Phoenix Trail

The Phoenix Trail is a 5 mile long rail trail connecting the market towns of Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire and Thame, Oxfordshire in England. It runs along part of the route of the old Wycombe Railway (later Great Western Railway branch) railway line to Oxford, where it is hoped to be extended to in the future. It forms part of National Cycle Network Route 57 which also includes the Nicky Line and Ayot Greenway rail trails. As well as cyclists and walkers, the route is suitable for wheelchair and pushchair users as the route is flat and surfaced with seating every 500 metres. The first 2.5 miles out of Thame are surfaced with tarmac and the remainder with compacted limestone dust. Red Kites can commonly be seen along the route. There is a collection of 30 sculptures built by Angus Ross and six furniture students from Thames's Rycotewood College which draw on the trail's railway heritage and the landscape towards the Chiltern Hills. These sculptures won the 2002 'Arts, Business & Community' Award from Arts & Business and the trail also holds a Certificate of Distinction as a European Greenway from the European Commission.

ee also

*Rail Trail
*National Cycle Network
*Segregated cycle facilities
*Sustainable transport

External links

* [http://www.sustrans.org.uk/default.asp?sID=1100100771734 Sustrans Phoenix Trail ]
* [http://disused-rlys.fotopic.net/c883855.html Disused Railways - Photographs]
* [http://www.localauthoritypublishing.co.uk/councils/thame/phoenixtrail.html Thame Town Council]