26th February 2009: Port Sunlight

Photographs by Glennys Hammond

Eight riders met for elevenses at Ness Gardens. It was good to see Graham Payne (one of the inaugural Chester Easy Riders) now fully recovered and joining us again. Bryan proposed an “interesting” route (shorthand for “I’ve never cycled this route before but it looks OK on the map”) and with the tacit agreement of all we set off towards Willaston and a short section of The Wirral Way. From there we followed the lane to Childer Thornton, over the motorway and down to Eastham Ferry to arrive, with superb timing, to see one ship entering and one leaving the Manchester Ship Canal. After the photo opportunity and a brief history from Brian McD we followed a cycle path along the coast before turning inland through the industrial estate and onto the path we hoped would take us to Port Sunlight. By the time we reached the A41 it was apparent we had missed the turning onto the old low level rail path which we could see below us! Ably led by Brian McD it was back a few hundred yards and onto the traffic free path into Port Sunlight where we lunched at the busy Garden Centre Café. This proved to be a good choice both for food and the opportunity to chat. Emerging an hour later we did a short cycle tour of Port Sunlight with another photo opportunity outside the Lady Lever Gallery before taking a circuitous route through Storeton, Landican, Irby and Thurstaston to reach the Wirral Way and onwards to Parkgate for the compulsory ice-cream stop. Brian McD suggested tea and biscuits at his home in Little Neston; an offer which was enthusiastically accepted. Then it was back to Ness Gardens, dropping off those who had started from there, while the remainder cycled back towards Chester and their respective homes with a fox trying to outrun us on the way.
A great ride; very different ride to usual, but that’s what the Chester easy Riders is all about.
Distance from Chester and back 53 miles.
BW