NCN 6 Sheffield to Manchester

Stage 6
85km Sheffield to Manchester

Stage 6 is a glorious ride across the Pennines, traversing the Peak District National Park. There are fabulous views from the tops, as well as plenty of lush valley riding. The cycling is hilly and includes the famous - and tough - Winnats Pass, which once ridden up with panniers is not an experience you’ll forget. However, there are plenty of resting opportunities on the way up, not least in Britain’s largest cave. Once out of the Peak District, the route follows canals, and travels through woods and quiet lanes until joining the excellent traffic-free ‘cycle ring’ around Manchester .
Note that there is no official route out of Castleton to the outskirts of Manchester, but the route below will guide you through beautiful and relatively quiet lanes.

Ride details
Distance:85km
Start: Sheffield City Hall
Finish: Mancester Science and Industry Museum
Nearest Mainline station: Sheffield
Nearest Mainline to the finish: Manchester, Deansgate
Time needed: 1 day. (riding time approx. 5 hours)
Difficulty: Hard. There is a steep climb out of Sheffield, and the famously steep (max 20%) Winnats Pass. The route uses canalside paths some of which are quite bumpy.
Traffic and Surfaces: Shared paths, quiet country lanes. The route uses canal side paths some of which are quite bumpy.
Cycle Paths: NCN 6, NCN 55, NCN 60
Recommended café/restaurant stops; Castleton, Peveril Tea Rooms, Manchester; Miller and Carter, 53 King St. Superb steakhouse - (also many other non steak dishes, Ezra and Gill, 20 Hilton St. Coffee Shop and good breakfasts.
Recommended Stay; Quayside apartments. (A great place for cyclists on a budget. A large room, bikes can be taken in to it. There is a spacious kitchenette and bathroom. Centrally located).
What to see: (£) Sheffield; Winter Gardens, Peak District National Park,
What to visit (£): Sheffield; Tropical Butterfly House, Castleton; Speedwell Cavern, Peak Cavern, Blue John Cavern, Peveril Castle, Manchester; Science and Industry Museum, The John Rylands Library, The Manchester Museum, The National Football Museum, Manchester Art Gallery, People’s History Museum.

Links to Stage 5 and Stage 7

Sheffield to Castleton
The ride out of Sheffield is superbly signed and climbs up into the Pennines using wood tracks and quiet back roads, where the views become evermore spectacular. Once out of the city - and it’s a long climb - the cooler air, the views over Dark Peak’s moorland and lush valleys along with the spectacular gritstone edges are stunning. After the long climb, there is a great descent which takes you down to the Ladybower reservoir. This is followed by a ride along an old railway track and a quiet lane into the White (Limestone) Peak, at Castleton. The village can become quite busy in the height of the summer season, but even in the busiest times, it is still picturesque.

Stanage Edge, Peak District National Park

Winnats Pass
Sustrans have removed the official signage out of Castleton and the route is signless until the outskirts of Manchester, which means that the scenery can be marred by high volumes of traffic, especially on summer weekends. But there is no alternative route out of the valley unless you catch the train towards Manchester. What is far more gruelling is the climb up Winnats Pass, one of the most famous climbs in the Peak District, where the maximum gradient reaches 20%. However, to be in this natural amphitheatre is a highlight of the trip.

Blue John Mines
The area around Castleton is famous for its caves and Blue John mines. Tours, underground boat trips and spectacular guided cave trips make a welcome distraction from the climb. The scenery through which you ride is archetypal limestone with rich green fields divided by dry stone walls and stone barns. It is very lovely.
From the top of the climb, the descent towards Chapel-en-le-Frith is a joy.

The Peak to Stockport
Once back in the valley, (still no signage, so follow the route on the link below with care), there is another harsh climb before descending to Whalley Bridge, where you join NCN68, which you follow to New Mills. The track was once the Old Peak Railway, transporting limestone to the Peak Canal. Remants of the track remain which makes for bumpy cycling, until you join the much smoother Peak Canal towpath. There, take the off-road NCN55 to Marple. Views of high hills, steep valleys and woods are all enjoyed on traffic-free paths to the edge of Stockport.

Stockport
Signage for the NCN6 into the city is absent as the roads do not meet Sustran’s criteria for traffic-free cycling. However, their removal is quite extreme as the traffic is not too bad. Following the route below will take you on the quietest route for the next 10km, when you re-join the NCN 6 on the superb Fallowfield Loop which encircles the whole of Manchester. It is a rare cycleway gem and is continental in smoothness and width. You ride through parks, rivers, fields and woods.

Manchester
Good traffic-free signage takes you into the very heart of this great Northern City. There are many distractions from the cathedral, the Science and Industry Museum, to the art galleries and this is before you begin eating your way through the city’s many Michelin listed restaurants. There is a tremendous atmosphere in the city it’s full of young people who come for the music scene, the clubs and bars.