayle, passing the Creamery and take Beggarmans Road across the top to Buckden and Kettlewell. (It is a steep climb) At Kettlewell, stay on the east side of the river and take the (very minor) road through to Grassington. Follow the B6160 to Hebden, take a right and head down the hill. Pass above the rooftops of Buckden and turn right at Hartlington, heading for Appletreewick which has two excellent pubs. Turn right on Stangs Lane for Barden, and you'll pass the back door to busy Bolton Abbey. Some stiff climbs follow here and you will be spat out on the A59, which is far from cycle-friendly - either grit teeth and let the bike have its head or take a more cautious path route along the footpath with a section of the old road. Either way, don't miss the left turn for Beamsley, which will take you through to Ilkley for fast modern Northern electric trains to either Bradford or Leeds. 

Halifax 

Turn left out of the station and a short trip down South Parade and Shay Syke will get you on a traffic-free path that follows the route of disused canal. This links at Salterhebble with NCN66 - head west for the Calder Valley - Sowerby Bridge, Hebden Bridge and Rochdale. Eastwards you can get to Brighouse but there's a gap between there and Mirfield. (You could take the train) 

Hebden Bridge 

As you leave the station you will come across signs for National Cycle Network route 66. Turn Right for Sowerby Bridge, or left for Rochdale.  NCN68, the Pennine Cycleway, also passes through Hebden. 

Huddersfield

Out of the Station, turn left past the George and follow the signs to get onto Route 66. The signed route will get you as far as Dewsbury and you can then follow NCN699 through Ossett and towards Wakefield on the  NCN69 Rhubarb Route (see below) or head north on the Spen Valley route towards Bradford. This is the route we took on April 21 2010 for the Northern Rail Bike Ride

Ilkeston

This is a new station on the Leeds - Sheffield - Nottingham route and is managed by East Midlands Trains. There is access to the Nutbrook Trail by leaving the station via the drop-off point. A short trip up Station Rd leads to the canal, a link off route 67, but the access to the canal is by steep steps. An alternative route is via a footpath off Wentworth Rd. It will take you about half an hour to cycle up the towpath to Langley Mill. If you head south you can reach Trent Junction, Nottingham or Derby. 

Just opened is the Bennerley Viaduct, formerly part of the Nottm Victoria to Derby Friargate line  and located just north of Ilkeston. As of January 2022 the ramp at the eastern end isn't finished yet, but when it is will open more exciting opportunities for cyclists. At the moment there are 62 steps to negotiate.  

Irlam 

Irlam is on the Manchester - LIverpool (via Warrington) line and roughly the halfway point on this ride. The station has had a major refurbishment and is now a cafe/bar and meeting centre. It is close to Chat Moss, notorious for the engineering challenge posed to the Liverpool - Manchester railway built by George Stephenson (which is the line further north of Irlam) A Chat Moss cycleway is planned  - at present you can access the Moss from Astley Road, a few hundred yards to the north along Liverpool Rd. It is possible to make your way up to NCN55 via Rindle Road and Astley, joining the guided busway between Leigh and Eccles for Manchester. 

Note that there is no step-free access on the westbound platform at Irlam, but there is on the eastbound platform and having got down the steps on the westbound side you can make your way to the station building and eastbound platform on-road.  Download GPX File.

Kirkstall Forge

This station is served by Northern Electrics on the Leeds - Ilkley run (you'd need to change for Skipton). Access to NCN66 is on the west side with a good quality path leading to the Leeds-Liverpool towpath.

Langley Mill

View Langley Mill to Derby in a large map.

Langley Mill came to the fore during the closure of Nottingham station in 2013, as the cycling railhead for Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. 

Leaving the station from the southbound platform, turn left and you will find the Cromford canal basin not far along the road. Head south (the navigable canal ends here so you can't really go north, although there is a section between Ambergate and Cromford Mill open as well) and although a little bumpy at first the towpath becomes NCN67 and the surface improves. At Long Eaton NCN6 crosses - head east for Nottingham or West for Derby, both interesting rides. If you continue along the canal you will arrive at Trent Lock, a remarkable place where the Derwent, Trent and Soar rivers and the Cromford and Cranfleet canals meet. 

Alternatively, when you get to the NCN67 signs along the canal, turn around and follow them north. This will take you to Shipley Country Park, a pleasant area reclaimed from coal mining in the heart of DH Lawrence country. Unfortunately 67 ends here, although it starts again in Chesterfield as the Trans Pennine Trail. You can also make your way over to Derby in this direction, although some of the roads are quite busy, but you will reach NCN54 at Chaddesden and that links up with local route 66, (yes the signposts do have the US Highways shield), which in turn links with the other excellent bike routes in the city. 

If you do Langley Mill - Long Eaton - Derby - Langley Mill, you will have had a memorable ride! Into wild swimming? Anchor Church at Ingleby is accessible from the NCN south of Derby.

Leeds

Not traditionally a cycle-friendly city, Leeds is increasingly becoming more so.  Head under the railway viaducts on Neville St for the main cycle routes - turn right for Leeds-Liverpool towpath towards Bradford & Skipton (recently re-surfaced) or left for the Trans-Pennine Trail towards Wakefield, Barnsley & Sheffield.   A network of local routes is being developed and the southern access from the station makes it a lot easier to access the NCN routes. 

The Bradford- Leeds Cycling Superhighway, whilst it has some shortcomings, has made cycling between the two cities much safer and more pleasant. From Leeds city centre people travelling by bike can pick up the western section of the route from Wellington Street. The eastern section from Leeds city centre can be accessed from York Street, where people can cycle on a segregated route to Seacroft.  

Lincoln

The city sits on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wold and looks out on the Fens, both excellent areas for cycling in their own ways. The Water-Rail Way, part of NCN1 is accessible by turning right out of the station and following the signs. In a northerly direction, NCN1 will take you across the Wolds and on towards Hull. 

Low Moor

This is a new station on the Huddersfield - Bradford - Leeds route. There is direct (stepped) access to the Spen Valley Greenway from the station - turning left will bring you down into Bradford, turning right will take you down to Dewsbury and the Calder Valley. 

Macclesfield

NCN Route 55 passes the station entrance. Heading north will take you up the Middlewood Way to Rose Hill and Romiley while the route winds south through Cheshire towards Congleton.

Manchester 

Manchester was dubbed "Cottonopolis" and "Warehouse City" during the Victorian era. Now it is one of the UK’s foremost cycling cities. 

From the station, turn right for the start of Route 66. This will take you past the Velodrome, through Ancoats and out towards Rochdale & Hebden Bridge.

Other cycle routes of note in Manchester are:

Manchester Cycleway (NCN6)

Trans-Pennine Trail (NCN62)

Ironbridge to Preston (NCN55)

Oxford Road and Deansgate are close to Castlefields, the junction of the Manchester canal network - the Bridgewater Canal has been recently resurfaced and will take you past the Man U. ground through a gritty urban landscape to the leafy suburbs.  Click here for a fascinating ride through West Manchester.

Meadowhall

Despite it's highly urbanised location, Meadowhall is at the crossroads of a number of important cycle routes, many of which are on the NCN. Routes 6 & 67, including the Chapeltown Greenway for routes to Penistone, Manchester, Barnsley, Leeds, York & Hull amongst others, the Five Weirs Walk leading back into Sheffield City Centre, and the canal towpath for Rotherham and the canal network beyond, or an alternative route back to Sheffield.

Mirfield

National Cycle Network route 66 runs past the station. Head West for Huddersfield and or East towards Dewsbury. At Ravensthorpe you can head towards Bradford on the Spen Valley Greenway, crossing the superb Manchester Road bridge, a Connect2 project, on the way. You can also connect to NCN699, the Ossett Greenway, an interesting rail trail which will  give you access to Wakefield via quieter roads and an off-road route from Horbury. 

Reddish North

To get onto the Manchester Cycleway(Fallowfield Loop) turn right out of the Southern entrance to the station and follow Station Rd for about a quarter of a mile. A road bridge goes over the cycleway with access paths.  Right takes you north towards the National Cycling Centre:  Left is South and West via Fallowfield.

New Mills Central & Newtown

Note there is no step-free access to the west-bound platform at New Mills Central. 

If you are looking for an interesting (and challenging!) ride why not go to New Mills Central.  Road to canal near Newtown station follow towpath to Whaley Bridge, then up the inclined plane (Cromford & High Peak railway this time), or the road parallel, join the Pennine Cycle Way (PCW) to Elnor Lane Farm, descend to A5004 crossing at Fernilee, few yards along main road towards Buxton and take track on right down to reservoirs in Goyt Valley. Follow waterside path and later road and CLIMB up to Derbyshire Bridge. On moorland at top keep going until you reach the old Cat & Fiddle road (track) go left and descend to Buxton on track. Go through Buxton to Fairfield Common (A6 north), then lanes on east of A6, perhaps as far east as Upper End if you wish. The road from Upper End to Dove Holes encounters the remains of the Peak Forest Tramway (tramway built to carry limestone down to Peak Forest Canal at Bugsworth Basin) just before A6. You can follow it (probably best on foot as it is a public footpath) to the east of the village until PF Tramway crosses under A6 after last houses. Easier to cycle to A6 near Dove Holes Station, cross A6, uphill and ride on lanes to Chapel. On the long steep descent down Ashbourne Lane the remains of the Tramway Inclined Plane are on your right behind the wall. At Chapel, cross main road and follow Hayfield Road to Chinley (trains back to Sheffield or Manchester) and on to Buxworth, left for the Bugsworth (old spelling) Basin and canal towpath back to New Mills. Or if you are not adventurous just follow PCW back from Buxton to Chinley / New Mills - it passes through New Mills.

Another Great Ride from New Mills follows the disused railway line to Hayfield, once a lifeline for the millworkers of Manchester. Enjoy some refreshments and cycle back, or continue north on-road towards Glossop and the Trans Pennine Trail.

A Sheffield to Manchester route passes through New Mills.

For Road Cyclists,  New Mills gives access to Lyme Park.

Nottingham

Linked to the Northern network by the Leeds-Sheffield-Nottingham semi-fast service, Nottingham has long been synonymous with cycling. Take to the Canal towpath, adjacent to the station, for interesting rides to Beeston, Attenborough, & Trent Bridge, where you can head north along the Erewash Canal, past the enormous Toton locomotive depot as far as Langley Mill, where East Midlands Trains or Northern (no reservations required for Northern but are recommended for East Mids) can pick you up and take you back to Nottingham, or on to Chesterfield and Sheffield. The Erewash Canal at one time connected with the Cromford Canal, which still exists between Ambergate (once a significant railway junction) and Cromford Wharf which is not far from Matlock (but that's another story) 

Penistone

Leave the station via the available access points for the Trans-Pennine Trail towards Dunford Bridge & Hadfield, Barnsley or Sheffield via Grenoside. 

Romiley

This station on the Sheffield  - Manchester stopping services line ("Hope Valley")is convenient for NCN55, which just south of the station becomes the Middlewood Way. Coming out of the station you'll see the sign for Route 55 down Beech Lane - follow this via Chadkirk & Vale Road and you'll see the trail go off to the left (pesky access barriers) This takes you over the Goyt via a new bridge that is a really useful Connect2 scheme - try any other route between Romiley and Marple and you'll appreciate the beauty of it! Up the other side past the school and you come out near Rose Hill station which of course is the start of the Middlewood Way, off-road all the way to Macclesfield. Enjoy!

Rotherham.

NCN6 passes the station. Head along the riverside for a flat, traffic-free trail to Meadowhall and Sheffield, continuing into the Peak District with lots of route choices available, or through the town centre to head for Rother Valley Country Park, Worksop, Nottingham and beyond. 

Saltaire

Take to the adjacent canal towpath for a traffic-free ride back to Leeds, or on towards Skipton via the spectacular Bingley Five-Rise locks. Bumpy in places

Settle

Here is a route back to Leeds from Settle (Bradford is easily accessible from Shipley)