Halfpenny Lane

Has there been any improvement?

Halfpenny Lane runs between Pontefract and Featherstone. At either end the route is residential housing and public highway, but in between is a track that is closed to motor traffic that provides a very good walking and cycling route.

When I asked Sandy Clarke of the Wakefield Cycling User Group what Wakefield Met had done of any significance for cyclists in our area, after numerous attempts on my part, he eventually sent a very imaginative reply that began "I assumed your question was rhetorical since I know you don’t even recognise Halfpenny Lane as an improvement"

I percieve that Wakefield Met have done nothing significant for cyclists in the last ten years; by significant I mean taken measures to reduce journey cost therebye increase demand. My question was a genuine one to see if I had missed anything and that the evasive nature of Sandy's reply lends credence to my supposition. After all, if it would be a badge of honour for the cycle forum had they actually bought about such measures, and would be readily used to trump my cynicism.

Whatever; at my web page at Stormloader put up on 30th April 2001 I gave the route a score of 8 out of 10 and a rating of "Very Good". In 2010 I revisited the route and posted the same score. I said in my assesment that the surface was an improvement which had unfortunately been negated by signs pointing the wrong way, and that adressing this flaw would have raised the assessment.

I am gutted that I have tried my hardest to be absolutely objective about this route, nevertheless I revisited once again after Sandy's dismissive reply, to see if I had missed anything. I haven't. There is no significant improvement to this route. If, what I and others would call a chicane, were taken out and the Pontefract end were surfaced (see pictures) it would then rate a 9 instead of an 8, be 'excellent' instead of 'very good'. If Sandy, who states "There is not nor has there ever been a chicane at the top of Halfpenny Lane and it has a hard surface, which I believe is tarmac" has a better objective method of assessment than this they should put it on the table.

Halfpenny Lane sign Halfpenny Lane surface Halfpenny Lane chicane