12th March 2015: Ellesmere (mod)

There was a good turnout at Hildegard's. Jim had a route, but he also had a pain if he breathed deeply. My Green Party propaganda must have influenced him, because he had injured his torso by passionately hugging a tree. John appeared to have the flu, and Steve was still cautiously rehabilitating his back. Dave Matthews thought that he had a hundred day cold, but enjoyed a few miles with us. 

Those doing the full route were: Paul, Bryan W, Andy, Ray, Steve Tan, Martin, Trevor, Dave H, and Dave & Liz P. A quick glance at Jim's proposed route, and we were soon heading across the river to Farndon.

It was very pleasant and sociable, and it was nice to have a whole group ride. Andy was doing a bit of stirring, trying to be a wit, but I reckon he was only 50% there! We made steady progress south, sometimes into a steady headwind.

Basically, we headed for Hanmer via Shocklach, Threapwood and Three Fingers. This meant we avoided the muddy lane that follows if you cross the A525 at Eglwys Cross. Still heading due south, we managed to navigate to the edge of Northwood without the need for much map-checking. It is always reassuring to have Bryan around, when you are trying to lead on a route that you haven't prepared for. It was a bit intricate now. I wasn't sure if Jim had favoured climbing to Lea, west of Colemere or to just head up the main road. Expediency took over as the lunch break beckoned, so we headed directly northwest to Ellesmere from Lyneal, still on a quiet back lane for the most part. We managed to confuse ourselves over the pub of choice, as some pushed ahead, but we all ended up in The Red Lion which couldn't be faulted.

The brisker riders took their leave for a pacier ride back, whilst the rest of us headed up a narrow lane at the north end of The Mere toward Penley. Our route back was via Holly Bush and Bangor on Dee. We were soon on familiar back lanes from Sutton Green north to Holt. On reaching Hildegard's, Steve Tan was waiting after his ninth cup of coffee! Once again we had enjoyed a satisfying day out in good company, managing our fitness differences with mutual respect and common sense.  Distance: 40 miles.
See route map and/or gpx file download.

DH