NCN 55 - Ironbridge to Preston
NCN 55 - Ironbridge to Preston is a 216.7 km road cycling route in West Midlands with 1180 m of climbing, about 25% of it off road, and it splits into about 4 days at a moderate pace.
The route runs north from Ironbridge through the Shropshire coalfield, settles into flatter ground past Newport and Gnosall Heath, then lifts again as it crosses into Cheshire and picks its way through the edges of Greater Manchester. About a quarter of the surface is off road. The line threads through continuous urban and suburban settlement from Stoke northward, with Marple and Heaton Norris marking the denser approaches to Manchester before the route works west through Salford and out across the Lancashire plain to Preston.
Worth knowing before you go
Resupply is straightforward along most of the route, with Newport, Congleton, Stoke and the Greater Manchester settlements all on or close to the line. The off-road sections require attention in wet conditions. Navigation is most demanding through the Stoke and Manchester conurbations, where the line makes frequent turns through built-up streets.
NCN 55 - Ironbridge to Preston in numbers
- Distance: 216.7 km
- Climbing: 1180 m
- Off road: 54 km, about 25% of the route
- Riding time: about 20 hours, roughly 4 days at a moderate pace
Water, food, campsites and stations along this route are shown on the interactive map.
Plan it and ride it
The map on this page carries the surface breakdown, the elevation profile and every point of interest. You can split the route into days against your own pace, see what it will cost to ride, and take it with you. Download the GPX.
Read the NCN 55 - Ironbridge to Preston route guide.
Getting to the start without flying · Browse all routes
Route from Sustrans.
Compiled by Ed Hunton, Cicerone guidebook author, from TourTrax's own route data.