Our 29 km cycling loop from Hamley Bridge to Stockport included two abandoned railway bridges, one historic road bridge, stunning views from Range Road and some wonderful ruins.
“How do you find these places?” my friends asked when we arrived at the falling down sheds, old cars and carts on Observatory Road.
My answer is embarrassingly simple: “I find a good coffee shop, use Google Maps to see if I can work out a 30 km ride in the area and then go for a test ride.”
Hamley Bridge to Stockport
Hamley Bridge is a charming historic town at the junction of the Light and Gilbert rivers.
We met in the carpark at the corner of Gilbert and Light Streets and headed north for a kilometre along Owen Road to begin our Hamley Bridge cycling loop.
Gilbert River Railway Bridge
A few days earlier, when Di, Kathie and I had done a test ride, we were unable to see the Gilbert River railway bridge up close, as a locked gate had blocked access.
Today we were in luck. The gate was open and we were able to get a better look.
While I am definitely not an expert in this field, it looks to me as though this bridge dates from 1927, when the Hamley Bridge-Gladstone line was converted from narrow to broad gauge.
We continued our Hamley Bridge cycling loop by returning to Bell Road and turning right. The climb up Smith’s Road lasted for five kilometres. Fortunately the gradient averaged only around four percent.
At one point, a tractor overtook us.
At last we reached Range Road and the peak of our ride.
From the top of Range Road, there were 360 degree views. To the south we could see all the way to Mount Lofty and the silos at Port Adelaide.
Now for our reward – a wonderful, five kilometre roll down to Stockport.
We stopped to see an old ruin on the way.
Stockport
At Stockport, we enjoyed our snacks at the tennis club/recreation ground. There was an attractive shelter and public toilets. Some members of the group tried out the BMX Track facilities.
Kay noticed the old railway station on Gardiner Terrace. Like many old South Australian railway stations, it’s now privately owned.
Stockport to Hamley Bridge
After the big climb on Range Road the return leg of our Hamley Bridge cycling loop was easy.
We followed Observatory Road out of Stockport. After a few kilometres, the road turned and became a track next to the Gilbert River. Soon we came to a stock gate, which we opened and then left closed as we had found it.
A few kilometres further on, we came to some tumble-down sheds which housed a collection of historic vehicles.
Old farm carts and machinery dotted the meadows nearby.
While we were marvelling at these treasures, the local farmer drove up to see what we were doing.
He seemed pleased that we were taking an interest in his family heirlooms, and was surprised to learn that we had come up from Adelaide to enjoy our cycling around Hamley Bridge.
Gallery 14 at Hamley Bridge
After five more kilometres we arrived back near our start point and our lunch stop for the day. Gallery 14 is housed in what used to be the National Bank Building and also doubles as a gift shop. Conveniently, Gallery 14 is open seven days a week and provides excellent food and coffee.
As we prepared for the second part of our ride around Hamley Bridge, there was a moment of panic as Derek and Joy’s tandem bike lock refused to yield. A quick knock with a spanner by Murray saved the day.
Light River Railway Bridge
Heading out on Railway Terrace, we passed the old Hamley Bridge railway station, a remarkable building, now also in private hands.
Following the abandoned railway line for half a kilometre,
we came to the Light River railway bridge. A sign warned of injury or death if we continued further.
It seemed a shame that the sleepers at the start of the bridge had been burned.
I couldn’t help but imagine this beautiful bridge as part a rail trail in the future.
Now it was time to check out the bridge from below. We followed a track along the bank of the Light River. Tall cliffs rose on the other side.
It was amazing how huge the pylons were when you were up close.
We returned the way we came
until we arrived at the old road bridge, most likely built around 1880.
The wrought iron reminded me of the bridges we had seen recently at Undalya (detour from the Rattler Trail) and Balaklava (on the Shamus Liptrot Rail Trail).
Summary of cycling at Hamley Bridge
All together we had cycled 29 kilometres around Hamley Bridge and climbed 369 metres.
We are fortunate to have had some fabulous country rides recently in stunning weather, but this one was particularly wonderful and rivalled our ride to Inspiration Point from Eudunda.
