NCN 56 - Huyton to Chester

68.3 km 526 m climbing A day 17% off road Road cycling North West England

The route runs west from Bowring Park through the southern Liverpool suburbs, drops to the waterfront, and crosses to the Wirral by ferry.

On the Wirral the line works through Wallasey and New Brighton before settling into the peninsula's low interior, passing Bidston, Upton and Woodchurch on quiet roads. South of Storeton the ground rises gently toward Thornton Hough and then falls to the Dee shore at Parkgate and Neston. From Little Neston the route cuts east across the Cheshire plain through Willaston and Two Mills to Chester, with the final kilometres through Hoole into the city centre.

The figures

Distance	68.3 km
Climbing	526 m
Off road	12 km, about 17% of the route
Riding time	about 5 hours, a long day
Region	North West England
Route from	Sustrans

Worth knowing before you go

The Mersey crossing is by ferry, so timetables and fares apply before you leave. Resupply is straightforward through Liverpool, Wallasey and Chester, and possible at Neston mid-route, but the stretch between Little Neston and Two Mills is thinly served. About a sixth of the route is off road, so a bike that handles mixed surfaces will suit it better than a pure road machine.

Put your own dates on this and TourTrax splits it into days at your pace, finds somewhere to sleep at the end of each one, estimates what it will cost and gets you to the start without flying.

Plan this route → Download the GPX

Other route guides

NCN 56 - Huyton to Chester is an official route from Sustrans (their website).