Great news - the Cotswold Line Cycle Route has now been fully signposted between Evesham (south) and Pershore, joining the existing section from Pershore to Worcester.
Worcestershire County Council has signed the full length as National Route 442, replacing the old Regional Route 44 number. It links to recently opened stretches of Routes 41 and 45, which head towards Tewkesbury from Evesham and Worcester respectively.
A new map of the Worcester-Evesham route has been published by WCC and can be downloaded from their cycling maps page.
May 2012
We're delighted to report that the Cotswold Line Cycle Route has been confirmed as proposed Route 442 of the National Cycle Network.
A unique number identifies every route within the National Cycle Network. The numbers are featured on clear, distinctive blue signage to help cyclists follow the route. The CLCR joins several existing NCN routes - Route 5 at Oxford, Route 48 at Shipston-on-Stour, Routes 45 and 46 at Worcester - as well as another proposed route, Route 41, at Evesham.
10 May 2011
The Cotswold Line Cycle Route is featured on a new map for cyclists, walkers and bus users in central West Oxfordshire. The free map highlights safe cycle routes and buses in the 'A40 corridor', with a general area map plus detailed plans of Witney, Carterton, Eynsham and Woodstock. It is scheduled to be launched in Bike Week this June.
10 May 2011
By kind permission of Lord and Lady Rotherwick, the Charlbury Cycling Group has negotiated bicycle access along the footpath through Cornbury Park, Charlbury for a trial period this summer.
The footpath through the picturesque grounds links North Lodge, on the edge of Charlbury, with the estate village of Southill, from where a tarmac drive continues towards Finstock.
Cycle access will be a great boon to Charlbury and Finstock families looking for somewhere safe to cycle. It will also provide a useful facility for people at the Southill offices, many of whom commute via Charlbury station. For the Cotswold Line Cycle Route, it provides a safe and enjoyable alternative to the busy, twisting B-road out of Charlbury.
Cornbury Park has a strong record of supporting the community in Charlbury and we are very grateful for their willingness to carry out this trial. We will carry more details when dates for the trial are confirmed.
10 May 2011
We are continuing to work to identify sources of funding to signpost and publicise the route. Unfortunately our first bid, submitted by Sustrans' Thames Valley office in Oxford, for funding to signpost the Oxfordshire section was unsuccessful - perhaps little surprise given that the fund in question was seven times over-subscribed! But we are pursuing other sources and are optimistic that we will find funding for this vital work soon.
10 May 2011
Worcestershire County Council is to signpost the route between Pershore and Evesham this year, extending the section already open from Worcester to Pershore. Following quiet lanes around the north of Bredon Hill, then the traffic-free cycle path beside the A46 to Evesham, this section of route is suitable for experienced cyclists and novices alike.
March 2011
As part of Bike Week 2010, we organised a ride along the Cotswold Line Cycle Route from Oxford. Most of our intrepid cyclists reached Kingham or Moreton, stopping for refreshments at the excellent Cafe de la Poste in Chadlington. A few pressed on over the top to Honeybourne and Pershore, though none of us made it to Worcester! The ride was a great success and we hope to repeat it soon.
The photo shows our party stopping at the Adlestrop bus shelter where the original station sign is preserved.
3 August 2010