Biker Hack's Savvy Cycle Route Number 2

The smart way to cycle from Southend-on-sea to Leigh-on-sea

Welcome to my Savvy Cycle Route Number 2! 
This is the companion journey to Biker Hack's Savvy Cycle Route Number 1. So why the two routes? Well, thanks to the wonders of one-way road systems, it's not possible to simply reverse the steps detailed in Savvy Cycle Route Number 1 to go from Southend to Leigh. 
However, it only takes a few amendments for someone in the know, such as myself, to guide you without deliberately going the wrong way down one-way streets – and there is no need for decent cyclists to do that. 
There are two starting points for this route: one is at the southern end of Southend High Street and the other is at the northern end – both should be marked by green pins on the map below. 
By the way, I've created this map using Google's My Maps. I'd love to know what you think of it! If you have the time, please let me know via the contact form on this page, or the comment at the bottom of this blog. Ready to roll? Well, let's going then! 

Leaving Southend (south): Stage 1a 

The starting point for this urban bike ride, using quiet, traffic-lite backstreets, is in Southend High Street, near the entrance to the Royals shopping centre. Hopefully, you've enjoyed a coffee in the nearby Utopia coffee shop – well worth a visit! The High Street is pedestrianised. No matter how tempting it looks, please, please don't cycle on the High Street. Elderly pedestrians have been hit by speeding cyclists and killed in the past – so just don't do it! Head away from the entrance to the Royals and next to Tomassi's cafe is the pedestrian entrance to Royal Mews. Within a few metres, a road appears. It's time to ride!

Head straight on, passing between the nice mews properties on your left and (Alexandra Street) car park. The road bears to the right (you have the right of way over the traffic from you're left) before reaching a T-junction with Alexandra Street. Turn left here and head straight on.

There is a gentle uphill slope to the road here. After you pass the Alex pub on your left, a painted cycle lane appears literally in the middle of the road. On your right is bowling green and further along your should hear the sound (and perhaps feel the spray) from the fountain in Prittlewell Gardens. 

Stage 1a: The junction with Runwell Terrace, Southend

Stay alert as the road surface here is pretty rubbish, and so is the cycle lane! It is marked out to suddenly give way at the junction with Runwell Terrace (on your right) so cars can helpfully cut you up as they turn left! It's normally very quiet and no problem, but the wise cyclist keeps a look out for cars at this point. You have been warned. 

After turning right into the tree-lined Runwell Terrace, which incidentally has a contra-flow cycle lane in the opposite direction, the road bends to the left into Cambridge Road. Take the very next right into Milton Place (which has another contra-flow cycle lane). At the T-junction, you technically need to turn left then immediate right at this staggered junction. 

You're crossing a busy road where most traffic, including buses, go in and out of the town centre. Again, there is a cycle lane on the left as you cross the bridge, which you should stick to as you will turn left opposite the Cliff pub. Now you are in Hamlet Road, keep straight on over a couple of speed humps to the junction with Avenue Road. 

Leaving Southend (north): Stage 1b

If you're coming from the northern end of Southend High Street, you'll need a different route to reach this point. 

Starting from just outside the post office in Southend High Street, walk your cycle into Queen's Road, heading past the cycle racks. Once you're on the road proper, get pedalling! 

You will reach a T-junction with a road (Elmer Avenue) stretching from your left and winding in front of you before weaving off to your right. Turn left into Elmer Avenue and head straight on, passing the town's (crypitcally-titled) Forum library on your left. The route you want bears to your right as the road name changes to Gordon Place. 

Keep straight on until the next T-junction and turn left into Ashburnham Road. There shouldn't be any traffic coming from your right (the opposite direction is a one-way street heading away from you at this point). Carry on to the next T-junction and turn right into Hamlet Road. Head  straight on, pass the Cliff pub on your right, until the next T-junction with Avenue Road. 

Avenue Road to Chalkwell Park: Stage 2

After turning into Avenue Road, the route veers off to the left. Heading past an old church, it very quickly reaches another fork in the road. This time take the right fork and follow the road, which bends gently to your right. This section is usually very quiet, but the road surface can be quite patchy in places, especially at the next turning. 

When you reach a crossroads, turn left into Avenue Terrace. There are usually cars parked on both sides of this short two-way street, so stay alert as you cycle over the very patchy surface and a speed hump. When you reach the next T-junction (Avenue Baptist church is on your right), turn right into into Milton Road, which can be busy at times. Take the very next left into St Helen's Road. 

St Helen's Road is a two-way street just at this junction. Once past the car park to the Catholic Church on your left, it becomes one-way. Head straight on. You will reach a give way junction with Preston Road on your left. I've never come across any traffic here, so you can quickly carry straight on into the last two-way section of St Helen's Road. There is a speed table as you approach the next T-junction where you need to turn right into Hamlet Court Road. This street can be quite busy as there are plenty of shops and it's one of the few roads that crosses the c2c railway line further to the south. 

Take the very next left into the nice, flat Anerley Road. Sometimes, cars seem to zip along here, but there are far fewer of them than you would encounter in the heavy traffic a few hundred metres to the north in London Road. 

At the end of Anerley, turn left into Valkyrie Road opposite a redundant church. In Savvy Cycle Route Number 1, I suggested using Finchley Road. Doing that on the return trip can leave you with an awkward right-turn into a busier road. So, this time, I'd head past Finchley and turn right at Genesta Road. There are usually plenty of cars coming uphill from the south of you and turning left into Genesta, so take care! 

Stage 2: The wonderful Imperial Avenue, Westcliff

Keep straight on, passing three side roads on your left, until you reach a wide crossroads. Crowstone St George's United Reformed Church will be opposite on your left. You need to turn right at this junction, which is one of the busier sections, so take it easy. 

Once in Crowstone Road, it heads uphill slightly and the road surface gets rather scrapy again. Keep straight on and take the next left into Imperial Avenue. The road surface is good, nice and wide, and probably the flatest section of the whole route. It's a real pleasure to pedal along here, so enjoy! 

Chalkwell Park to Leigh Road: Stage 3

Stage 3: The entrance to Chalkwell Park's car park

Imperial Avenue ends in a T-junction with Chalkwell Avenue. Despite being a busy main road, it is usually quite easy to cross into the car park of Chalkwell Park. Take it steady here because in fine weather there can be a lot of pedestrians, dog walkers, and cars. Keep straight on until the car park opens out, which is where you need to bear right. Just when it feels as if you looping round to leave, you should see a path in front of you running around the far side of a nature garden and next to a playing field. 

Can you cycle here? Well, in all the time I've cycled through here, I've never had a problem because I slow down to walking pace and go very carefully. If a pet owner's dog bounds up to me (and they do) I'm ready to stop immediately. So make sure you're going at a speed that shows respect for those walking around you. Also, the route through the park is a little patchy in places and there some rather vicious speed bumps. All of which add up to three good reasons for taking it easy here. It's not a racetrack!

Head up the path (there is usally a bollard in the middle of it to deter cars), which bends around to your left. In front of you, on the left, is a circular flowerbed outside a large house in the middle of the park. Go around the flowerbed and bear right, keeping the skatepark on your right. 

As you cycle away from the house, the path narrows under the enormous branches of a wonderful tree at this point, so keep it nice and slow. You should see what is the back of a cricket pavilion in front of you. Follow the path straight on behind the pavilion. You will dip down and pass an algae-covered pool (sorry, wildlife pond). This section is quite rough due to lots of ruts and leaf mulch in the winter. It then heads uphil and this is where to look out for those nasty speed bumps as you pass the fenced-off cricket pitch on your right. Follow the road until you reach the exit from the park at what is the very end of Old Leigh Road. Stay alert as cars will be turning down here from Leigh Road, which is where this route is heading. A little caution on the exit from the park will help you get up to the give way markings where you need to turn left into Leigh Road. 

Leigh Road to central Leigh: Stage 4a

Carry on along Leigh Road, which is the main bus route into central Leigh. You will go over a speed table quickly followed by a a hairpin turn on your left, which is the preferred route for cars between Westcliff and Leigh. Follow the road as it bends to the right just before a zebra crossing, which incorporates another speed table. Head straight on. 

Leigh Road feels narrower from this point on as more cars hunt out parking spaces and pedestrians try to cross the road at what always feels the worst possible place. It's decision time when you eventually reach Our Lady of Lourdes & St Joseph's Church, which has a bright-blue clockface on its tower. If you want to avoid the main shopping parade of Leigh (and the associated traffic mayhem that can accompany this at peak times), your turn-off is coming up very soon.

As you draw level with Our Lady of Lourdes, the shops peter out on your left and large blocks of flats begin to appear. As you pass the church, just before a zebra crossing, there is a road with no-entry signs. You want the next right after the crossing into unhelpfully-named Chalkwell Park Drive – it's nowhere near Chalkwell Park! 

Head straight on to the next junction and turn left into Pall Mall. There are speed bumps along this road – which slow down the cars nicely – and there is much less traffic than in the Broadway. Head all the way along to the next T-junction, which incorporates a speed table, and turn left into Elm Road. A triangular pedestrian island with zebra crossings on each side heralds you're arrival in central Leigh. If all this cycling has left you feeling hot and tired, you should be just outside my favourite ice cream parlour, Poco Gelato. 

But what if you didn't turn off and cycle down Pall Mall? Well, backtracking slightly, continue along Leigh Road. It bends sharply to the left and passes what was the Grand pub (all boarded up and looking very forlorn at the time I wrote this). You'll pick up a speed as you head downhill where the road bends sharply to the right into the Broadway, Leigh's prime shopping area.

Keep your wits about you as it can get very busy with lots of pedestrians crossing and plenty of cars. Keep straight on along here until you're at St Clement's Church. If you stop just after the zebra crossing outside the church, you will find some handy cycle racks to leave your bike before you sample an ice cream, or perhaps a more substantial lunch and cracking coffee at my favourite Leigh cafe, Barlow and Fields. 

Well done if you managed to follow my directions. As I said, this is a route I cycle all the time to reach the heart of Leigh as is bypasses almost all of the main car-clogged routes and it is practically flat apart from occasional inclines. 

I'd love to know what you think about this route. So please feel free to post a comment below or get in touch via the contact form at the top of this blog. 

Biker-Hack's Savvy Cycle Route Number 1

The smart way to cycle from Leigh-on-sea to Southend-on-sea

It's taken a little longer than planned, but here at last is my first Savvy Cycle Route for getting across a part of Southend-on-sea in Essex. 
Anyone hoping for campaigners to suddenly win the battle for more funding (some might say "any") from politicians to improve cycling facilities is in for a long wait. The only real-world option is to get out there and ride. 
I've cycled all of my life and so I have my own strategy for safer cycling in built-up urban areas. Two earlier posts - which can be found here and here - explain this in detail. In a nutshell, I like routes light on traffic, as flat as possible and with a good road surface. 
What I see as my Savvy Cycle Route #1 helps me ride between the centre of Southend-on-sea and the heart of nearby Leigh-on-sea in Essex. It's slightly complicated by a maze of one-way streets in central Southend, so I use two routes - one to the northern end of the High Street and another to the southern end. 
To help make things as clear as possible, I've included some images mapping my suggested route (produced thanks to Google Maps). 
My only other caveat is to stress at the time of posting, I'd checked out the route and that all the streets mentioned can be cycled in the direction I've indicated. If things change, which is entirely possible, you obviously can't hold me responsible! 
But if a street suddenly is changed to permit two-way traffic when I've said it's one-way only, please do let me know. I'll check it out and make amends. Besides, I'd love to get as much comment on this as possible. 

Leaving Leigh: Stage 1

Stage 1: Leaving Leigh for Southend

Starting from outside Leigh Post Office in Rectory Grove, head east - it's the only way to go as it's a one-way street. The road forks left or right at a pedestrian crossing. 

Turning right into Elm Road and then bearing left at the next triangular pedestrian island will take you along the heart of Leigh's thriving shopping centre in Leigh Broadway. 

Keep your wits about you as it can get very busy with lots of pedestrians crossing and plenty of cars hunting for parking spaces. 

It's generally flat and the only uphill section is just after what was the Grand pub where the road bends sharply to the left. At the top of this short incline, the route bends sharply right heading into Leigh Road where you will pass the Broker pub and Our Lady of Lourdes & St Joseph's Church. 

The alternative, flatter route is to head left at the fork in Elm Road mentioned above and take the next right into Pall Mall. There are speed bumps along this road - which slow down the cars nicely - and there is much less traffic than in the Broadway. Head all the way along Pall Mall to the end T-junction and turn right. At the next T-junction, beside Our Lady of Lourdes & St Joseph's Church, turn left into Leigh Road.  

From Leigh Road to Chalkwell Park: Stage 2

Stage 2: From Leigh Road to Chalkwell Park

Leigh Road generally seems quieter than Leigh Broadway, perhaps because it feels a little wider. It can still be busy at times and it is a bus route (as is the Broadway, Rectory Grove and Elm Road), so stay alert. 

Carry on along this road. It bends to the left, just after a zebra crossing. The right-turn here is a popular choice for cars. It's wide and dips downhill abruptly which means they tend to drive at what feels faster than 30mph, although that's my opinion - I don't carry a radar gun with me! 

The safer and flatter alternative for cyclists is further along Leigh Road, although it does involve a tricky entrance into Chalkwell Park. 

It should be noted that this route through the park is not a road, even though vehicles do drive into the park. Cycling on what should be treated as a pavement is something I plan to blather on about elsewhere in my blog at a later date. 

Stage 2: Cars pass the route into Chalkwell Park (inset)

As you get closer to the park, Leigh Road itself bends sharply to the left just as another road (Old Leigh Road) meets it. To follow Savvy Cycle Route #1, you will need to turn right at this bend. I have no problem doing this. If it's too much for you, stop and cross well before the bend and walk your bike to the entrance of Chalkwell Park. 

Once inside the park, you are now officially in Westcliff-on-sea. There are signs warning that "authorised vehicles only" are allowed access and "caution pedestrians - 5mph only". So, can you cycle through here? Firstly, it is a park. Kids play here and ride around on their bikes freely. In all the time I've cycled through here, I've never had a problem because I slow down to walking pace and go very carefully. If a pet owner's dog bounds up to me (and they do) I'm ready to stop immediately.

Stage 2: Take care leaving the park for Imperial Avenue

Don't cycle here as if it's a racetrack. Behaviour like that only tarnishes the reputation of decent cyclists and, at worst, could lead to an accident. This section is all about cycling gently and showing respect to those around you. And that's the Biker Hack way! The route through the park is also very patchy and poor quality. Plus there are some rather vicious speed bumps. All of which add up to three good reasons for taking it easy.

Once in the park, you will pass a fenced-off cricket field on your left and open field on your right. You will dip down and pass an algae-covered pool (sorry, wildlife pond). This section is quite rough due to lots of ruts and leaf mulch in the winter. 

Keep on straight towards the large house in the centre of the park. Directly outside it is a circular flowerbed that looks remarkably like a mini roundabout. Head to the left and take the next right. This will then bend round to a car park where you turn left. (There is an one-way system into the car park and you will be following the "out" route.) As you reach the exit from the park - after another harsh sleeping policeman - you need to carry on straight (well, almost straight) into Imperial Avenue. 

From Chalkwell Park to St John's Road: Stage 3

Stage 3: Chalkwell Park to St John's Road

This stretch has a good road surface and is nice and wide. But best of all it is probably the flatest section of the whole route. It's a real pleasure to pedal along here, so enjoy it.There are going to be a lot of turns coming up! 

At the T-junction at the end of Imperial Avenue, turn right into Crowstone Road. Sadly, this part of the route is getting rather bumpy, with large resurfaced patches along this stretch. 

Again at the next T-junction (which is in fact a crossroads), turn left into Genesta Road. If you quickly look to your right, you'll see the steep hill that's been avoided in Kings Road. If you wish, stick to Genesta Road until the end, but I find it a very busy road with lots of local traffic cutting across town. Your best bet, in my view, is to take the first left into Satanita Road, which goes uphill slightly. At the end, take a right into Finchley Road which is much quieter, although rather full of potholes. 

Stage 3: The left-right from Anerley Road to St John's Road

At the next T-junction (opposite a pharmacy) you want to turn left and then right into Anerley Road, which is easy to miss because the corner is shaded by several trees. This is another nice, flat road. Sometimes, cars seem to zip along here, but there are far fewer of them than you would encounter in the heavy traffic a few hundred metres to the north in London Road. 

At the end of Anerley Road you'll reach a speed table at the T-junction with Hamlet Court Road. This road can be quite busy as there are plenty of shops and it's one of the few roads that crosses the c2c railway line further to the south. At the junction (opposite the post office), turn left and then immediate right into St John's Road (which is a one-way street) and cycle to the end. 

From St John's Road to... the northern part of Southend High Street: Stage 4a  

Stage 4: From St John's Road to Southend High Street

The T-junction at the end of St John's Road is very uneven, so again, be careful. You will be turning right here into Milton Road. Once you have passed the cafe (Real Good Food, reads the sign outside), you'll approach a very grand looking church on your left - Avenue Baptist. Take the next left - Avenue Terrace - on the corner by the church. 

From here, you are entering the lovely one-way maze at the heart of Southend's Milton conservation area. The 20mph roads here are generally very quiet and, unfortunately, quite bumpy in places. 

Ride down Avenue Terrace (it feels a little cramped with parking on both sides). At the crossroads (notice the no entry sign on your right), go straight ahead into Park Crescent. This one-way street bends to the right, and then left again, before stopping at a T-junction facing Park Road. Your only option here is to turn right. 

You are at the point where you can either head to the top end of the High Street (near the Victoria shopping centre) or the southern end of the street (near the Royals shopping centre). Let's deal with the northern end first (the yellow route on the map above). 

Stage 4: This turning into Park Lane isn't easy to spot

After turning into Park Road, look out for a left-hand turn into Park Lane. It's very easy to miss because a pavement build-out and the road markings make a bigger point of directing traffic to the right. 

The grandiosely titled Park Lane is actually a tiny backstreet. This is a two-way street (somehow!) so keep an eye out for oncoming cars. 

Once in the lane, turn left (it's a blind bend so go slowly) and pass what looks like a breakers yard and then follow the single yellow lines straight on and then round to your right. You should now see a one-way sign pointing to the left - obey it! 

Stage 4: Queen's Road heads straight to the High Street

This is now Park Street (lots of parks round here, eh?) and you want the next right into Queen's Road. This first section of Queen's Road is one-way, but you're heading in the right direction, so no worries. 

The route takes you straight over Princes Street (which has right of way, so take care), and runs past the Sunflower Cafe (on your right) and the gaudily-coloured Unveristy of Essex Southend campus's halls of residence (on your left).  

At the next T-junction, a road snakes across your route. You need to keep straight on, but technically you will turn right and then left to stay in Queen's Road. 

When the road runs out, you will be confronted by some cycle stands and Southend Post Office should be on your left. Welcome to the High Street! 

... to the southern end of Southend High Street: Stage 4b

Stage 4: From St John's Road to Southend High Street

OK, so you want to finish up closer to the sea. Fine. Let's back track a little and follow the red route. 

Once you have turned into Park Road, keep straight on. Pass the Park Lane turning, then an off-licence and then immediately turn left into Hamlet Road. 

Go over the speed bump (you're still in the 20mph zone) and as you approach the Cliff pub on your left, turn right over the c2c railway line. 

At this point, you can go straight on into Milton Place. Google Maps might say this is a one-way street - and it is for cars - but it is permissible for cycles to go both ways along here due to a contra-flow cycle line. Nice! 

At the next T-junction, turn left into the tree-lined Cambridge Road - the heart of the Milton conservation area. This is again another lovely street for cycling, a smoothly surfaced, wide road. As you approach a former church (it now houses the Clifftown Theatre and Studios used by East 15 Acting School), the route bends to the right (into Capel Terrace). A glance to your right will reveal a bowling green which has a nice cafe. 

At the T-junction, turn left into Alexandra Street. Keep straight on until the first pedestrian crossing which is actually on the High Street. By the way, just a little way further on is one of my favourite coffee shops (and I am definitely not referring to the multi-national chain beside the crossing). By now, you probably deserve a coffee, and I thoroughly recommend trying Utopia cafe. It's divine. 

Well done if you managed to follow my directions. As I said, this is a route I cycle all the time to reach the heart of Southend as is bypasses almost all of the main car-clogged routes and it is practically flat apart from occasional inclines. 

I'd love to know what you think about this route. So please feel free to comment below. 

Look out for the next blog with a step-by-step guide for the reverse route heading from Southend to Leigh - because the one-way streets around Southend High Street make it a little trickier than simply retracing your steps. 

So, until next time, keep cycling!

Resources

The maps in this blog were created using Google Maps. However, if you would like to access this map so you can zoom in, I have produced one using Google's My Maps application. I can share this with anyone interested, but to do so, I need your email address! To do that, please fill out the form below. 

On the hunt for traffic-lite cycling routes - part II

My very first Savvy Cycle Route

Sitting comfortably? With a brew? Then let's begin. 
Last time, I was explaining what I like to look for in the perfect quiet route for urban cycling. It has to dodge traffic and jams and isn't too arduous to pedal. 
If you're thinking of finding such a mythical route, how do you go about it?
Let's take my home town - Southend-on-sea - as an example. (By the way, don't be put off if you're not local to Southend. I'm confident my reasoning here can apply to wherever you are.)
I live near Leigh-on-sea - a delightful part of Southend with a working harbour and an abundance of independent shops. About three miles away is Southend High Street with all the big chain stores you would expect in any decent town. 

Crowded: A typical jam in London Road, Westcliff-on-sea

The main link between these two towns - imaginatively called London Road - is one of only two long-distance routes in and out of the borough. It can get horribly busy, jammed with cars, buses, vans and lorries at times, especially during the tourist season and at the weekends. 
The council has spent many years building pedestrian refuges, push-button crossings and expanding the pavement to create pinch points to slow down the traffic and help people cross more easily. 
Despite being a very well-used main road, this route has two advantages for cycling between the two towns. Firstly, it's pretty flat with only a few gentle inclines here and there. Secondly, it's the most direct route for me to use. 
For years, I've cycled this route without much thought given to finding an alternative. Then one day, for no particular reason, I decided it was time to find a quiet route. 
My first search for information was to check Southend Council's cycle map of the town - which is very good. Unfortunately, it's not that easy to find online on our council's website. 
As with many of these sorts of maps, it only highlighted cycle paths that would have sent me out of my way on this occasion. 
A quick search of Google Maps using its bicycle filter revealed a similar set of out-of-the-way routes. When I actually searched Google Maps for directions, it even highlighted the main road I was trying to avoid as the best choice!
So out came the my trusty street map and I began to think. 
I knew of an alternative route between the two towns, but parts of it were quite hilly - that is "hilly" in Southend terms, and certainly not anything like the never-ending gradients on the Tour de France!
But I digress. Getting back to those Southend inclines, I began to wonder if there was a way to dodge them.
Slowly, I began to realise there was. A left turn here, a right turn there and you practically had a neat little backstreet route.
The only snag was a particularly unpleasant up and down section. This wide stretch of road is where cars have a tendency to speed up and travel at what feels like a lot more than the 30mph speed limit. (For all those locals who are interested, it's Kings Road, Westcliff-on-sea.)
The eureka moment came when I realised cycling across Chalkwell Park would dodge all this - although the park, to the best of my knowledge, is not an official cycling route. (Now, there's a subject for another blog post!) 
After forming a plan, the only thing left was to get out there and give it a go. 
Everything went brilliantly on my way into Southend until I encountered a maze of one-way streets near my goal. Contrary to the stereotypical opinion about cyclists, there was no way I wanted to ride the wrong way along these roads. (And that'll be another future blog post topic, too.) 
After a quick rethink, I hit on a route which varies slightly, depending if you're heading to Southend or heading to Leigh. 
I use this route all the time now. No more sneaking past queues of cars waiting at traffic lights or struggling to breathe among all the fumes. It really has made cycling between the towns a pleasure and not a chore. 
For me, I like to think of it as my Savvy Cycle Route! 
But what is this wonderful route? Ah, well that's going to be the subject of my next post. Until then, keep on riding.

Resources 

If you want a copy of Southend-on-Sea's cycle map, the council advise you to email cyclesouthend@southend.gov.uk
If you have a rummage around the web, you can find it here online at Southend Council's dedicated cycling portal, Cycle Southend. 
Or alternatively here is a direct link to the main map.