The cyclepath link between Deeside Industrial Park, Burton and Neston is one of the jewels in the crown of Chester’s cycling infrastructure. Sustrans, Cheshire West and Chester Council and Flintshire County Council constructed a 3m wide cyclepath running adjacent to the Railway line and the MOD Sealand Range. The path then crosses the marsh on a raised wooden boardwalk before connecting Burton, Little Neston, and Neston with additional sections of tarmacked pathway.
There is no direct access to the RSPB reserve or Ness Gardens from the route. So if you plan to visit either of these, you need to leave the route and enter using the access used by motorised traffic.
There are refreshments available at the Harp pub which has a great beer garden overlooking the estuary and in Parkgate, including the famous ice cream shop.
There is also a cyclist friendly cafe at Denhall Lane, Net’s Cafe. The cafe is open every day, 7 days a week from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Click on the link below for a map of the access point from the Deeside Industrial Park.
Burton Marsh NCN 568 Map of Access from Deeside Industrial Park
The Chester Cycling Campaign highly recommends this vital, safe, and traffic free link between the Wirral and the NCN Route 5 to Connah’s Quay, Flint, Prestatyn, Conway and beyond.
Fantastic to be able to access this new bit of countryside. We went from Burton to somewhere in the middle of an industrial area, on an exploratory ride on our folding bikes today. Great surfaces and views. Signage ok, but needed to look up where we actually were on maps at home.
Strangely there was a serious accident down there on sunday involing a cyclist on the correct side of the road and an uninsured female motorist,wh hit the cyclist head on, the cyclist required paramedic and ambulance assistance along with 3 police cars and a fire engine, according to merseyside cyclings campigns google group.
Motorists must be made aware that roads are not just for them, and insurance is compulsory for all motorised vehicles, and optional for us cyclists,via various cycling organisations and non existent for walkers and bird watchers who seem to walk with large tripods swing like the grim reaper.
How long before a small child or elderley person is inpaled on a photographers tripod.
I have been walking down to burton point for many years pursuing my pastime of watching wildlife and in particular birds,I feel after only weeks of the cycle ‘racetrack’ opening it is only a matter of time before a serious accident occurs to a child or elderly person on a leisurly walk,cyclists must be made aware that this track is not just for cyclists and to be aware of other people. I realise that the majority of cyclists are responsible but it only takes one to cause an accident.
I find if you use your bell and pass other users of the walkways in a nice and respectful way and thank them for moving over i never have a problem
live and let live
From the above, its Hawrden bridge station near the TATA Shotton steelworks, not Hawrden railway bridge which is in Hawrden quite a ride away and all up hill.
When you reach the Harp pub, turn right up marshlands road, to mini roundabout, take care when crossing its not used as a roundabout by locals who just drive over it,a spectator bench is on the side of the road and a nice place to rest and see bad driving, i did today,so go accross the roundabout then turn left, past a small parade of shops and cary straight ahead, after a few minutes you reach the wirral way , turn left for west kirby, or right for Willaston, down through the cutting and after hadlow road station,continue until you see sustrans blue signs for route 56 Chester, or continue down the wirral way and catch the train back to chester from Hooton, bikes go free on Merseyrail, and lifts are available to access the platforms.
One small part of the track over a wooden sleeper bridge appears to have ocllapsed and been covered with 2 sheets of plywood, which are twisted and rise up when a cyclist or walker treads on them, be aware they trip a walker.
Otherwise a fantastic ride and well worth the effort, many thanks to all concerned in building it.
Rode this yesterday. Absolutely brilliant. Better surface than any road you’ll find and the boardwalk section was a blast. Can’t wait to use it again and carry on into Chester along the Dee
signage very poor, beware of road traffic as work shift changes , views over river great
great work-went right through the new section and on to chester-only difficulty was working out the route to join the existing path by the industrial park near sealand
Met several people who were out to trial the new path but didn’t know which way to go
I worked it out eventually
A few signposts will be really helpful
thanks for this great link to chester/wales free from traffic
Route open, needs signage otherwise great ride and veiw across the marsh. Though a bit windy and cool last thursday.
Me and my mate have been over the marsh today and all that is left to do between Deeside and burton point is tidying up fences an Tarmac to finish off
Went to have a look at the northern end of the path this morning. There is now a beautifully tarmacked surface from Marshlands Road, past the HARP and through the houses and on for another few hundred yards. Beyond that the surface is flat but roughly surfaced all the way to Denhall Lane. It looks as if a final coat of tarmac will be applied in the next few days. This is far better than I expected and will be a fantastic facility.
I could see work going on on the old road beyond Denhall Lane, towards the firing range, but didn’t get any further.
The surface being used appears to be an anti slip decking board, i.e. with two or three aggregrate filled grooves on each plank. I’ve seen something similar, but can’t think where, or if I’ve ridden over it.
Progress seems to be good, with most of the route tarmacked, though there is still a fair bit of the decked route to be constructed.
Absoletly brillinat!
And how is the (Sustans) bridge over the Dee at Chester coming along?
Hi I noticed your review regarding the cycle path Work on Dee Marshes Route. Do you know if there are plans to exend the path all the way along the river through to flint. There is a 2 mile stretch I use everyday which is on the main road and can be very dangerous with idiotic drivers trying to squeeze past. I have heard plans were made to link connahs quay to flint on a safe path. Any news would be gratefully received.
Thanks
Alan
The work on the Northern End seems to extend as far as the Harp. Is there any plan to extend this to join Old Quay Lane. I know this was originally planed but landowners objected to increased use of the existing footpath.
Also is there are chance of a better map being made available? Its hard to see the route on this one.
Re. surface of the boardwalk. As others have commented real hope they use the abrasive surface and not chicken wire (far from ideal, especially for road bikes ) though even if I have to get off and push the short boardwalk section, the ability to cross this way without being hassled by locked gates, fences, Sealand Ranges personnel will be very welcome! It really has been a long frustrating wait to regain this valuable right of way. Further up the coast, the upgrading of the link from Burton Marsh to Neston past the Harp is equally exciting, roll on the spring!!
Purple sue, unlikely to flood as its about 2 foot above the level of the existing fields, and another part is on the railway enbankment.
Great news – although I may not use it often we will potter out for a gander when complete.
Have to agree with Paul and John – hope they use the sandpaper (suspension bridge stuff) rather than sharp chicken wire!
will it be rideable when the tide comes in – that would be a good sight – if not scary!
Fantastic news
Further update of the works, the piles to support the boardwalk are being installed, and very substansial they look, along with the supporting timbers for decking, the new path links up with the railway line from wrexham to Bidston and runns alongside it, just after the sealand ranges cabin, double locked gates on the existing roadway, and looks to to be ending near the boating lake near shotton papers paper mill, and link into the route from Hawrden bridge station on the same railway line.
Great views over the marshes towards Wales.But its a real windy place.
This will be great and a huge improvement to the safety of cycling from the Wirral to Wales. Fantastic.
I think it is a brilliant idea love to see a good cycle route straight into the heart of Wales cant wait for it to open one word “BRILLIANT”
Brilliant.
After the long and frustrating delays over several years, the completion of this path will not come a moment too soon.
Never mind the many cross border byways and highways between Wales and England, symbolically, this is as good as it gets.
Teething problems apart, well done all those that have enabled it to happen.
Roy, Cyclists’ Rights Representative (Denbighshire/Conwy)
CTC Cymru – Welsh region of the 70,000 member National Cycling Charity
The current rather slippy deckboarding on the Cop at Sealand road that leads to the roodee and curzon park bridge is slippy when damp or wet,yet the pedestrian footbridge at Queens park that us cyclists walk over has been treated with a mon slip surface.
Chicken wire type surfacing is now being discontinued due to the risk to wildlife, and water contamination,due to the galvanising of the wire , there are also sometimes numerous punctures when the wire breaks.
Have to agree with John F, cyclists & wet decking/boards do not mix.
I’m pretty sure the engineers are aware wooden boards are too slippery for bike tyres. There are numerous workarounds for this – chicken wire wrapped around the boards (seen this done on downhill MTB courses that have wooden boards), and the sandpaper type of surface that is applied at traffic lights etc. on roads.
It’ll be fine, don’t worry!
While i welcome this path I can’t help wondering if wooden boards are the best surface for cyclists.