Best route from A6 into Preston to A49 out of Warrington

jimwin

I'm doing a 6 day JOGLE solo ride in late May and finding navigation through the North West tricky without local knowledge.

The route brings me in from Lancaster via the A6 to Preston and I need to pick up the A49 somewhere south of Warrington. When I did LEJOG in 2008, the section between Preston and Warrington was the worst for traffic, crazy drivers and holdups.

Anyone got any good advice based on local knowledge? I don't mind a slightly longer route if this has less traffic.

TIA

- JimW

iain_j

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/gb/prest ... 5599882055

39 miles, pretty direct straight-line route, mostly on quiet roads.Haven't done this whole route but it pieces together several bits I have ridden.

I find it easier to go through Preston city centre than try to avoid it, that way you keep off the dual carriageways and the flyovers/slip roads. Then quiet B-roads all the way to Orrell (note the detour at Shevington Moor to avoid the dual c'ways and motorway junction), and minor roads through Haydock, Newton and Winwick to pick up the A49 into and through Warrington.

Edit- for some reason it's mapped the route through Leyland town centre when the obvious route would be stay on the B5253 - but then I don't like Leyland town centre

jimwin

iain_j wrote:

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/gb/preston/850126445599882055

39 miles, pretty direct straight-line route, mostly on quiet roads.Haven't done this whole route but it pieces together several bits I have ridden.

I find it easier to go through Preston city centre than try to avoid it, that way you keep off the dual carriageways and the flyovers/slip roads. Then quiet B-roads all the way to Orrell (note the detour at Shevington Moor to avoid the dual c'ways and motorway junction), and minor roads through Haydock, Newton and Winwick to pick up the A49 into and through Warrington.

Edit- for some reason it's mapped the route through Leyland town centre when the obvious route would be stay on the B5253 - but then I don't like Leyland town centre

Thanks for this. I had a similar route but it went west of Warrington and looked a bit messy. My route now follows your advice. It's on bikely at:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/381982

Thankas again.

PS - I steered west of Leyland but just to the east of the B5253. Maybe the B3253 is better - i.e. not through a rough estate?

jc4lab

Instead of Warrington how about the Wirral,Ferry cross the Mersey and Liverpool The A 59 via Ormskirk is the direct route from Liverpool and nearby country lanes throuigh arable farm land are quite pleasant..Large sections of the A59 from Liverpool are cycle paths that run along side the main road. From Warrington you could head for Ormskirk to the A59 but that is a bit off route but probably a bit more pleasant.

iain_j

jimwin wrote:

Thanks for this. I had a similar route but it went west of Warrington and looked a bit messy. My route now follows your advice. It's on bikely at:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/381982

Thankas again.

PS - I steered west of Leyland but just to the east of the B5253. Maybe the B3253 is better - i.e. not through a rough estate?

Looks a good route, there's hundreds of quiet lanes you could take to avoid that long stint on the A49 to Ludlow, but it would probably take twice as long picking your way through them all!

I'd suggest though that you take the A588 out of Lancaster to Cockerham, then the B5272 to Garstang, cuts out about 10 miles of the A6 which in my experience is a fast and busy HGV-fest (although you're also cutting out the chance to nip into the Scorton Priory )

jimwin

iain_j wrote:

I'd suggest though that you take the A588 out of Lancaster to Cockerham, then the B5272 to Garstang, cuts out about 10 miles of the A6 which in my experience is a fast and busy HGV-fest (although you're also cutting out the chance to nip into the Scorton Priory )

The A6 route from Lancaster to Garstang is 9.6 miles and the alternate route via Cockerham is 10.4 miles. Since this is a 150 mile ride, I'm aimimg for as short and direct a route as possible. My LEJOG in 2008 took me up the A6 and it wasn't too bad in the evening. This busier route might just prepare me for the Preston and Warrington sections .

Thanks