NCN Route 700 / Bay Cycle Way
Map of Morecambe Bay, showing almost all the route
Length80 mi (130 km)
LocationMorecambe Bay (Cumbria and Lancashire), England
Established2015
DesignationUK National Cycle Network
TrailheadsWalney Island (west)
54°6′9″N 3°15′45″W / 54.10250°N 3.26250°W / 54.10250; -3.26250 (Route 700 (Walney Island terminus))
Glasson Dock (east)
53°59′53″N 2°50′48″W / 53.99806°N 2.84667°W / 53.99806; -2.84667 (Route 700 (Glasson Dock terminus))
UseCycling
Elevation change1777m[1]
Lowest pointstart and finish, 0 m (0 ft)
WaymarkUK traffic sign identifying a cycle route 700 
Surface28.2% Traffic-free, 99.0% Asphalt
WebsiteSustrans route description

The Bay Cycle Way is an 80-mile (130 km) cycling route around Morecambe Bay in Lancashire and Cumbria in north west England.[2][3] Most of it forms National Cycle Route 700 (NCN 700), while other sections are waymarked as NCN 6 (London to the Lake District), NCN 69 (Hest Bank to Cleethorpes) and NCN 70 (Walney to Sunderland).[1]

It has been recommended by The Daily Telegraph ("20 amazing ways to enjoy the English seaside this summer"),[4] the i newspaper ("20 best cycle routes in the UK: from coastal pathways to woodland rides")[5] and the Touring Club Italiano ("Inghilterra, Scozia e Galles in bicicletta, le ciclabili più belle per una vacanza green").[6]

Route

The end points of the route are Walney Island, west of Barrow-in-Furness, and Glasson Dock, a former port on the River Lune south west of Lancaster.[7] The route goes inland to Milnthorpe to cross the River Kent at Levens Bridge, near Levens Hall, the lowest crossing point of the river by road; there are hopes that a footpath and cycleway may some time be installed alongside the railway viaduct which crosses the river at Arnside, further downstream.[8] 99.0% of the road is on asphalt roads or paths, and 28.2% is on traffic-free paths.[2] The route ascends to 170 metres (560 ft) between Grenodd and Cartmel,[9] and goes above 100 metres (330 ft) in three sections.[9] There are said to be three "challenging climbs": leaving Ulverston, ascending Bigland Hill (between Bigland Tarn and Bigland Barrow, north of Cartmel) and Warton Crag.[10] The total ascent has been calculated to be 1,777 metres (5,830 ft).[1] Sustrans estimates total cycling time as 6 h 46 min at an average pace of 12 miles per hour (19 km/h),[2] while the Morecambe Bay Partnership suggests a four-day itinerary.[11]

The route passes through:[11][9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Bay Cycle Way- NCN 700". Sporty after Forty. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Bay Cycle Way". Sustrans. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  3. ↑ "Bay Cycle Way". www.morecambebay.org.uk. Morecambe Bay Partnership. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  4. ↑ Baxter, Sarah (25 June 2020). "20 amazing ways to enjoy the English seaside this summer". The Telegraph. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  5. ↑ "20 best cycle routes in the UK: from coastal pathways to woodland rides". inews.co.uk. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  6. ↑ Touring Club Italiano. "Inghilterra, Scozia e Galles in bicicletta, le ciclabili più belle per una vacanza green" (in Italian). Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  7. ↑ "Bay Cycle Way - Cycle Route in Morecambe, Morecambe Bay". www.visitlancashire.com. Visit Lancashire. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  8. ↑ "£50,000 awarded to test Arnside viaduct walkway and cycle crossing". Cumbria Crack. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 "Bay Cycle Way". cycle.travel. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  10. ↑ "Bay Cycle Way - The Route". www.morecambebay.org.uk. Morecambe Bay Partnership.
  11. 1 2 "Bay Cycle Way - 4 Day Itinerary". www.morecambebay.org.uk. Morecambe Bay Partnership. Retrieved 26 June 2020.

Further reading

  • The Bay Cycle Way : cycle route map (2nd ed.). Sustrans. 2017. ISBN 978-1910845387.


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