LANCASTER & MORECAMBE AC TRAINING ROUTES
Listed below are descriptions of some favourite training routes. Rather than give lengthy detailed descriptions of fixed routes, we have tried instead to point you towards areas of particular interest where you can combine elements to create runs to suit yourself. One essential is a good map. Highly recommended is the Ordnance Survey Outdoor Leisure map sheet 41, "Forest of Bowland". This covers a vast area from Garstang in the south, up through Lancaster to Caton and the Lune Valley, and extending eastwards across Clougha Pike and the Forest of Bowland towards the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
The view across Morecambe Bay can be enjoyed along the whole length of the prom, and there are plenty of other points of interest. The promenade has been completely rebuilt in the centre of Morecambe, and is now being populated with items of public art to celebrate and interpret the wildlife and natural setting of the Bay. Most recent of these is a statue of Eric Morecambe, bathed in blue light at nightime. If the weather suits, it is worth taking a detour to the end of the Stone Jetty (behind the Midland Hotel). At the very end of the jetty is a fishing platform, and on a clear day you get the sensation of being right in the centre of Morecambe Bay, with stunning views towards the fells. The only real drawback to the prom is the weather. If it's wet and windy, and you're going in the wrong direction, it offers an experience that can best be described as character building! LANCASTER TO MORECAMBE CYCLEWAY The disused railway leading from Lancaster to Morecambe was converted to a cyleway and footpath many years ago, and has been upgraded with tarmac surfacing and street lights. It passes right next to the Athletic Club's base at Salt Ayre, and forms part of an expanding network of traffic free cycleways extending in three directions: out to Morecambe to the west, and eastwards through Lancaster to Glasson Dock, or up the Lune Valley towards Halton and Caton.
Another recent addition to the network is a short link from Salt Ayre (starting just upstream of the sports centre), running along the riverside and out to join quiet country roads near to Snatchems, leading out to Middleton and Overton. The main attraction of the section leading from Salt Ayre to Morecambe is the fact that it links in with Morecambe Promenade (see above) in the centre of the town. The end of the cycleway is not particularly obvious if you've not used it before - it can be found just by the roundabout at the entrance to the Morrisons foodstore. Starting from the new Millennium Bridge at St George's Quay and passing along the riverside by Sainsburys, the cycleway follows the route of the old Leeds/Morecambe railway along the south bank of the River Lune. It has been surfaced and lit as part of Lancaster's River Lune Millennium Park project.
The section from Lancaster to Caton is approximately 6 miles long, and has plenty of opportunities to create circular routes of varying distances. In particular it can be linked with a series of public footpaths and roads running along the north bank of the river, with crossing points at either Skerton Bridge, the Aqueduct, Halton Bridge, or Crook O'Lune. Some sections of the north bank footpath are rough and boggy, so off-road shoes might be advisable. The cycleway continues for a short distance beyond Caton, ending at Bull Beck picnic area on the main road (A683). LANCASTER TO GLASSON DOCK COASTAL PATH The third branch of the network of cycleways radiating out from Lancaster runs south to Glasson Dock, once again following the course of a disused railway. This one is very different in character, however. Only a short section is tarmac surfaced - the rest is a softer gravel surface which is easier on the legs and ideal for long steady runs. It leads through the flat, wild and marshy landscape of the river estuary and has a much more natural character than the other routes. The start of the path is at the end of New Quay Road (follow the road alongside the river from St George's Quay and keep on to the end past the Forbo factory). It leads out to connect with quiet country roads at Aldcliffe, and Stodday, before reaching a picnic area at Conder Green and then the picturesque small port and marina at Glasson Dock. The distance from Lancaster to Glasson is about 6 miles, and there are plenty of opportunities to link with sections of the Lancaster Canal to create short or long circular runs. The Lancaster Canal runs north/south through the city and surrounding countryside, and provides yet another option for safe, traffic free running through superb countryside. Throughout the built-up area of Lancaster (and also through to Carnforth) the canal towpath has been surfaced with asphalt and is suitable for cycling. South of Lancaster it runs through a long wooded cutting and can get muddy in places. A short (2 mile) branch of the canal runs across from Galgate to Glasson Dock and can form the basis for some excellent circular routes linking with the coastal path (see above) The grounds of Lancaster University are a popular venue for Mid Lancs Cross Country meetings and the Lancashire County Championships. There are several paths running round the perimeter of the campus which are ideal for off road training. The University has a "visitors welcome" policy, and you can change and shower at the Sports Centre on payment of a small fee. Further information is available from the University website.
For many years the park has been a popular destination for runners, with the surrounding roads ideal for building strength through hill work. The park has recently been extended, and a new woodland path has been created just behind the Ashton Memorial. It provides a circular loop of around one mile of smooth gravel path, with some enjoyable twists and climbs. If you haven't discovered it yet, try it!
Only a couple of miles east of Lancaster lies the answer. Clougha Pike is a popular training ground for local fell runners, with a short steep climb up to the triangulation point at 410m height, leading on across open fells to Grit Fell and Ward's Stone at 560m. The land is private moorland and public access is limited to certain points. These include the car park at Rigg Lane (Grid Ref 527 604 - ideal for a short sharp blast to the trig point and back); Little Crag car park (Grid Ref 546 618); and Jubilee Tower (Grid Ref 542 573).
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The Lancaster and Morecambe area is
a wonderful place for running. The new athletics track at
Salt Ayre offers first class facilities for track and
field athletics and for road runners wanting to do formal
speed work. The network of cycle tracks and footpaths
running outwards from Lancaster and Morecambe along the
banks of the River Lune and the canal towpaths provide
exhilarating training routes through spectacular scenery.
Fell runners can enjoy training on the local fells of
Clougha Pike and Ward's Stone, or travel not so far away
to the challenges of the Lakeland Fells and Yorkshire
Dales.
The seafront promenade is
the obvious place to run in a seaside town, and Morecambe
is no exception. Morecambe's promenade offers a continous
stretch of more than 4 miles of flat, traffic free,
running, extending from Heysham village at one end,
through the centre of Morecambe, to end by the golf
course at Bare. Training runs can be extended at Heysham
to take in Heysham Head, a National Trust property with
the remains of an ancient cliff-top chapel (St Patrick's
Chapel), rock hewn graves, and superb elevated views
across Morecambe Bay towards the Lakeland Fells.
The cyleways are designed
for dual use by pedestrians and cyclists, and are perfect
for running. The network has being completed
with the construction of a spectacular new Millennium Bridge across
the River Lune at St George's Quay in Lancaster.
This section of the
cycleway offers superb scenery with many points of
interest. These include majestic stone bridges across the
river at Skerton Bridge and the Lancaster Canal Aqueduct;
a dramatic white water section of the river just above
Halton; and the well known beauty spot and picnic area at
Crook O'Lune.
The one landmark which
everyone knows in Lancaster is the Ashton Memorial, set
on the hilltop above the City and visible as you pass by
on the M6 motorway. It's set in the middle of a
spectacular urban park (created in Victorian times from a
series of quarries which provided stone for many of
Lancaster's historic buildings).
Any fell runners who have read the stuff
above will probably be curling their lips at the
references to "flat" "safe" and
"surfaced" routes. What about some proper bogs
to lose your shoes in, some rocks to trip over, and some
wild featureless moorland to get frozen in and completely
lost in low cloud and horizontal sleet?