over to Crowthorn School, do you actually pass through the shooting range?

Yes

How close? Is it safe?

Completely safe if they’re not firing and if you don’t pick anything up 🙂
There’s a number you can call to check if it’s open. This might help.

if there’s a red flag flying, then close enough to blow you up!

if there’s no red flag you may just get some cadets running past you up the side of the hill (top tip: chasing them up the hill with a bike on your back is good training for the 3 peaks cyclocross…)

Cheers for that.

Its just the Horseshoe shaped bit of Bridleway that they close. There are red flags where it enters the range if they are firing.

And there will be a soldier there to stop you if they’re firing.

whats a good ride that incorporates that track? looks to be a bit out on its own.

I grew up in Ramsbottom, and can assure you that there’ll be a big bloke with a gun to stop you on the bridleway if they are training. There’s a cheeky diversion I think, but I can’t really remember it well enough to describe.

I’ve seen the flags out quite often but I’ve never seen a squaddy with or without a gun.

diversion from the entwistle side is ride up the road and then take the left hand road fork where it turns to a farm track, that’ll take you above the barn and round the top of the moor. You drop back down to the track at the flag location at the opposite end. Bloody hard slog mind.

blackshaw: Three towers would be the obvious answer…
http://www.samuri.co.uk/gps/06032005.gif

There you can see what happens when there’s a soldier stood there with a gun who tells you to bugger off. I couldn’t be bothered going up to the top of the moor so went round the road way.

The Four towers is a cracking ride. I’ll post up the route in a bit.

Completely safe … if you don’t pick anything up

yeah those soldier lads have “easy virtue”, you never know what you might catch 🙁

samuri – Member

diversion from the entwistle side is ride up the road and then take the left hand road fork where it turns to a farm track, that’ll take you above the barn and round the top of the moor. You drop back down to the track at the flag location at the opposite end. Bloody hard slog mind.

blackshaw: Three towers would be the obvious answer…
http://www.samuri.co.uk/gps/06032005.gif

There you can see what happens when there’s a soldier stood there with a gun who tells you to bugger off. I couldn’t be bothered going up to the top of the moor so went round the road way.

Do you cycle alot around this area?

Not for a while now. Used to though. Need to get back over there this year. Darwen is great because there’s so much open moorland and it’s invariably empty. It’s nice to drop down to Ramsbottom and from there pick up the Mary Townley loop and it’s offshoots.

The four towers

Rivington Pike, Darwen Tower, Peel Tower and Turton Tower. Great day out.

Obviously you would need to edit the route a little unless your setting of from my house 🙄

cheers samuri and lowey, looks like I’ll have to get a west yorkshire exit pass for a day!

Where do you live lowey?

Ther is a cheeky way to Hawkshaw from near the sentry point on the Crowthorne side.

Range times are published on Bury MBC’s website

I might try suggesting to the Army a permissive offroad diversion route for range days

Sometimes you can get through even if the red flags are up, Last time I went there the flags were up and shots being fired but the squaddie on the path said I was ok for another hour or so before they closed it off, must have been shooting lower down. 3towers is a cracking ride but that section to peel is a there and bock or quite a bit of road (or cheek but I’ve not found a good cheeky route yet) but its good in both directions so thats ok 🙂

seeing as there is only one range and one danger area you may have been badly advised. The only other possibility is that they were using blank rounds in another part of the area.

If the red flag is flying I wouldn’t go in, if you get slotted you don’t have much recourse, i also wouldn’t assume that the bullets stop at the red flag, the danger area is based on a statistical analysis that takes into account the assumed angle of shot (at the target) and ricochets. The assumptions don’t take into account the ability of the firer to shoot straight, stray/ accidental shots etc anyone who has seen tracer will tell you bullets can go out of a danger area

“crack and thump” will also tell you that you are in the wrong place

The 4 Towers. As listed above but not actually the order we did ’em in. Happy days – remember Summer?!

It was a lot wetter last time we did it Simon, last March. we did it in the same order. Had a nice feed stop at the country cafe at Tockholes.

Wors, we are in Sharples mate.

lowey, me too! Just opposite sharples high school

Drop me a line if you ever fancy coming out with us. We mainly ride thursday nights (although this does end up in the Belmont Bull for 4 pints minimum then ride home) and Sundays around about 1pm. Pace is relaxed.

Yeah will do, 4 pints! suppose it is all downhill from the Belmont Bull!

It was 6 last thursday!

I think I can cope with two pints and that’s it, I’m not hardcore enough for you guys! I live just a little further round the ring road, love rides ending in Belmont though as its downhill home!

Surprising how many posters turn out to be right on your doorstep lol.

You knows it!
How’s it going Lowey? ;0)

Not bad thanks mate.

You still out beasting the single speed every week ?

I still recount the story of you managing to make it up San Marino on a SS every time we struggle up the fooker.

Lowey-‘(although this does end up in the Belmont Bull for 4 pints minimum then ride home)’

Like he says though, the last time was 6 pints and I’ve still got the bruises to prove it!

Your right though wors, it is all downhill except that short sharp killer of a climb up to San Marinos, complete with as of yet to warm up muscles. Fun tough.

Lowey, I am just getting back into it after being out for pretty much 12 months after a bad knee injury. Not sure I am quite up to getting up that fooker without dabbing at the mo. ‘Specially after I saw how cut up it was when we came down it t’other week.

People ride up it?

It does make a good climb Trio, nice and steady with a few tech bits to keep it interesting. Surprising how quick you gain altitude on it.

MrS …. sorry to hear that mate… what happened ?

Your right about San Marino too, from top to bottom now its getting pretty technical and the ruts are potential killers. Makes it very interesting.

I might come out for a ride next week, giving blood tonight so probably not the best thing to do tomorrow!