On Friday I decided to give my bike and my camera a good test drive. I decided to cycle to Southport and back. I knew it was going to be a decent trek but I didn't quite expect to do 48 miles! I rode up to Wigan from Goose Green along the A49 and joined the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Wigan Pier and headed in the Liverpool direction.
As I rode along I passed the home of Rugby and Football in Wigan, the DW Stadium on the left hand side. The toe path is still good at this point of the ride, but it gets a lot worse as you venture past Crook Village. Crook is a quaint little canal side village with a decent sized marina and friendly local pub. On the way past, I spotted my Dad on his boat.
Just after Crook and once under the M6 motorway bridge, the path turns very rough, prone to flooding and in some places very narrow. A mountain bike is recommended for this route. A road bike will not be able to cope with the state of the path.
The next scenic place is the little village of Parbold. The great advantage of utilising the canal path instead of the road for this journey is that the natural enemy if a cyclist (the hill) can be avoided. And Parbold Hills is a whopper. Its fine on the way there, but on the way home, you have to be a very fit person to tackle it. Anyway, it is in Parbold that you have to change which side of the canal you are cycling on. This is done at the old windmill where there is a pub, a cafe and an art gallery for your amusement.
If you are attentive, you may be able to see some hidden historical gems. For example, I spotted a World War II communications bunker. Although it may just look like a concrete shed, which in effect I suppose it is, these structures are as important to British history and culture as Stonehenge, The Houses of Parliament and Adrian's Wall.
There are also some more quirky things to see that are unique to our great canal system. Bridges, old mills, farming, replica ancient building structures...
The ride from this point is pretty straight forward. Just follow the path until you hit the bride at Damn Wood Lane.
It is all road from this point. Just follow the cycle lane signs to Southport. Once you join Southport Road, you will see one of the prettiest stretches of road in the world.
Once through the trees, the cycle lanes begin. They are most useful as they are totally separate from the main carriageway. You do have to however be on the lookout of people pulling in and out of their driveways, as they have to cross the cycle lane to gain access. As this road is quite busy during the holidays and the rush hours, using the lanes will quicken your ride.
Once in Southport, there is loads to do. You can go to the fair, the beach, go shopping down the historic Lords Street, go for lunch in The Price of Wales Hotel, visit the Public Gardens or just get an ice cream. There are cycle lanes everywhere, and one right along the front, so if the beach is your scene, then have a ride up and down it.
After riding around for hours, and clocking up the miles, I returned the way I came. I stopped off in Crook to see my dad and my step brother and my nice on the way home for a brew and a catch up.
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