One thousand "Millennium Mileposts" made from cast iron were funded by the Royal Bank of Scotland to mark the creation of the National Cycle Network, and these are found along the NCN routes throughout the UK.
One thousand "Millennium Mileposts" made from cast iron were funded by the Royal Bank of Scotland to mark the creation of the National Cycle Network, and these are found along the NCN routes throughout the UK.
There are four different types: "Fossil Tree" (designed by John Mills), "The Cockerel" (designed by Iain McColl), "Rowe Type" (designed by Andrew Rowe), and "Tracks" (designed by David Dudgeon). The four artists are from each country of the UK, though all posts can be found in all four countries.<ref>{{cite web|title=National Cycle Network Mileposts|url=http://www.geograph.org.uk/snippet/1462|work=Geograph Britain and Ireland website|accessdate=12 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=National Cycle Network - Art - Mileposts|url=http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/information/national-cycle-network/mileposts|work=Sustrans website|publisher=[[Sustrans]]|accessdate=12 December 2013}}</ref>
There are four different types: "Fossil Tree" (designed by John Mills), "The Cockerel" (designed by Iain McColl), "Rowe Type" (designed by Andrew Rowe), and "Tracks" (designed by David Dudgeon). The four artists are from each part of the UK, though all posts can be found nationwide.<ref>{{cite web|title=National Cycle Network Mileposts|url=http://www.geograph.org.uk/snippet/1462|work=Geograph Britain and Ireland website|accessdate=12 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=National Cycle Network - Art - Mileposts|url=http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/information/national-cycle-network/mileposts|work=Sustrans website|publisher=[[Sustrans]]|accessdate=12 December 2013}}</ref>
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Revision as of 12:22, 27 February 2014
Map of the National Cycle NetworkThe Bristol & Bath Railway PathNCR Route 8 sign near Harlech
The National Cycle Network (NCN) is the national cycling route network of the United Kingdom, which was established by the charity Sustrans to encourage cycling throughout Britain, as well as for the purposes of bicycle touring. In this effort, Sustrans were aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.
Little of the NCN is on dedicated bike paths. Though many routes try to minimise contact with motor traffic, 70% of them are on roads.[1] The NCN uses pedestrian routes, disused railways, minor roads, canal towpaths and traffic-calmed routes in towns and cities.
The opening of the Bristol and Bath Railway Path (now part of National Route 4) in 1984, a 15-mile cycleway following a railway no longer in use, was the first part of the NCN.[2]
The original goal was to create 5,000 miles of signed cycle routes by 2005,[2] with 50% of these not being on roads, and all of it being "suitable for an unsupervised twelve year old." By mid-2000 already, 5000 miles of route were signposted to an "interim" standard, and a new goal was then set to double that to 10,000 miles by 2005. In August 2005 this goal too was achieved.
There are currently some 13,000 miles of signed cycle route to NCN standards.[3]
Routes
National routes
There are ten national NCN routes; these are numbered from 1 to 10. There are scores of regional NCN routes.
Tynemouth — Cockermouth. Was regional route 10 Reivers Cycle Route. Return route for the C2C / Sea to Sea Cycle Route. Roughly parallel to the C2C and Hadrian's Cycleway. It is a branch of National Route 1.
NCR 881: Valleys (Rhondda Valley / Pontypridd - Maerdy)
NCR 882: Valleys (Rhondda Valley / Treorchy)
NCR 883: Valleys (Ogmore Valley)
NCR 884: Valleys (Garw Valley)
NCR 885: Bridgend/Pontyclun
NCR 887: Maesteg / Afan Valley
Numbering system
The main routes have one digit (1 to 6 radiate clockwise from the south of England, 7 in the north, 8 in Wales, 9 in Ulster). Other routes have two digits, starting with the number of the relevant main route.
Of the many regional routes, each 'region' is divided into a maximum of nine 'areas', which created duplication, but as from 2009, regional routes have been renumbered with unique 3-digit national numbers.[4]
Routes are occasionally numbered to match the motorways and major roads that connect the same destinations; examples include NCN Route 62, which by connecting the two sides of the Pennines mirrors the M62 motorway.
Signage
A NCN "Millennium Milepost"
The network is signposted using a white bicycle symbol on a blue background, with a white route number in an inset box, but with no destination names or distances. National Route numbers have a red background, Regional Route numbers have a blue background. The system of symbols is based on that used by the Danish National Cycle Route network.
Mileposts
One thousand "Millennium Mileposts" made from cast iron were funded by the Royal Bank of Scotland to mark the creation of the National Cycle Network, and these are found along the NCN routes throughout the UK.
There are four different types: "Fossil Tree" (designed by John Mills), "The Cockerel" (designed by Iain McColl), "Rowe Type" (designed by Andrew Rowe), and "Tracks" (designed by David Dudgeon). The four artists are from each part of the UK, though all posts can be found nationwide.[5][6]
