Old Coach Road: access by bike? (1 Viewer)

[ormulum]

Hi

New forum member here. In fact new to birding all together having developed an interest after taking up cycling earlier this year. I occasionally pass the Old Coach Road in between Bickerstaffe and the East Lancs Road and have been intrigued by it as a potential birding site. However, I am confused as to what its status is with regard to access? It looks like a private road to me but I've read elsewhere on the net that it is accessible to cyclists and walkers. On the other hand, people also report that it is patrolled by wardens!

Can anyone advise on whether it is possible to cycle down there? Can you use the road itself or are their designated paths that can be used by cyclists?

Many thanks

 

[COLG]

Hi , Sorry that no one seems to have responded to your post but I not sure if anyone is very familiar with the area ...I'm not really myself but I'll try my best . If you go onto the internet and type in "coach road and siding lane nature reserve " it takes you onto a page telling you about the area and giving you a phone number for the St. Helens Ranger Service , who are responsible for Siding Lane . I'm sure somebody there will be able to tell you how accessible the coach road is by bike....Siding Lane isn't the smoothest ride from what I've seen .

 

[Pete Loydall]

Hi just seen your request for info on the Old Coach Road area and access, Colin Davies has a sites guides for Old coach Road and Rainford Mosslands and more on his web site, link to his site guides --
http://www.sthelenswildlife.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Siteguide.htm

Colin is a regular on bird forum, so he likley to see this and reply when he's on, or you could email him for more info, you may even see him around there on his bike one weekend.

Cheers Peter.

 

[ormulum]

@COLG/Peter

Thank you very much indeed for the info regarding the Coach Road. Much appreciated. What I don't want to do is upset the local Ranger service and/or the landowner. The LNR is definitely on my list of places to visit so I will give them a buzz.

Peter: thinks for the link - will take a look at the site now!

cheers

 

[widiot]

I regularly travel along old coach road,and can assure you it is open to the public. I have never seen a ranger or warden down there,tho work does take place to keep the path clear and stop the plants encroaching tho I am not sure who does this work. It is indeed a good site for birding,and at the moment the fields that surround the road are providing roosts for several thousand pinkies. Well worth a visit

I access the area by travelling up Dairy Farm Road(off the Rainford bypass) and there is no problem cycling this way

 

[Johnny1]

Have you tried searching the threads? I'm sure a bloke called Colin? did regular reports of the Old Coach Rd. area on here.

 

[chris23565]

My brother use to live in one of the houses at the top end of the Old Coach Road and my parents live in Rainford whenever I visit my dad and myself always take a walk along the Coach Road and its completely open to the public there are one or two side roads which may have issues but most people are helpful around the area and will point you in the right direction. Like others I've never seen a warden around here.

Good luck and happy birding.

 

[Pete Loydall]

Regarding the Rangers or wardens, its not them you have to worry about, its the Gamekeepers.... Keep to the roads and proper footpaths, they DO NOT like you walking around - across their fields taking shortcuts etc, trust me....

Cheers Peter.

 

[ormulum]

Thanks again folks. Sounds like it's navigable by bike which is good!

A huge cloud of Pink Footed geese appeared over the mosses last weekend. I suspect some of them landed near the Old Coach Road so it's a good excuse to head out there!

 

[pignut bushcraft]

iv bin looking around on the net for people that are familiar with this area. i have been trying to find out if there is any birds like barn owls or any other owls around these parts. it looks like i could hold a few with lord darbys estate being so close and the farms that have lots of tall grasses and hedges around them. i only live in kirkby and camp in spinny woods all the time so it would be nice to go into the feilds and find one hunting for its pray.