Arthur's Way launched

Joe Public

http://www.independent.ie/life/travel/ireland/arthurs-day-is-dead-long-live-arthurs-way-as-gaybo-launches-new-walking-trail-30476914.html

2011abc

Looks great !Bit long for most casual walkers , but terrific for runners and hardier walkers.

Speedsie

A snip at €310,000!
Great resource alright, just not sure why it cost so much.

Joe Public

2011abc wrote: »

Looks great !Bit long for most casual walkers , but terrific for runners and hardier walkers.

Not to forget the cyclists.

Joe Public

Speedsie wrote: »

A snip at €310,000!
Great resource alright, just not sure why it cost so much.

Some/many sections don't have footpaths or designated cycle ways, if these are to be developed then the money won't be long about disappearing. There's a fair bit of signage already installed with 1,000s of information brochures being printed and information boards on the way. Gaybo probably didn't come cheap either.

Orion

So how exactly do you get back to the start to get your car or public transport home? Assuming most people will start at Leixlip Louise Bridge there's no way back except to walk back the route. Looks like a nice walk but most walks like this are looped for a reason.

Rosahane

Orion wrote: »

So how exactly do you get back to the start to get your car or public transport home? Assuming most people will start at Leixlip Louise Bridge there's no way back except to walk back the route. Looks like a nice walk but most walks like this are looped for a reason.

A nice loop walk which takes in most of the points of interest (and a couple more) is to start in
- Leixlip at the confluence of the Liffey and Rye
- up the Old Hill and along Celbridge Road
- a short detour to view The Wonderful Barn
- continue towards Celbridge and up the lane to Castletown House via Batty Langley Lodge
- Keep along the river to Celbridge Main St.
- back into Castletown, visit the House, have a coffee or lunch in the Cafe
- out of Castletown towards Leixlip vehicle entrance across the M4, and
- left at the next roundabout to and onwards to see the Obelisk
- back towards Intel keeping left at the next junction and onto the Canal at Collinstown
- walk the Canal back to Louisa Bridge or Confey Bridge to visit graveyard

About two hours actual walking,

ytareh

Ran this recently and continued on down via (left side) Athgoe Hill and into Newcastle for food before returning to Leixlip ( went by Elm Hall retirement home link road not through Castletown/Leixlip .Four hours at a slow pace .

A few observations :

Leaves you on top of a hill in middle of nowhere , who thought this up and got €310k to execute it as a 'tourist trail ' .The out and back route could easily take a walker 6-8 hours !

Longest stretch is along canal between Hazel Hatch and Ardclough on cinder / grit surface . Rather pleasant running environment .

You then turn LEFT off canal and up a long hill before turning right at its peak and the graveyard is 700m up on right (signposted) .Arthur Guinness headstone is INSIDE the 'church' in centre of graveyard .

Steep downhill running after halfway point very hard on legs .

Lots of narrow , busy-ish roads where you may have to jump onto the ditch for safety on way back .Stretch from Newcastle to HazelHatch not that safe at peak traffic hours

Some gorgeous high altitude views .Some days you can apparently see Howth !

Took me four hours with an extra Sli na Slainte 5k lap at the end totalling 20 miles .Probably more like three without extension for a faster runner .( I walked some stretches )

Joe Public

ytareh wrote: »

Ran this recently and continued on down via (left side) Athgoe Hill and into Newcastle for food before returning to Leixlip ( went by Elm Hall retirement home link road not through Castletown/Leixlip .Four hours at a slow pace .

A few observations :

Longest stretch is along canal between Hazel Hatch and Ardclough on cinder / grit surface . Rather pleasant running environment .

Have another look as this stretch has now been tarmacadam'd.
Some more money spent!

ytareh

Long stretches of cinder /grit ( the sort that easily gets in the back of up your shoes !) as recently as last week . Definitely from the hump back bridge at Hazel Hatch ( with all the barges parked ) to bridge before Lyons Estate , long aul straight stretch but very tranquil .Amazingly there appear to be some rather old 'street lights' along this stretch .They MUST pre date Arthurs Way by at least a decade ( if not two or three ) by the looks of them .No vehicular access , purely pedestrian area and little or no dwellings in vicinity .I very much doubt these are operational! ( especially considering large stretches of towns like the Sli N Slainte around Intel / Leixlip have depleted or no street lighting post 'Austerity' )

Joe Public

You're right it is a cinder type finish along the canal, I was going by what someone else told me. It's a big change from the old narrow track and once the area recovers after the severe haircut it should be quite nice.

Tom Cruises Left Nut

A good walk is from Hazelhatch back to Sallins but a lot of it is in a state !

I see they are doing something to the towpath just outside Sallins though