Chester / North Wales cyclepath???

[David_widnes]

Had a chat with a couple of chaps at a coffee stop yesterday , whilst comparing previous rides I mentioned a ride I did last summer from Widnes to Llandudno to which I was informed there is a new cyclepath that follows the River Dee from Chester before picking up the north Wales coast pathway has anyone found or used this path as I'm doing the Llandudno ride again in 2 weeks and fancy trying this new route??

 

[PaulBrdmn]

Best way to get on that path (known as Mickle Trafford/Chester Greenway) is to go through Frodsham into Helsby and then take a left at a set of lights shortly before you hit the M56 roundabout, I think it's Station Lane in Mickle Trafford IIRC. The entrance to the path will be on your right about half a mile down there.

Once on the path you can follow it all the way to Connah's Quay but then you have to go through Flint town centre and pick up the coast road for Mostyn (A548)

I did Widnes-Llandudno last week but went down Stanlow Road, the Greenway is much nicer!

 

[neil_merseyside]

The Greenway mentioned above doesn't really touch the Dee except at the very end so I doubt it's the path meant by the OP. The Dee does however have a river path (not new though) and is easily accessed from the above Greenway, leave Greenway on canal heading south (brown route bike path signs) and after crossing spiral cobbled bridge leave path at next bridge opposite Telford's Warehouse pub, turn right and down to T junction and path starts virtually opposite in a small park.

Start is Mickle Trafford as in Paul's post and ends at Dee crossing to access NCN5
Route:- http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=583402

The canal link may be busy and the spiral cobbled bridge is deadly in ballet type road shoes, slippy even in SPD's!
The wind is always againsterly on the river (or Greenway) but both are easy cycling once clear of town and strollers.

The only new Dee path I can think of could be the Burton Marshes Greenway (NCN568) but that starts at the Dee where Greenway ends - well near enough and that route runs up the Wirral.

Best spiel here:- http://www.chestercyclecity.org/?p=859

 

[PaulBrdmn]

I guess it would help if we knew what the OP's previous route was! I was making an assumption that he meant "in the general direction of the Dee" as opposed to literally running alongside it. Either route would certainly be more pleasant than mixing with the traffic in Little Stanney.

Is the Route 5 part along the Dee the stretch where there's a few low bridges you have go go under? I remember finding those tricky to negotiate in SPD's the one time I rode that way from Stanlow to Chester, although I guess the OP might not venture far enough down to encounter those. I'm not that familiar with the Dee path itself, so apologies if I'm confusing matters as you will know that area better!

 

[neil_merseyside]

I guess it would help if we knew what the OP's previous route was! I was making an assumption that he meant "in the general direction of the Dee" as opposed to literally running alongside it. Either route would certainly be more pleasant than mixing with the traffic in Little Stanney.

Is the Route 5 part along the Dee the stretch where there's a few low bridges you have go go under? I remember finding those tricky to negotiate in SPD's the one time I rode that way from Stanlow to Chester, although I guess the OP might not venture far enough down to encounter those. I'm not that familiar with the Dee path itself, so apologies if I'm confusing matters as you will know that area better!

I think you are mixing rivers and canals, the canal has loads of low hump back bridges between Ellesmere Port and Chester. Dee has very few bridges, some tight widthwise but no ducking needed! Dee path is good surface but so is Greenway direct to Dee crossing at Shotton.

I think 'new' path is probably the Burton Marshes Greenway then - new and along Dee being good enough for me.

 

[PaulBrdmn]

I thought that might have been the case!

 

[David_widnes]

I found the Greenway route as suggested which I liked as it cut out the Stanlow and Queensferry roads even missed out on going over the newish millennium bridge as we picked up the north Wales coast road in Mostyn thanks for you tips appreciated