Congleton to Stoke on Trent – Biddulph Valley Way & Canal Towpath

#stokeontrent #canal #trail

Now have you had a wee and got yourself a cuppa? because this ones a long one. Sit back and relax as we follow the Biddulph Valley Way from Congleton in Cheshire through to Stoke on Trent in Staffordshire where we pick up the Caldon canal and follow it to its end in Hanley then continuing north on the Trent and Mersey canal to Kidsgrove and finally along the Macclesfield canal back to Congleton. The total route was 28 miles with lots of fantastic scenery along the way, enjoy

Map

https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5530493.html

Parking

https://maps.app.goo.gl/hvQtQ2VHUV3d37PX6?g_st=ic

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morning folks welcome back beautiful Sunday morning and I’m off out for another bike ride just to give you a little health update um they’ve increased my angina medication and it’s like a weight has been lifted I’ve got a lot less pain I’ve still got a little bit of pain uh it’s maybe they’ll up up the dose again but I’ve been able to actually start doing some exercise running this week uh still you know it’s start again a long run is 3 miles so we’ll have to slowly build back up to a long run of 10 miles but we’re getting there anyway on with the day so today I’m in um congleton and we’re starting on River d Road uh which is so just down there is congleton Park it’s actually a good way to get to congleton Park you can park here there’s a couple of places to park so to get here you come from the top of congleton in past eat Bank Academy um down past Seaman and park up here today though we’re not going that way we’re going behind us uh so down here here right on Havana Street is it and then up to the boxton road and we’re going to pick up the um Biddle Valley Way which is a disused railway now we’ve done a couple of short sections of it before at this end we used it when we did our circular of congleton and further down we used it when we came back from niers Le on a route through bidol um but we’re going to follow it all the way through today through to stoon Trent Bandit country I I don’t know it very well around there so we might get lost so we’ll head through to stoke on Trent I don’t know we’ll work our way back um One Way or Another maybe the canal would be a nice way to come back I certainly know where I am as soon as we get to the kids Grove area anyway come along and join me and uh I’ll show you the way let’s get going [Applause] okay we’re off I hope you’re sitting comfortably it’s quite a long route this and so it’s going to make a long video we’re starting by crossing the river Dane here if you’re new welcome hi I’m Simon I just love getting out into the countryside to explore and uh I shoot these in the hope that it will inspire you to do the same so click subscribe sit back relax and enjoy [Music] and here we go Biddle Valley [Music] way we’re really lucky to have a trail like this right on our doorstep with lots of places to jump on and off to create a variety of roots it’s somewhat used to be the old Biddle Valley Line a train line that used to run from here at congleton in cheser down to stoon Trent in Staffordshire it opened in 1860 and primarily to carry coal through to the potteries but there was also you know stations along the way and passenger Services too the stations began to close in the early 1900s and passenger Services uh ceased in about 1927 though it carried on shunting coal through to the 1960s today it’s just this beautiful Trail here for us to explore and it’s not pretty by accident they clearly work hard on it at this end cheser County Council is working to preserve the beautiful uh wildlife and as you travel further down you’ll see that staffire County Council are doing exactly the same thing [Music] here’s the gritstone trail path you can head up that way up the cloud I have run from congleton Park and up the cloud that way before if you’ve not seen this it’s one of the members only videos [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] just to get your [Music] bearings uh this is the uh the road out from the top of congleton uh up towards the cloud isn’t it and on towards um windall [Music] no rush let’s enjoy The View [Music] and so we’ve left chesher behind and we’re into Staffordshire this section is white Mo local nature reserve there are lots of places today that I’m going to come back and visit again on foot we’re just skimming through its speed on the bike which allow us to find new places but to get a real feel for them I think we need to come and have a walk or a run [Music] we’re on the outskirts of bidol now you might like to get off here or at the next turn and visit bof Grange Gardens which are really fantastic I’ve been a number of times the interconnected Gardens of different designs in particular the Chinese Garden which you access fire a a cave a tunnel or through a a pyramid uh kids of all ages love it [Music] we are we’re in bid now um if you want to visit bidl gra Gardens here’d be a great place to get off [Music] Morning Place have a bike ride absolutely he’s absolutely right it’s an absolutely fantastic place for a bike ride morning yeah [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] take a left here for a bit off Town Center down there straight for weather spoons [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] a [Music] so we’re at nusle now City Center so where are we going to go next city center Handley Route 55 guess that’s us oh sorry s b I should point out just in case you thought I was mowing all these people down on the path the footage is speeded up and so I do actually ring my bell and slow down for each person we pass here let me demonstrate [Music] [Music] sorry sorry i w r you I promise [Music] [Music] like a meeting of the ways let’s have a look at the path side completely new to me I really like the look of chat Whitfield Heritage Country Park built on the site of an old Cy we are definitely going to come back here and run around itow [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] let’s go and have to sit by the lake oh we’re about 9 miles in now uh we’re at Ford green not too much further now into Stoke and then it’s time to head back North back towards uh conlon so I don’t know I guess the canal will probably be a good way to get back we’ll see if I were to pick up the canal head back to kids Grove and then cross onto the other Canal that would take take it straight back into congleton play it by a you sign I am I thought it must be you yeah I follow you all right okay and so it turns out I’d sat down next to one of the Run Adventurer subscribers Wendy we had a good old chinwag if you do bump into me while I’m out do say hello I’m always up for a that [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Cy Route 55 turn right look at this talk about busy I think actually we’ve come the wrong way but as we’re here we’re here it wasn’t a problem really I just turned left at the roundabout ahead and rejoined the path [Music] a [Music] oh sorry it’s all right I’ve got to figure out where I am now right okay where you for well I’ve come down from uh congleton so I want to pick up the canal really and get to head back so where’s the canal that know that one that where you going back uh so I want to get back to towards kids Grove right if you go that way on the canal yeah and then go fast um oh there you go let’s get the phone out yeah when you get the other side around the park yeah I see I can see so right onto the other Canal that’ll take you past uh Westport Lake yeah carry on past on the canal past Westport Lake and then that’ll take you to the bottom end of um the uh bath pool I wouldn’t want to I wouldn’t want to spend five or 10 grand on one and then park it outside weather spoons well and I am going to go into WEA spoon so that’s the map you want okay so many tubes right thank you very much I’ll get going so down here and take a right sorry they’re a really friendly bunch to cycling crew so we’re going to pick up the colon Canal here and follow it to its southermost extent where it joins onto the Trent and Mery Canal I really enjoyed the canal section actually cuz it’s a really great way to see the industrial history of stoon Trent because of course it all backed on to the canal cuz that’s how they got all the stuff in and out it’s a sort of Po industrial landscape there’s dilapidated uh things from the last century uh mixed in with more modern stuff come on let’s go and have a look [Music] [Music] where are we now then middle of stoke oh [Music] [Music] of course you can’t visit Stoke without seeing the ks which the potteries are so famous for these two bottle kils are Johnson Brothers a former Trent pottery and stand by the side of the canal just to remind us of a Time gone by [Music] yes I know I won’t run them down you’re a good mom [Music] another new one and a surprise to me Hanley Park absolutely stunning I’m definitely going to come back here and explore [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] I think I’ll push down the steps [Music] [Music] [Music] okay looks like a joining of the canals and that’s exactly what it is we’ve reached the end of the Cen Canal where it joins on to the Trenton Mery canal and we’re going to head north up towards Middleport Park and Westport Lake which are really pretty I plan to come back and explore them more thoroughly in the future [Music] [Music] I think it’s this way Toby calv smells good you get a completely different picture of stoked by the canal number of times I’ve been here by Road and didn’t know this was here right we’re not going to the cinema instead we’re heading for bam [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] well here’s somewhere I see from the other side hair Castle tunnel so this comes out in kids Grove uh so basically we have to get off here go through bath poool Park which drops us down into kids Grove but the other friend Castle tunnel and then we want to go off onto the other Canal which runs us straight into conlon what a fantastic day this is uh I’ve seen so many new places to explore [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] and so we drop down the hill into kids Grove and pick up the canal at the far end of the hair Castle tunnel okay here you go here’s the other end of that tunnel [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] look familiar another gritstone Trail marker and uh this one’s in the opening sequence for the run Adventurer videos that’s uh we want to get up the steps here cuz we want to be on the other Canal I could have gone by the road I guess but that’s got to be the most direct way thankfully the bike’s light look the battery is going to last us not quite sure it is belt needs tightening by the sound of it but uh we’ll pedal if we have to without assistance there 7 and 1/2 miles left to go and we’re 21 mil in and so this is the final set on the mfield canal into congleton if you’re going to do this section just be careful it’s not a great path you don’t want to anyone to end up falling in the canal [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] I might get off here actually almost there now down the hill through congleton town center and back through congleton Park through to where we began [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] and that’s it we’ve reached the end I hope you really enjoyed that I hope it inspired you to explore part if not all of that route isn’t it amazing just how far you can go with hardly touching a road at all all out in the beautiful countryside see you next time folks take care [Music]