Safe places for activities in the dark? (not dogging obvs ;) )

You say you'll "probably have to use the bike earlier in the day due to drunks" but I wouldn't expect to encounter "drunks" except possibly in the town centre of a Friday or Saturday night.

 

2 years back he might have seen me....

But yeah, the Gnosall line is generally fine. In daylight you'll see people, but only others exercising (mostly bikes and dog walkers, the odd runner). When running at night I prefer to be not too far from others, as a friend fell and badly broke her wrist a few months back and didn't carry her phone. Makes you a bit paranoid. I also prefer to do circuits which can be shortened/extended as the mood fits rather than straight lines, as deciding you're tired at the wrong end is a bugger!

For running I prefer to avoid crossing roads where possible, I generally stick to the same routes and I think most would be OK in the dark. Using beaconside as a base (I start at holmcroft road area) I can either circle back on the isobel trail for 5k, weston road for 10k or if feeling energetic throw in weston road school for about 2.5k extra or Baswich for an extra 4k.

 

Yes, "running at night" can be hazardous - and a brisk walk rather than running could avoid damaging the knees too much.

 

It's ok for now but say i go between 8-10, and the pubs etc shut at 10... coming back home might be interesting

obviously at the moment there's no problems at all but depends what happens when lockdown ends

 

I'd avoid towpaths in the dark - you are really not far from a dunking.

Where you are, for a good cycle ride i'd do Home -> St Leonards -> Baswich -> Two Waters -> Kingston Hill -> Beaconside ->

->Alt 1 Sandon road -> Town

-> Alt 2 Isabel -> Sainsburys -> Town

-> Town -> Riverside -> River -> St Leonards -> Home.

Should be free of too much weirdness, and mostly well illuminated. Reckon that would be ~ 15km, anywhere between 40mins-1hr.

If you'd like a guide to put you on the right track i'd be happy to ride it with you - if the instructions are not clear i could expand on them.

 

I'm really surprised by this! I walk the lines daily on my own on that bit of it you would have used and only really see families, joggers, cyclists and dog walkers. If I do see someone dodgy they are usually with someone else equally dodgy and wrapped in their own business!! I also walk there at night albeit with my big dog and have never worried about doing so. I also run alone down the whole way from Doxey Road to Beaconside and always feel safe. Wouldn't mind some street lighting down there mind for the dark tho!

 

Has anyone done the walk from beaconside Rd to Hopton. I'm Quite interested in it

 

No, but I may look into that.

 

Do you mean along the old railway line? If so I think most of it is fields now and I don’t think the line went via Hopton and went more towards Salt.

Google says there is a route via the Army base but I suspect you may get challenged using this route especially if it is after sundown

 

I, too, am amazed that someone should think other than i do.

It's almost like not everyone experiences exactly the same things when exposed to the same stimuli.

This is why i find life entirely baffling.

Get off my property.

 

If people are so stupid


Why am I not so rich

 

I'm a bit late to these posts but as someone who starting cycling more in the last 4 months I would avoid the Isabel Trail after hours as it's simply too dark... Most pedestrians don't wear reflective clothing or carry lights so unless you're lit up like a pink Floyd concert you won't see them.

A good route is down queensville, up Radford bank, down baswich, over two waters way bridge and back through tixall road.

Or you could go up Weston road and do loops of the technology park as it's so quiet at night...

That said I've set the bike up indoors to do Zwift and have been loving it!!

 

I often walk from Beaconside, past Beacon Farm, over Beacon Hill and to Hopton Pools.
It's a pleasant walk but there's nothing of interest in Hopton.
Today I continued over the A518, beyond the County Showground and wind turbines and down through the Hanyards and past the Crem to make a circular walk just short of two hours.

 

Yes, walking along the old railway line beyond Beaconside has never really been a possibility.
Through the MOD Depot is fenced off, the cutting just before Within Lane was the Borough Council's landfill site forty years ago and towards Salt it disappeared into the fields long ago.

 

I've just seen a bloke running down the Stone Rd, he was really well lit up, blue flashing lights on his ankles, a green flashing rucksack strap type thing on his back/chest, and a red light on his head.

I really really wish the 6.30am screwfix workers who ride their bikes straight across the top of the Rd (from pavement to pavement) without looking, would at least use lights or wear hi-viz, or even follow the bloke bunnings lead....

 

If I'm out at night I do the same, weirdly the ankle lights tend o get more notice than the chest one!

 

Cos they're blue, I thought the police were after me....

 

That's your legs not the lights

 

Guilty conscience?