| 1. Leave Southport, travel towards Penwortham via Much Hoole, drop down hill in to Preston and join Lancaster canal towpath, follow toepath passing Haslam Park to Preston Sports Arena.
Leave towpath and follow country roads through past Ashton & lea golf course in to Lea village. Continue of country roads to springfields and windmill arms. Continue on country roads twisting and winding all way to Kirkham.
At mini roundabout in Kirkham turn left and cross A583 Kirkham bypass on past HMP, turn right in to Hillock lane, follow to end at Kellamergh, turn right and left on to Carr Lane then right at bottom on to lodge lane to met Lytham road.
Turn right on to Lytham road and follow cost along Lytham seafront to fairhaven lake, turn on to inner promenade and follow beach to St Annes Pier.
Return, start from pier cross Clifton drive and continue past St annes train station, turn right in to St patricks road and continue to bottom, turn left in to links gate to end and right in to buclerk road to end, changes to path alongside college, rejoin road at central drive.
Turn left, Worsley Road and continue in to Edwinstowe, look for path between houses to cut through to Blackpool road, turn left on to lytham st annes way and continue to end, turn sharp left then right on to north House Lane (narrow lane with passing places) to roundabout.
Take 4th exit on to Whitehill Road and continue to junction with A583 Preston New Road, turn right. Follow Preston New Road (part single, dual carriage way and cycle path. Passing Little PLumpton, Ribby Hall, Kirkham, Clifton and back in to Riversway at preston docks. Through the docks rejoin carriage way and climb penwortham hill and from here follow A59 back to Southport.
The route starts from southport reasonably flat, minor slopes but became surprisingly hilly from Preston through Kirkham to Lytham. The return route again started fairly flat past golfcourse and all the way to A583, the A583 however has long slow hills up with short sharp downhills.
The ride time took 6hrs but this was in very strong North westerly winds. |