Length miles 8.69 miles
Maximum height 423.22 feet
Minimum Height 268.67 feet
Height ascended 361.80 feet
Height descended 302.24 feet
There is an excellent Sustrans direction sign with distances, opposite the station entrance, presumably for the information of those leaving the Station. There is no road bridge, the rail crossing is governed by signal box, controlled half barriers and warning lights. If you get caught in the rain it is possible to have a few moments in the dry here in the platform shelters; obviously passengers have priority but it is usually very quiet and is one of the few places where you can get out of the rain.
For those contemplating using the station as a base there is no car park here; it is however very useful for travelling either to Shrewsbury; Yorton; Wem; Whitchurch; Wrenbury; Nantwich or Crewe. At certain times trains only stop on request here, this can also apply to, Yorton; Wem; Whitchurch; Wrenbury and Nantwich. The platforms present no problems for those with bikes; as ever when contemplating rail travel with your bike, be careful; most of the trains that stop here have room for no more than two bikes so if you rely on getting back to your point of departure you could be disappointed, should there be others already on the train with bikes. Also be aware that most of the trains that stop at Prees are at the request of the passengers.
Go to 'Advice' on the top menu there is information for those who want to combine cycle and train travel on that page.
From here follow the road to the next junction with the B5476 at Coton turn left here onto the B5476 towards Wem (good official Sustrans signs).
From Prees Railway Station on the B5476 at the next junction turn right towards Whixall; take care here as this junction is on a blind bend.
The B5476 is a busy road and traffic tends to be moving very quickly at this point. The Sustrans signs, on the left here, are very visible at the moment but can be obscured especially from this direction by a quick growing Leylandii hedge. Luckily it is the next right turn after joining the B5476 from Prees Railway Station.
The area you are now entering is known collectively as Whixall and is made up of a number of smaller hamlets through which 45 passes. There is some good information about the area on the Whixall web site
Proceed along this lane, taking care as the surface is poor and there are many potholes, to the entrance of Coton Hall and the next junction; turn left (good official Sustrans signs). It is not possible to visit Coton Hall as it is in private ownership.
At the next junction turn left again (good official Sustrans signs). On the right you will pass a cottage that has been renovated with a new thatched roof, it is not occupied at the time of writing so if you like that kind of thing dip into the piggy bank and make an offer. At the next junction turn right towards Stanley Green (good official Sustrans signs). From here it a gentle slope upwards. The next junction on the right is a 'no through road' it is Garners Lane and has a street sign and a 'no through' road sign.
The approach to Stanley Green from Coton is a gentle slope uphill. This is a complex junction but is well signed with official Sustrans signs. Turn left at Stanley Green, the first junction, following the Sustrans sign. Then arrive at mini traffic island no more than a white spot of tarmac in the middle of a crossroads. The Sustrans sign can be clearly seen on the other side of this crossroads pointing straight on. The post that carries this sign also carries the Sustrans sign seen when approaching from the north. The next junction on the left is a 'no through road' and has a 'no through road' sign. The road is level and then downhill, then uphill past Park Villas, a line of semi detached houses, then levelling out to the next junction. Turn left following the very clear Sustrans signs to Welsh End downhill all the way.
After travelling downhill from Stanley Green arrive at a T junction; turn right following the Sustrans signs these also show distances, and are the first Mercian Way signs that you will see on this Section. At this point NCR 45 meets RR31 (Regional Route), this now becomes a combined route to Whitchurch Railway Station.
Turn left at the Waggoners there are good quality Sustrans signs Mercian Way and RR31 the Waggoner's Public House make this a distinctive junction. There is a car park at the Waggoners. Sadly the premises were severely damaged by fire in January 2008 and are closed until further notice; the car park is locked. It is downhill from the Waggoner's, and across the canal bridge.
Before crossing the canal bridge there is a junction on the left. There are no sign posts, but this lane alongside the canal goes to Roundthorn (.85 mile). At Roundthorn there is a canal bridge and over the bridge there are cycle racks to which cycles can be secured while visiting the Natural England mosses site, there are also some picnic tables and information boards. It is a shame but the moss is denied to cyclists and I am not sure how secure your bikes will be if you leave them to wander off over the mosses.For further information visit the Natural England web site
The canal is now known as the Llangollen Canal but was formerly the Shropshire Union. There is more information and a brief history on the Canal Societys web site.
After crossing the canal the road slopes uphill; a slight diversion can be taken to the left into the road marked with a 'No Through Road Sign' at the next junction, to the National Nature Reserve Manor House base station, to be honest there is not much to see there and it not very often open.
Otherwise continue around the right hand bend past the farm where homemade ice cream can be purchased. The farm buildings are just in Shropshire and once past them the route enters Wales, this is the only section of 45 outside England.
The road is uphill a gentle slope becoming steeper then levelling to the next junction, turn right following the good Sustrans signs NCR 45 Mercian Way and RR31. This lane is downhill to re-cross the canal back into England. This road is very poor especially as you get to the bottom of the bank with some very deep potholes, gravel, and is particularly treacherous in wet conditions. There are Sustrans signs just before the canal tilt bridge.
A short distance along the canal towpath to the left before crossing the bridge you will see a picnic table placed there by the Shropshire Union Canal Society. This is a lovely place for a rest, a brew or lunch. From spring to autumn there is a steady flow of canal boats and it is interesting to watch the crews negotiating the tilt bridge. You will find many of them ready for a chat.
If you have seen the maps on the Sustrans web site you may have noticed that there is a cycle route shown from here into Whitchurch along the canal as an alternative route for NCR45 and RR31. This route is certainly possible for an experienced cyclist but becomes very difficult in wet weather. It is extremely rough for most of its length and needs the greatest of care to avoid falls. Also there is no signposting on the ground so I intend to include a full description of this route in the future.
After crossing the Shropshire Union Canal into England the lane goes uphill to the next junction clearly marked with Sustrans NCR45 Mercian Way and RR31 signs turn left following the signs to Alkington. This is the main road in and out of the Whixall area from Whitchurch to Northwood; it can be very busy you need to keep your eyes and ears open and take great care until reaching the outskirts of Whitchurch. Be particularly careful of vehicles towing trailers such as horseboxes and livestock. The former tend to be very inexperienced and reckless on these roads. Look out for skid marks on the road to identify areas of particular danger. The road from here to Whitchurch is of very poor quality with many potholes. It is not for inexperienced cyclist.
Alkington 'the place of Ealhmund's people' was one of the Saxon settlements that grew up around Whitchurch.
From Brickwalls the road climbs steadily becoming steep at Springhill to 423 feet. Then downhill to Alkington Grange and the next junction to the right, bear left here following the Sustrans signs continuing downhill. There is a moderate climb to Alkington Hall and the next junction to the left, continue straight on following the Sustrans signs.
Alkington Hall is a very interesting building and has some unusual architectural features. A wooden plaque dates the building to 1592, this date being confirmed by dendrochronological examination but there is an older part of an original structure dated to 1572. The interior boasts some very fine and interesting plasterwork among which are two human heads male and female. Traditionally there are supposed to represent Henry VII and his wife Elizabeth of York who at one time stayed there. The explanation for a lack of crowns is that the depiction is before the battle of Bosworth. Unfortunately that does not fit with the dating of the plasterwork and a more probable though less exciting explanation is that they depict members of the Cotton family. For a fuller explanation drwaings and pictures of the interior please see "Vernacular Buildings of Whitchurch & Area and their occupants" Madge Moran Logaston Press 1999 ISBN 1 873827 16 4 pages 195 - 212.
After a level section the road is downhill to the next junction to the left which is not signed. There is nowhere to place any signs at this junction and Shropshire County Council have been repeatedly asked to provide a post so that signs can be put up, so far they have not done so. Continue downhill passing underneath the bridge carrying the Whitchurch by-pass, then uphill into Alkington Road Whitchurch.
From the South the Town is approached from Alkington into Alkington Road. The first road on the right is Highfields Avenue it is not signed; continue on Alkington Road. The next junction is signed off Alkington Road into Beech Avenue, there are very good Sustrans signs here Mercian Way and RR31 with distances, but on occasion are turned so take care to turn right off Alkington Road into Beech Avenue.
Incidentally the Mercian Way sign here is the last you will see, there are no more, the only indication that you are on the Mercian Way being the three Saxon Warrior statues between here and Chester.
This is a modern housing estate of the kind to be found anywhere in England a kind of 'Wimpy/Barret' monument to bad taste and poor eco unfriendly design. There are a number of roads off Beech Avenue and no Sustrans signs so continue straight on. The roads are named on the junction guide for this leg. The next Sustrans sign points right into a small dirty alley by an electricity substation and leads onto Hatton Way, there is a cycle barrier here that is a bit tight take care.
Hatton Way as is common with this type of urban cycle way is once built and then forgotten, be prepared for broken glass litter and leaf deposit that is slippery in wet conditions. This part is between the last remnants of the Cambrian railway, the embankment to your left, and the Cricket Ground on the right.
At the end you reach a Mercian Statue; I call this one Penda after the King who raised Mercia to dominance among the Saxon Kingdoms, you will meet his brother monarch 'Eowa' a bit further along. Penda extended the Kingdom into these lands and was the last Pagan ruler of Mercia. On his shield Penda shows the distances to Chester at 30 miles and to Bewdley at 71 miles.
There is another barrier before the junction with Sedgeford and the excellent Sustrans signs. Take care crossing the road and then through another barrier continuing along Hatton Way. These barriers are tight although the first one has been widened slightly; I have seen people cycle through them and I have also seen some that tried, fall over them.
The next section is again between the disused Cambrian Railway embankment and now the Rugby Club on the right. The slopes at the beginning and end of this section are very dangerous please take great care the best way to tackle them is to dismount. There are barriers at the junction with Edgeley Road, it can be busy here at times, mostly quiet, but as ever take care. Good Sustrans signs.
The next Section follows the railway embankment for a short way, which is now on the right and then veers away from it to Wayland Road. Before arriving, the way crosses a delightful wooden bridge over the Staggs Brook. There have been many sightings of water voles here and I have seen one myself. Sadly you are more likely to see a Tesco Shopping trolley. Again litter and un-swept leaves can make this section slippery and watch out for broken glass not as common here but it can still happen. This is a link to a very interesting blog about the Staggs Brook Water Vole colony
After the bridge turn right into Wayland Road, I have put up Sustrans signs here, and continue a short distance through a dreary council designed housing estate to the junction with Station Road and the entrance to the Railway Station opposite. This is the end of RR31. NCR45 continues, so turn left from Wayland Road into Station Road following the Sustrans signs.
To find out more contact Mike Clarke at email mikeclarke@ncr45mercianway.co.uk
