Bikepacking London to the Lake District by canal

I’ve signed up for a bikepacking camping weekend in Grizedale Forest in mid May, run by an organisation thats dedicated to getting more women out on their bikes. Then my friend and I thought, wouldn’t it be cool to bikepack to the event? I live near London. I asked Komoot for a gravel route (I’ll take my MTB) and it suggested one that was 90% canals and 360 miles. I’m under the impression that mostly canals are flattish so this might just be feasible in 6 or 7 days. And then someone mentioned that rather than the nicely made up gravel path I’m envisioning, often the canalside is a grassy field or rutty and bumpy, and that may be pretty hard going with camping gear. At which point I realized that I had no idea what I’m considering doing.

The canals would be: Grand Union, Oxford, Coventry, Trent & Mersey, Caldon, Macclesfield, Peak Forest, Bridgewater, and Leigh branch of the Lancaster & Liverpool.

Anyone have any experience of doing anything like this? Ride any of these canals? Any advice, especially as to the condition of the towpaths? Should I just forget it and take the train?

Riding canals is easy because you don’t have to navigate

Some bits can be lovely

Some bits can be really tedious, and get really boggy and unrideable in the wet

I’ve done London to Northampton on the grand Union and its mostly pleasant

Bridgewater canal has a good surface from Manchester to Sale/Altrincham and the Branch to Worsley. After Sale Alt the path is a mixture of grass and mud but normally quite rideable. The bit on the branch beyond Worsley I don’t know about

Macclesfield, Peak Forest and Bridgewater…
These three have pretty decent towpaths. Mainly hard-packed earth or with gravel in places. Great scenery but also some fairly rough areas too.

Three things that bug me when covering distance on canal towpaths:

1) Other people. A loud bell is a must.
2) Constant, minor undulations. You know, the type that compress your spine or rear suspension.
3) Same-y-ness. I’m bored to tears after less than an hour on them.

Maybe do a mixture of canals and easier trails? That would make an epic project. I’m sure folk on here would help out with routes through their areas 👍

I’ve always found 60 miles a day to be a nice distance to tour / bikepack. Aim for 12mph average and you’ll only be in the saddle for 5 hours a day. Have a lazy morning aiming to be on the bike by 10am, stop for lunch at 12:30. You’ll all be done by 4pm. Plenty of time for some sight seeing and the odd afternoon nap. Sounds like bliss.

Canal paths can be hell to ride. You may not realise it but the usual constant undulations you experience on roads and trails mean your legs get little “micro-breaks” on every downhill. Hit a long section of flat canal towpath and you don’t get that, just a constant pedalling.

I’ve done a fair bit on canals including the Cheshire Ring (100 mile circular along Bridgewater, Trent & Mersey, Macc etc) and I used to commute along Peak Forest and Ashton for years. Same up in Lancaster, I know the Lancaster to Kendal bit very well.

Pick your times carefully. Early mornings, they’re full of dog walkers and joggers. Weekends they’re full of fishermen.

It’s easy because you don’t have to navigate much. It’s hard because the route is often quite indirect, it’s very bumpy, sometimes wildly variable surfaces, a lot of the same scenery and it can be quite stop/start with pedestrians, dog walkers, scallies etc.

I reckon you’ll do a day or so of canals before thinking “**** this” and re-routing!

Happy to help with the bits through Cheshire/Manchester and then Lancaster north though if you want to plot a route.

I prefer a bit of elevation on my long distance rides, tend to get saddle sores or just a bit bruised on long stretches of flat trail (old railway line in my case, good surface to!)

I’ve done the  Cheshire Ring a couple of times as Crazy-legs. There’s an absolute horrible few miles of Trent and Mersey between Sandbach and Anderton that I assume your route would take. Its a pretty small percentage of 360 miles, but it really sticks in my mind!

Grassy and extremely hard work to ride through to start, which is followed by the most horrifically rooty rough section.

Could also suggest a nice route from mid Cheshire north.

I did a bits of the Trent and Mersey and Caldon canals last Easter on a mini tour to the Peak district. Locks give a few ups and downs and variety, where the canal goes into a towpath-less tunnel, be prepared to hike your bike and luggage up and down steep bits including steps to go over the hump the canal is going through. Surfaces vary… mostly bike friendly but I did a bit of running down the Trent and Mersey canal between Alsager and Sandbach, absolute quagmire…

Despite the general flatness, average speed was low for all of the reasons mentioned in the above posts.

I did enjoy it though :)

Thanks everyone for your excellent and swift responses! I take on board what folk have said about the sameness, and I’m also quite keen to avoid rough areas as the aim of the game is challenge but not to scare oneself silly. I did spot some long distance paths using disused railways (Higher Poyton? Middlewood way? and NCN55) at some points although the easy navigation aspect is appealing.

Very happy to accept any routing help to give a perhaps more varied route in places. Its a long ride and I’d love to have the benefit of your local knowledge.

Here’s a link to the current suggested plan : https://www.komoot.com/tour/1034290610?share_token=apJkSFbe2ltzLAoqKBYuqPuLDpn0c4veuwWjxkt4M5lZz64Gv4&ref=

We are good to do up to 60 miles a day if the going is fairly easy. We’re not in the first flush of youth so I think reckon on max 10 mph. Riding hardtails, mine has solid forks, nothing technical please. Mostly camping, can wild camp if necessary but personally prefer sites for security, not adverse to the odd b&b every 3rd day or if the weather turns evil.

Please feel free to bombard me with your route suggestions and ideas. I obviously need all the help I can get on this. TIA.

Will you want a rest day and a spot of civilisation before the ride proper?

Will you want a rest day and a spot of civilisation before the ride proper?

We need to arrive by the evening of friday 19th May. I think a (very?) short final day would be very much in order.

The sections from Tamworth through to Rugeley and beyond can be pretty grim at times… last time I rode along there it was like washboard, with some sections covered in long grass… was really quite unpleasant to ride, and needed constant peddling to keep up any speed…

Anyway, if you keep to that route and need somewhere to camp near Rugeley, let me know.

Warm yourself up for the Lakes by taking canals to the south Peak District area then getting on the Great North Trail at Middleton Top, then heading towards Dentdale, Sedbergh and Staveley?

Obviously bumpier, but depends what sort of a challenge you want. I’d probably go out of my mind being on towpaths six days straight!

These guys & gals did London to Birmingham on the canal.

A couple of blogs about the route

Cycling From Birmingham to London – Grand Union Canal Cycle

https://medium.com/@Sam_Floy/a-grand-union-canal-tour-london-to-birmingham-on-bike-1c55ef386fd3

A few years back I did Leamington to London on the Grand Union, over two days making it 60 miles a day give or take.
I used a steel hardtail with the wrong tyres at the wrong time of year.

My halfway point was Milton Keynes and I stayed in an airb&b type place so I could take my bike inside.

Everything of the posts above is true to a degree but perhaps a little weighted towards the negative aspects.

There are rough bits for sure, the flatness isn’t the most exciting but, there really are some beautiful parts on the canal network and plodding along with a friend to chat to and provide back up against swans (they’ll break your arm you know) will help a lot.

When you do hit a gravel section, it’s pure bliss.

But yes, they’re not flat, they’re not smooth, they can provide a LOT of punctures(tubeless is a must imho) and its tiring because as mentioned above, you don’t really get those micro-breaks you get on a normal trail ride, so it’s not to be underestimated.

My tyres were riddled with thorns after my two days but I didn’t have a single flat, thanks to the wonder of tubeless.

But I would say, do it! The fact there is two of you makes a big difference and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it if you’re lucky with the weather.

I’ll give you a camping recommendation, of The Green Man at Long Itchington. It’s very near to the Grand Union and also a really nice section of a Sustrans route called the Lias Line which starts and ends on the canal.
I stayed there at the end of last summer when i was testing out my own bike packing setup.
GREEN MAN
It’s a really nice village pub and they have a small camping area at the back. A fish and chip van visits in the evening (probably summer months only maybe)

But yeah, do it, but most importantly, tell us lot about it on a thread on here 😊👍

Grand Union, nr Leamington

Lias Line, nr Long Itchington

I did spot some long distance paths using disused railways (Higher Poyton? Middlewood way?

Yep, Middlewood Way is good, runs from just south of Bollington up to Marple Bridge and you can then pick up Peak Forest Canal in Marple for the ride into Manchester.
Edit: just looked at your route, looks like you’re kind of half using Macc Canal and half using Middlewood Way. Better option, at mile 110, Bollington, get into Middlewood Way and just stay on it!
Flat, smooth gravel (old railway line). Nice little spin, I do it on the CX regularly.

I’m only just off the Peak Forest Canal – there’s a few forumites up around this neck of the woods so happy to help if you need anything en route or even a place to stay.

Canal towpaths are pretty boring to ride any distance on, and a pain when they’re used by pedestrians and dogs and you’re constantly having to give way. I use them if I want to avoid a busy road, but otherwise I’d rather just cycle on a nearby country lane.

Years ago four of us did the Grand Union from Leicester to Paddington and soon found out that many long stretchs (of all canals) are bordered by hawthorn/blackthorn (presumably to deter livestock).
We also discovered that when these hedges get trimmed they often do miles and miles at a time!
Between four of us we picked up 16 punctures in a single section between two locks – this was pre-tubless days…it was hell. We ditched for alternative road routes after that.

The other downside with canals (other than walkers, dogs, fishermen) is that it’s quite isolating – there’s no option to ride two a breast and talk to your riding companions, you’re single file on your own the whole time.

Possibly worth also looking at the Sustrans map as using canals you may miss out Peak District, Forest of Bowland and the Yorkshire Dales which are all worth a visit and probably easy places to find campsites and B&Bs.
Can you link the canals onto the Tissington Trail of Pennine Bridleway which take you more or less due North from the Peak District? If going further West you can pass through Cannock and then NCN routes take you off road all the way past Stafford.
Sounds a good trip and lots of possibilities.

I rode from London to Snowdonia a few years back – we did a fair bit of the midlands via the canals.
We really enjoyed it, but agree with everything that has been said before – the quiet bits can be dull, the busy bits are constant stop/start due to other users, some of the surfaces are pretty poor, etc.

I’d say go for it – worst case you can bale out onto local lanes if it all gets a bit much.

I’d personally not want to do the full distance on canal, but as said, the attributes of canals can be the attraction and a distraction at the same time. They are fabulous as corridors through the country, and I’d be looking to link canal sections with sustrans/NCN routes – which are often fairly easy to navigate. It would help add some variety and some tarmac that might feel like a nice break after a while. Nothing beats a canalside pub on a nice day though. Bells are essential as mentioned. Best time of day to ride canals is at night, but that may not work for you!

Don’t forget which ever direction you are riding on a canal, there will be a headwind.

Most things have been covered (I ride the Middlewood way, the Macclesfield canal and the Peak forest canal a lot).

Blackthorn and hawthorn are often the hedge of choice to be aware of thorns on the towpaths. Too many people on sunny days and dogs on those retractable leads in the more built up places, also quite a bit of doggy do near the more built up areas. Again canals tend to act as a funnel and on a windy day can be a challenge if there’s a headwind (mentioned above).

I do think you would get a bit bored. Sometimes there are narrow boats selling their wares, so you can have a pizza boat or coffee on route or pick up some craft tat!

I’m only just off the Peak Forest Canal – there’s a few forumites up around this neck of the woods so happy to help if you need anything en route or even a place to stay.

Ditto, just under 3 miles from the canal here (and 450ft above it though…), happy to help

In your OP, you mention the Leigh branch of the Lancaster & Liverpool. It’s actually the Leeds and Liverpool, and it has some awkward barriers on the towpath to stop motorbikes, which may mean taking panniers off. I suggest you follow it North as far as somewhere like Whittle-le-Woods then pick up the “Old Tramway” into Preston. From there you can follow the Lancaster Canal most of the way to Kendal. There are a couple of fairly short abandoned sections and so you’d need to find a way across the M6 in 2 or 3 places. I’ve only done it on the canal itself by canoe.

Stretford to Leigh section of Bridgewater canal has no gates and is paved and upto Wigan good weatherproof surface.
Stretton to Eccles is bit boring but once you have crossed the M/C shipcanal (on the road) it opens up and is very pleasant.
Instead of taking the road at Plank lane in Leigh you can continue to follow the Bridgewater into Wigan turning right after it crosses the Leeds-Liverool canal and then follow this up the 18 locks section. After the last of the flight of locks the canal makes a 90 degree turn and the following section can be great when dry but truly awful when wet. Scenery is very pretty though!
There are several gates from Platt bridge onwards, the ones after the 18-locks section may require manualling the bike through as the crossbars are quite low.

Same-y-ness. I’m bored to tears after less than an hour on them.

This. I used the canal du midi on my French end to end, but diverted off to relieve the tedium.

After my ride along the local canal yesterday expect your riding to be interrupted by….

* Walkers and runners with headphones on that are effectively deaf and jump out of their skin when you ride past
* People walking dogs who can see you coming from miles away but panic when you get close and their dog(s) aren’t under control
* People moaning that you don’t have a bell. Mine’s broken and apparently a cheery morning or excuse me etc. isn’t a satisfactory replacement
+ Dog’s running amok on extendible leads as the owner thinks that’s classed as under control.

Probably still better than riding on the road though.

I was thinking Slow Ways (https://beta.slowways.org/) might have been a useful planning tool but looking at it in more detail it does seem to be based principally on walking-only routes (ie footpaths) rather than including say quiet/off-road cycling routes (ie bridleways/rail trails/canals)–with a bit of web-development work on the Slow Ways dataset it might be possible to search only ‘non-footpath’ routes.

It’s the local knowledge such as that highlighted above by @anorak and @Greybeard that is so invaluable in deciding on whether to ‘canal it’ or not!

Around the Midlands the towpaths I know are a real mixed bag, some very narrow / muddy (eg parts of Oxford Canal around Brinklow) and others wide / very good (eg parts of Grand Union Canal around Hatton Locks). I guess the ‘broad canals’ are better than ‘narrow canals’ when it comes to towpaths?

Good luck whichever route you take!

cheers,

Keith

Probably mentioned already but you could use alternative trails in the north west eg tissington, monsal and middle wood way. These are old railway lines and often go near canals.

Top tip – buy a CRT key so you can use the toilets and fill up with water along the way. You can buy them from that large auction site.

Brilliant, thanks everyone for your suggestions. Please keep them coming. As my geography is not as strong as it should be it’ll take a few days to incorporate amendments into the the route but I think I’ll try to get as many as is practical. Apologies @Greybeard for misnaming the canal, I had written “L&L” on my piece of paper and had a brain fade at the vital moment. I have done some towpath travel as I live by the Thames which of course is joined by the GU, and one can make a loop but as many have said its very busy down here with walkers, dogs, etc etc.

I realise the route misses out many gems such as the Peak District and Yorkshire Dales, but there is only so much I can fit in on this trip and due to the length need to keep it relatively flat. I am back in Dentdale for my annual hols this June (3rd time Dentdale, 25th year Dales/Cumbria)so please don’t think I have something against the steeper places. Peak District and Northumberland are also on my list of places to go, just not this time.

Its really useful having names of the alternative trails that could be used, as the names often aren’t easy to see on the resources I’m using, Komoot and cycle.travel. A personal recommend could mean I don’t try to cycle down some overgrown brambley neglected path or miss out on a scenic beauty.

Love old railway lines @mrsheen, and I think you’re the first to mention Tissington and Monsal. Middlewood Way is definitely on the route.

Its fantastically useful to hear of stretches to actively avoid and re-plan. Places where the ground is very difficult or there are obstructions (thanks @anorak). Canals are industrial by nature, not all parts are pretty or maybe even safe. Just in case there are any, if anyone knows of stretches that pass through dodgy areas where 2 women wouldn’t necessarily want to go especially at dawn or dusk please let me know. Its a sad thing to have to ask, but fore-warned is fore-armed.

So thanks everyone and please feel free to keep ’em coming. Looks like my “mad idea” trip could actually happen with your support and help.
Love this community and forum, every time I come here I get good advice and an interesting range of opinions.

Another regular that uses Peak, Macc and Ashton canals (live very near the Peak). It’s the constant battering you’ll get that is tiring. You can easily do it on a decent hybrid, or better rigid MTB, but at say 10 mph average, you’ll be sore as hell after 5 hours/50 miles. This every day will be hard work.

The canals above are variable, Ashton is mainly surfaced but you’ve some cobbled locks to negotiate (all down hill to the Bridgewater though) but the surface isn’t smooth – lots of roots under the tarmac. Peak and Macc are a mix of stone and mud in the main, and drain OK in the summer – bit of a mud fest in winter, so I change my commute to a different route, as I’d end up filthy getting to and from work.

Love old railway lines @mrsheen, and I think you’re the first to mention Tissington and Monsal. Middlewood Way is definitely on the route.

Tissington and Monsal are nice but they aren’t really on your route which is why I didn’t mention them! Monsal in particular, while it’s quite unique cycling through the old railway tunnels, is a path from Bakewell heading NW and ending just SE of Buxton so it’s nowhere near your proposed route. Also, once you’re at the Buxton end, it’s either a steep pull over a hill on minor roads or a shit stretch of A road to actually get you into Buxton itself.

Once there, it’s another up and over (although a nice scenic road) to get you to Whaley Bridge where you can pick up the southern end of the Peak Forest Canal.

It’s not remotely on your proposed route though – it’d be a significant diversion (and 2 sides of a triangle) to go from Leek to Bakewell to Buxton and then over to Marple. By which time you’d have missed out the Middlewood Way!

Stick with what you’ve got, it’s a decent route that you’ve got from Leek to Macc.

Thanks @crazy-legs, will do.
Just another demonstration of my poor grasp of where places are!

I’ve ridden the canal from Tamworth to Stoke and its a mixed bag. Between Tamworth and Great Haywood its fairly easy going, around Rugeley is flat and well surfaced and what remains is unpaved but nothing to worry about. Between Great Haywood and Stone is not so pleasant, unpaved and quite rutted in places. The closer you get to Stone the better it is and once in Stone, up to Stoke is well surfaced. I would add that my info may be outdated here as I haven’t ridden that section in about 4 years or so (mostly because it was horrible).
There are two campsites in Great Haywood as well as a good cafe and farm shop. One about 200 meters off the canal and one almost on the canal but this is no frills.

the resources I’m using, Komoot and cycle.travel.

If I were planning that kind of trip, once I had an idea of the route I’d view as much as possible on Google Streetview. You can see the type of path, and other details. If you look at this image on the L&L near Leigh, you can see the type of barrier I mentioned, under the bridge.

Happily the obstruction linked above by Greybeard is no longer there, that whole section of the Bridgewater was revamped quite some time ago. At the time of the picture bikes weren’t officially allowed and the path when wet was dreadful (sticky greasy grey slag). Now it’s well surfaced and a popular commuting route into Manchester.