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.
how do I get on the route from Chester and were can I get a map from
It has seemed to me for a long time that a route connecting the Wirral Way and Flint was not only feasible but also essential. As far as I know you have had to go via 2 A roads, the A550 and then the A540 to get to the Wirral Way. The A550 particularly is a death trap for cyclists at this point, being both heavily used by traffic and very narrow. Ironically there is a very good cyclist’s cafe at 2 Mills at the junction of these 2 A roads.
I’ll try this link as soon as I can. Your description above should be very useful.
Thanks
Graham
A great route and now a short cut to gain access to some good climbing routes in the Clwydian Range. Can’t believe my luck now, loads of traffic free cycling all the way to Chester and beyond.
As a volunteer ranger for sustrans and one of the fellow cyclists handing out free maps on Saturdays chester green day event, it seemed as if the whole cycling population of the wirral and chester would be using the marshes route on sunday and the following week such has been the great weather and the great route it is.
For Wendy a route from Parkgate,get onto the wirral way, and head towards Neston,slight up hill bit,, after you go over the metal bridge at neston turn imediately left and at the mini roundabout left again and under the bridge, follow road straight on, from here you shouild pick up the signs for the marshes route, look for the blue signs route 568.
it would be great if someone could publish a description from parkgate for those of us cycling from Wirral?
I live near the bridge on Marshlands Road and Paul is right, it is still passable for cyclists and pedestrians. The signs say that the road is scheduled to be closed for 6 weeks.
Having only caught the cycling bug last year, I can’t believe my luck to have this bike path open up on my doorstep. On this morning’s ride on it I saw butterflies, sheep, a rat(!) and countless dogs and had to slam my brakes on to avoid squishing a toad.
By the way, the pub on the marsh is the Harp, just to avoid any confusion.
Congratulations to all involved in re-opening, & extending, this route from Burton to Shotton (Neston to Queensferry/Deeside Industrial Estate)
Now all that is needed is the upgrade of Route 5 from Connahs Quay to Prestatyn, and possibly an extention of the above route from the Harp to Parkgate?
Well done Sustrans and all involved.
for those useing the Burton marshes route, the road is closed at the railway bridge at Neston, Marshlands road/Bull hill,down to the yacht, diversions are in place,but by the number of anoyed motorists who ignored the signs and drove right up to the bridge,scaffolding is blocking the road, expect some idiots racing down the side roads, but you can squeeze down the scaffolding on the footway,totally legal access, althought the signs department seems to be displaying their entire stock on the fencing.
The bridge is being repainted by the look of it.
Used the new cycle path last Thursday (11th July) and it is fantastic.Well done and thanks to everybody concerned in the setting up of this.Will be using it again and hope to get right through to Chester next time.Can highly reccomend Nets coffee shop at Denhall,make sure you find time to stop off here.
Thanks again
Cycled from Shotton station to West Kirby and return. As has already been stated the signs are clear throughout apart from joining the Wirral Way. The signs send you to the right when, as stated in the route description above you need to turn left at Church Lane. Waymarking needs to be much clearer here. A great ride. The Net’s Cafe is lovely and friendly The bacon buttes just hit the spot! Nice coffee too. I measured a 32 mile round trip.Thanks to all for their hard work in establishing the route to Neston.
Only discovered route 568 today after cycling from Chester on NCN 5 and seeing the signpost 568 Neston 4 at Deeside Industrial Estate access point. All signs in place now but mileages a bit iffy. Wirral Way is shown 3 miles then another showing 3 1/4!! Called at Nets cafe for a well earned cuppa. Saw Jeanette who said cafe only been open a couple of weeks but seemed to be doing very well with walkers and cyclists. Would have liked to have seen a boundary sign for England/Wales at Burton Point. Only signage problem was in Neston at the end in Church lane where there are no signs and we had to go under the bridge and cross over the road to the Wirral way. There doesn’t appear to be any signs from the Wirral Way either. Disappointing. I understand form Jeanette that the official opening is on 18 July on the boardwalk 12.30 ish though there is nothing on the Sustrans site yet. We can now enjoy a great 27 mile circular ride from Chester to Parkgate using 568 and 56 Great in this weather!.
The official opening of the cycle path involving Sustrans, the local councils and local dignatries will be on 18 July 2013, at the Boardwalk, there will be 2 gazebos either end of the track with various information being available, please show your support for this excellent resourse that has taken a lot of effort by Sustrans and its Volunteers along with other cycling groups.
Oh ands you can still cycle it until then,no need to wait.
First time on the route today, very impressed, great view and lots of riders.
Thanks to Jeanette at Nets Cafe for the coffee and the pictures. The cafe is called Nets after Jeanette who was always call Net, I took a picture of her inside the cafe and would like to put it on the website but not sure how to. It is open every day. For the bird watchers my hilight was a Green Woodpecker, not often seen, lots of Sedge Warblers and, for the flora buffs Yellow Goatsbeard on the left just before the wooden bridge. Has to be one of the best rides locally so thanks to whoever made it possible.
Well the rain stopped long enough for us to set off to Thurstaton today 14-6-13, we stopped at Nets Cafe at the Fisheries i think this is located on Burton Marshes and it is still work in progress regarding the toilets, but there are some outside, Nice Menu lovely service and the Cappucino was really nice, they don’t have a set closing time at the moment they are just going with the flow, I can reccomend a visit.
I have cycled this route many times now, and i never tire of it, We did call in at the Harp Public House for some refreshment and all they could offer was peanuts or crisps, we quite fancied a light lunch, so off we set to the Boathouse in Parkgate, I noticed earlier in the week that Nets Cafe has now opened, so I’m hoping that the rain will stop for a while this afternoon, so that me and the Hubby can go and have afternoon Tea, before carrying on to Thurstaton, I will come back and let you know what it is like.
Brilliant routes. Very impressed. congratulations to the planners and backers. Money well spent.
“Graham says:
2013/05/26 at 7:33 pm
This is a really nice route. I had trouble finding the correct route from the Wirral Way (around Neston, as the route passes under the metal bridge) down to the the Burton Marsh Route. The placing of a blue route sign just prior to the turn from Burton Road into Church Lane would make the route perfect and easy to follow.”
Grahame an easier way is continue on the wirral way till you reach the road at the rock cutting and turn right continue on this road over one mini roundabout until after the shops and then turn left down the hill, beware of the mini roundabout as cars entering dont often slow down much, straight accross under railway briidge and down the hill turn left at the end by the pub.
I used this route yesterday to get to Anfield Bicycle Club run at Parkgate.
I was so impressed with route, going over the broadwalk and the views, that my wife and I did the route again today. I believe the cafe is going to be open next Saturday 8th June, so I was told by another cyclist, so don’t blame me if it isn’t.
Not much thought has been given to advising cyclists to go along Church Lane Neston. This road is narrow and with no pavements and is a through route for pedestrians and can be very dangerous, particular at school coming and leaving times. Great care is advised.
This is a really nice route. I had trouble finding the correct route from the Wirral Way (around Neston, as the route passes under the metal bridge) down to the the Burton Marsh Route. The placing of a blue route sign just prior to the turn from Burton Road into Church Lane would make the route perfect and easy to follow.
I bought my wife a new bike computer, fitted it Saturday morning and we cycled from Connahs Quay to Parkgate and back on the new route. Very good route, weather brilliant. I obviously didn’t set it properly as she thinks she cycled 32.5 miles at an average speed of 15mph. Bless her, she’s happy.
Down there today , and some illustrious people are opening a new cafe in the farm, betwen the pub and the gates, bottom of station road.
Looks to be plenty of space to park/lean bikes and fantastic views of the welsh hils.
I was also there today for the first time. Loved the boardwalk and saw 2 herons after Burton point. Looking forward to new cafe.
Anyone planning to put this into Google Map Maker?
Went on the Burton Point route on Saturday. The path is great but the speed of the very fast cyclists was worrying. I can see problems in the summer when walkers are about. There needs to be speed humps or similar, just as on the section towards Parkgate, to slow up for the purposes of safety.
Nice surface