Many of you reading this post
will have received an email from me recently, informing you of consultation
meetings on the proposed Bakewell to Matlock cycle route. Given the failure a
couple of years ago of a planning application made by Peak Cycle Links and John
Grimshaw to open precisely this path, mainly due to protests coming from
certain quarters in our local area, it is imperative
that you give your support to this project. Click here to do this now. As
I’m sure you know, the extension of the White Peak Loop from Bakewell to
Matlock is only part of the Pedal
Peak UK
and across the Channel.
In south-west France, the River
Isle runs through the middle of the département (county) of the Dordogne,
flowing through the capital Périgueux and into the River Dordogne,
over 100 km downstream. Périgueux already has a superb greenway, about 15
km long, which follows the river. In the near future, this is to be lengthened
to 30 km. To the west, the département of the Gironde (capital Bordeaux ) also has several wonderful
greenways, mostly running over old railway track beds, some more than 50 km long. The latest news is that a number of communes (parishes) in the Dordogne have got
together to build an 86-km long cycle route alongside the Isle. This will
consist of present minor roads linked by new sections of greenway - and it
is due to be finished by May 2015. It will link with the Périgueux greenway and
hopefully with others in the Gironde . It
includes no fewer than five substantial crossings of the river (I’m talking 75
metres or so). The cost of the whole véloroute is 12 million euros (£9.6m). Eventually,
it will form part of an even longer véloroute all the way from Bordeaux
to Limoges –
that’s a long way! So make a note in your diaries to ride this one day! If you
want to know more about this route, click here
and scroll down to the bottom right, to open a pdf file of maps ("Véloroute voie verte de la Vallée de l'Isle"). I'm looking forward to the completion of both of these routes!
