Ten riders set out for the moderate ride from the Little Roodee Café in Chester. The Dysart Arms in Bunbury was the destination with a southern loop in the morning and a northern loop in the afternoon.
We set out along the riverside by the Groves and picked up the canal path for a short while to escape Chester via River Lane and on to Aldford and Churton where we detoured around the back lanes of the villages to admire the old cottages and pretentious Victorian chimney pots. In Farndon we again diverted into the back lanes to admire the church then took the old road south, now a byway cut by the Farndon bypass, to emerge in Crewe-by-Farndon. Onwards via Tilston turning left for Bickerton and a little bit of climbing to stretch the legs before skirting the Peckforton Hills on the east side and on to Bunbury and the Dysart Arms with about 25 miles covered. The sun was glorious and so were the garden and the food.
Photograph by Dave Pipe.
After lunch we headed down to Tilston Bank to cross the railway and canal then the payback for the descent to climb up from the canal and on to Cotebrook via a meandering route taking in as many narrow lanes as possible. The Cafe at Cotebrook was closed for the day but the suggestion of pushing on to Walk Mill was an excellent choice. Open until 5pm – worth noting for future sunny day rides.
After a relaxed stop we headed back to Chester via Waverton and the canal path. 50 miles round trip.
Note: Cotebrook cafe is only open in the middle of the day according to the chap in the house opposite when we passed on Tuesday afternoon. The Shirehorse Centre 300 yards South on the main road is a good alternative.
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