£450,000 Keadby Canal pathway opens

The Keadby Canal Pathway is now open and will connect cyclists and walkers from the Isle of Axholme to Scunthorpe.
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The pathway runs from North Lincolnshire Retail Park in Scunthorpe to Keadby and then onto Crowle.

The 2.1 metre wide surfaced path, with access gates and parking areas for anglers, connects Crowle to Scunthorpe via Keadby and Gunness. It provides a green, traffic-free route suitable for cyclists as well as providing better access for walkers, anglers and boaters.

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Along the route you will find wildlife habitat improvements, reading boards and rest areas. Repairs to the canal walls have also been carried out.

This is phase one of the Isle of Axholme Greenway project being delivered by the Isle of Axholme and Hatfield Chase Landscape Partnership.

Future phases will expand the greenway linking Crowle, Thorne and Hatfield.

Councillor John Briggs, ward member for Axholme North, said: “Keadby Canal Cycleway will help connect our communities together and allow cyclists to travel safely throughout North Lincolnshire. The cycleway will not only be perfect for cyclists wanting to travel from the Isle of Axholme to Scunthorpe but for walkers alike.

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“It’s great that funding has been secured from a number of different sources in order for this project to happen, including the Sustainable Development Fund (SDF). The SDF is a great opportunity for projects from across North Lincolnshire to secure funding for a wide variety of projects, and I would encourage others in North Lincolnshire who have a project that could benefit from funding, to get in touch.”

Coun Neil Poole, cabinet member for environment at North Lincolnshire Council, said: “This new cycleway will be mainly off-road and will follow the A18 from Crowle to Scunthorpe. Cycle safety is very important and this will make it a lot safer for cyclists to travel to Scunthorpe for work and leisure.

“We are also investing in a number of initiatives across North Lincolnshire that aim to connect our communities together including the wider Isle of Axholme and Hatfield Chase project, which aims to connect Crowle to Thorne and Hatfield. More and more people are getting fit, but we hope to encourage more people to get out on bikes, take advantage of these brilliant cycleways as well as taking the opportunity to rediscover their local landscapes.”

The work is being undertaken by Isle of Axholme and Hatfield Chase Landscape Partnership and funded by Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), made possible by National Lottery Players. North Lincolnshire Council and The Canal and River Trust have also provided funding.

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A £52,000 grant from the North Lincolnshire Sustainable Development Fund (SDF) is funding a further link from Crowle through to Medge Hall. The SDF is provided as part of a community benefit programme from SSE’s Keadby Wind Farm and provides £170,000 per year and supports strategic projects in the region.

Further details on SSE Keadby Wind Farm and SDF Community Fund can be found at www.northlincs.gov.uk/community-advice-and-support/community-rights-funding-and-grants/sse-keadby-wind-farm-community-fund/.

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