About a month ago, I came across possibly the most exotic cycle tourist to grace Route 52 for many a year. Hermando is a traffic cop from São Paulo, Brazil and was looking lost and tired between Barton and the Beans and Odstone (where the 52/63 meet), hoping to get to Derby. Anyway, he looked too tired to get to Derby, so I took him back to ours, out for a pub dinner and then let him kip in the spare room.
The shame at Hermando getting lost on my patch has motivated to improve the signage from Congerstone to Worthington. I've replaced all old-style or vandalised signs. I've put some confirmation signs in after junctions. I've put up 20-odd destination patches, most of which replace existing arrows and tell potential users about what is actually of interest on the route eg. mileage to towns/cities (Derby, Loughborough, Coalville, Nuneaton, Market Bosworth) and visitor attractions (currently Battlefield Centre only.)
I hope we can have a look at signing as a group and see what we can get sorted out.
The 52/63 links pretty much all of the visitor attractions in our area together: Grace Dieu, Snibston Discovery, Battlefield Line, Battlefield Centre, Conkers/Cycle Centre/YHA/Camping, Moira Furnace...we should aim to make people feel that they are on a 'network' which connects these visitor attractions, towns and little villages together. We also need to make sure signing is very clear where routes meet (52/63 and 52/6). Currently, the highways signing only really tells you which village is next. So, I can see why Hermando got lost!
However, our number one priority as a group should be improving the signage to...Belcher's Bar. It is a small hamlet near Ibstock just after the 63 crosses the A511. It does exist, it is on the maps and my Gran confirms that it is called Belcher's Bar. For comedy value, we need to get some destination patches for it ASAP!
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