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National Cycle Route 57

86.99 miles (140 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap This signed Sustrans route runs from Gloucestershire based Farmington to Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire.
The route contains long traffic free sections along disused railways on the Ayot Greenway, the Phoenix Trail and the popular Nickey Line which runs between Hemel-Hempstead and Harpenden.
The start point is the village of Farmington which lies just east of Northleach. This means the opening section runs through part of the Cotswolds AONB.
Scroll down for route videos and the gpx file.

Cycle Routes on National Cycle Route 57

National Cycle Route 57 OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

National Cycle Route 57 Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Photos

Redbourn, The Nicky Line - geograph.org.uk - 143068

Redbourn: The Nicky Line. The trackbed of the dismantled Hemel Hempstead to Harpenden railway line, known as the Nicky Line, viewed looking westwards over the bridge over the old A5 road, Redbourn High Street. The railway was built in 1877, but passenger trains ceased in 1947, and the track was finally lifted in 1979. The trackbed now forms part of National Cycle Network Route 57.

Harpenden, Former Welwyn to Dunstable railway line - geograph.org.uk - 563387

 Former Welwyn to Dunstable railway line and brick bridge near Harpenden in Hertfordshire. Today the trackbed is on the Lea Valley Walk and the National Cycle Network Route 57. This bridge carries Station Road over the trackbed of the former Great Northern Railway line from Welwyn to Dunstable via Wheathampstead, Harpenden and Luton. The site of the former Harpenden East railway station is a few hundred metres up the trackbed beyond the bridge. The line closed and the rails were lifted in 1965. In front of the brick bridge is a later pedestrian footbridge. The conduit pipe held up by a piece of rope attached to the face of the brick bridge appears to carry electricity cables...

Phoenix Trail

Phoenix Trail sign on former Thame to Princes Risborough railway

Part of the Ayot Greenway Path - geograph.org.uk - 1264640

Part of the Ayot Greenway Path. This public pathway follows part of the disused Luton & Welwyn railway.

GOC Wheathampstead 163 Ayot Greenway (19551014868)

Disused railway, the Ayot Greenway. By 1877, Hertfordshire had eight branch lines; six are now disused and of those, five are now public access routes - Alban Way, Ayot Greenway, Cole Green Way, Ebury Way and the Nickey Line. The Ayot Greenway follows the line that linked Dunstable with Welwyn via Luton, Harpenden, Wheathampstead and Ayot.

Cycle track by A418 near Thame - geograph.org.uk - 179839

Pedestrian and cycle path beside the A418 road east of North Weston, Oxfordshire, heding toward Thame. The tree by the track is an oak.

GPS Files

GPX File

National Cycle Route 57.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)