Celebration event in Bacup will welcome new cycleway

A fun event is being held in Bacup to celebrate the opening of the Britannia Greenway, part of a major new cycling and walking route being developed to link areas throughout East Lancashire.

It marks the completion of the first section of the Valley of Stone route, one of four routes which make up the East Lancashire Strategic Cycleway project. This will create 23km of new multi-user routes and improve 95km of existing routes in East Lancashire by 2020.

The Greenway Explorers event takes place  from 1pm to 4pm on Saturday (July 7) at New Line Picnic Site in Bacup. People will be able to decorate their bike, scooter, dog lead or even themselves before walking the route following the official opening at 2pm.

The free family-friendly celebration organised by Mid Pennine Arts will also feature performers, horses, storytelling,  Whitworth and Healey Brass Band and other activities .

The aim of the East Lancashire Cycleway is to create a joined-up network that provides access to workplaces, schools, colleges and other services, as well as creating opportunities for tourism and recreation. The routes will largely be based on old disused railway lines which will be improved to form off-road “greenways'”

There are four routes included in the project: the Weavers Wheel around Blackburn, the Valley of Stone connecting Rawtenstall to Whitworth, National Cycle Network Route 6 linking Accrington to Stubbins and the Huncoat Greenway near Accrington.

Total funding for the project is £5.85m as part of the £250m Growth Deal secured from government by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) with local contributions from Lancashire County Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Find out more about the Greenway Explorers event.