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Bike
Rides Around Bury - half day rides on quiet roads and tracks
in Bury Foldout map of
half day rides on quiet roads and tracks in the Bury area including routes to Middleton, Prestwich,
Whitefield, Radcliffe, Tottington, Affetside, Edgworth, Ramsbottom, and Summerseat.
'This
leaflet suggests two rides for exploring Bury that can be tackled in
full or in part. The routes try to avoid busy roads and so be suitable
for family outings. The Manchester to
Preston leg of the National Cycle Network passes through Bury and is due
to be completed in 2005. Much of the South Bury ride and part of the
North bury ride follow the NCN route.
Along
the way ...
Irwell Sculpture Trail
The Irwell Sculpture
Trail is a collection of 30 or more sculptures loosely linked to a 30
mile route formerly known as the Irwell Valley Way. The South Bury ride
passes a cluster of sculptures at Outwood.
The Canal
The Manchester, Bolton and Bury
Canal was opened in 1796 to carry coal and other goods up and down the
Irwell Valley. It is fed from the Irwell via a storage reservoir at
Elton. Passenger traffic ceased after construction of the raileways in
the 1840's (Bolton to Manchester was a 2½ - 3 hour journey be canal)
and goods traffic declined rapidly in the 1900's. The last section used,
between Ladyshore Colliery and Bury, was closed in 1961.
Heaton Park
Heaton Park is the former estate of the Earls of Wilton which was
bought by Manchester Council in 1902 for £230,000. The current Hall was
built in 1772 and is a Grade 1 listed building. The Park also has a golf
course, boating lake, tennis courts, play areas, tram museum and a farm
centre.
Watling Street
Watling
Street was a roman road between Manchester and Ribchester. Some of the
remains are evident in Radcliffe and part of it was exposed in an
archaeological dig at Starling in 1966. Affetside Cross (an 'Ancient
Monument') stands at the side of Watling Street but is not roman; it is
probably a market cross on the site of a medieval cross.
Holcombe Village
Holcombe
is a good surviving example of a moorland edge pre-industrial settlement
developed in times of domestic textile production.
The Outwood, Kirklees and Daisyfield Trails
All
three are former railways converted into off-road paths. The Outwood
Trail is the southern end of the East Lancashire Railway (1846 - 1958)
which ran between Clifton and Accrington. The Kirklees Trail is part of
the Bury to Holcombe Brook branch railway (1882 - 1963), and the
Daisyfield 'Greenway' is part of the Liverpool and Bury Railway (1848 -
1970).'
Information
courtesy of Bury Metropolitan Borough Council
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