Steve Kidd Cycling Trips and Guides

Halfpenny Lane (Featherstone-Pontefract)

Good, functional route, shame about the surface and west gates

I used to cycle this way every day with the kids and it was fantastic! I even put in little ramps to get over the level crossing. Back in 2000 I put "Not an official route" and it scored an eight. They have now surfaced it, put signs at the end and, because the signs actually point the wrong way it only scores an six. In addition stupid bollards have been strategically placed to prevent the cyclist progressing at a normal speed, or perhaps catch them out in the dark. Materially it is a better surface, and if you ignore the signs it scores a 7 (It is not like you can get lost on it). If it is a feather in the cap of WMDC and its cycling forum it is a nice pheasant feather that has replaced a slightly aged, but still striking, peacock feather. I did get a flat tyre here coming back from Normanton one night, and the sad fact is that if I am travelling from Pontefract to Normanton by bike I still use the main road, Park Lane. It is inescapably faster. Pity, cos Halfpenny Lane is lovely.

Length	1.4 km	Rating	Good
Authority	WMDC	Surface	1
OS Sheet	105	Width	1
Between	Featherstone	Traffic	2
OS Ref.	4432, 4209	Stops	0
and	Pontefract	Danger	1
OS Ref.	4444, 4214	Navigability	1
Date	2013	Route	1
Author	Steve Kidd	Score	7
By Rail	Pontefract Tanshelf (1.5 km), Featherstone (1 Km)
How to find	Halfpenny Lane runs between and into both towns