Bolsover & District Cycling Club

Apologies for the short notice on the forum / calendar (I thought it was already listed)...

As the weather forecast is looking good for the weekend and Monk Wood might have dried out (a bit), I have on offer this coming Saturday (22 May), a 42 mile, largely off-road, ride which follows (as closely as possible) the route of the Chesterfield Round Walk. The ride starts at Poolsbrook Country Park Visitor Centre at 10:00am and will return by no later than 4:00pm. A Cafe stop at Barlow Fishery (Claire's Cabin) is scheduled for good measure, before the assault on Monk Wood.

The ride is part of the Peak District Historic Border Country Walking Festival and is advertised in the booklet and on the website.

Route: Poolsbrook / Inkersall / West Wood / Calow / Sutton Spring Wood / Sutton Scarsdale / Stockley / Doe Lea / Heath / Five Pits Trail / North Wingfield / Tupton / Wingerworth / Bole Hill / Press / Spitewinter / Stone Edge / Cat Hole / Holmoorside / Chanderhill / Old Brampton / Linacre / Pratthall / Oxton Rakes / Commonside / Monk Wood / Hallowes / Unstone / Hundall / West Handley / Middle Handley / Nether Handley / Barrow Hill / Hollingwood / Chesterfield Canal / Staveley / Poolsbrook.

There is nothing too technical as the route follows tracks, bridleways and quiet roads. There are a few unavoidable main road crossings and a bit of main road between Dronfield and Unstone.

To the best of my knowledge this will be the first time that this particular route has been ridden, so here's your chance to be a pioneer. If it works, we can promote under the club's name - there is even an easy link from Bolsover via the Stockley Trail, so members based in Bolsover could ride it from home.

got the map link thing matt

Did this go ahead? I wouldn't mind having a bash at it.

same here, picking up a mountain bike tomorrow for some off road fun

It did indeed and when I get some time, I will write a blog and pop the photos I took on the website.

Despite being advertised as part of the walking festival, no one turned up so I rode it on my own. It proved to be an excellent route, which in places used tracks and bridleways that don't appear to be often frequented by cyclists. There are a few places where I had to get off and walk - possibly due to riding a fully rigid beast - but over 95% of the route is rideable.

I'd be happy to do it again if there is demand - I chopped a bit off at the end to save time, so I'd like to do the whole route again for sake of completeness. A Bolsover start is probably easiest - out along the Stockley Trail to join the route at Carr Lane.

Good Effort Matt , and the photos tell a story of a pretty good route

I see a great PR oppurtunity here for a sponsored ride event a la BHF events , and a tourist leaflet that can be left all over chesterfield with the club details emblazoned upon it...

is the route fully legal , could set up a seperate website for this to cross promote the club

99% legal - there are a couple of sections of 'footpath' that aren't really footpaths but sections of former railways and some ORPAs (other routes with public access) that may or may not be legally rideable. I didn't come across any problems, signs or restrictions suggesting I wasn't welcome.