This Route is 5.5 Miles mainly over rough tarmac with the final couple of hundred meters over a dirt path.
Starting from Irlam station we first cycle along Liverpool Rd and up Fir St, to meet the start of the Bridleway. The Bridleway turns left behind the houses and climbs the disused railway embankment to meet the Sandy lane Bridge.
Crossing the Sandy lane bridge the path then slopes back down to meet New Moss lane at the south side of the railway bridge.
Turning left the bridleway goes over the railway bridge, where New Moss Rd turns into Moss Rd.
The route then follows this road to its end and then beyond to end at the Lancashire Wildlife Trust’s ‘Little Woolden Moss‘ nature reserves.
On the way the route passes the Woodland Trusts ‘New Moss Wood‘, a native woodland was planted in 1998/99 as part of the Red Rose Forest. This wood supports a wide range of plants and wildlife and is a good site for birdwatchers, with an extensive network of un-surfaced footpaths that cross the site. Cyclists are able to park their bikes at the car park.
Continuing the route initially meets Woolden Road, which is a public footpath to Glazebrook Lane, before travserviing the M62. At the end of Moss Rd the route meets a farm gate, with a style to the left. Passing quietly though the farm drive the path then follows the top of the field divide and finally over a small bridge to meet the nature reserve.
You are now on the the nature reserve, please dismount and walk with your bike. Turning right the path leads east across the moss and after a few hundred yards turn right again to the reserve centre. Here you will leave the reserve and take the dirt road east to the Twelve Yards Rd/ Astley Rd crossing. Here you turn right heading back south over the M6 and the the juntion of Astley Rd and Roscoe Rd. Taking the right hand juntion you will come back into Irlam, where you will turn right again and back up to your starting point at the station.
Here you can have a well earned rest in the stations 1923 cafe.
By walking the footpaths around the nature reserve you can then access, to the left, Glazebrook lane or the Glazebrook Trail or, to the the right, Astley road which can be either taken North to Astley or South back into Irlam.
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