We set off down Newton Lane, turning right at the end and heading round the back of Bolesworth Castle. Crossing the A534 we sauntered through Brown Knowl and Duckington, crossing the A41 at Edge Green. Then briefly down the Cheshire Cycleway before turning right into Whitewood Lane at Kidnal. We turned left in the direction of Chorlton Lane and Cuddington Green and continued through sleepy Threapwood before crossing into Wales at Tallarn Green.
As we left Tallarn Green we turned right and then left and headed down towards Three Fingers and Little Arowry, before cycling on to Hanmer. The Hanmer Arms has always been one of our favoured stops and after closing down for a while has now reopened. It was not our intended destination today but Bryan decided to turn back here having ridden out further on a CER ride than he has for some time.
The remaining five of us continued out of Hanmer and past Bettisfield Park which was looking idyllic in the warm summer sunshine. We ran for a short time along the A495 before turning off for Bettisfield itself, crossing the Llangollen Canal as we did so. A loop round to Balmer Heath took us back into Wales once more.
Then on through Lyneal to Colemere where a vineyard, which was planted a few years ago, is now starting to look established. A sure sign of climate change. Picking up the A528, we cycled into Ellesmere. The waterfront at Ellesmere was busy in the warm June sunshine so we avoided The Boat House and headed on to the Red Lion.
The Red Lion Coaching Inn usually offers an ‘over 60s’ two course lunch for a reasonable price but on this occasion we were to be disappointed. The normally busy pub was quiet due to a kitchen refurbishment which was in progress. We were given a warm welcome but were advised that there was a limited menu in operation. We still managed to find plenty to our liking and were soon tucking in to paninis, ploughman’s lunches and the like.
Leaving the Red Lion we headed right at the roundabout, up Swan Hill and then left up to Sandyhill. Then it was into Lion Lane, a tiny road alongside Lion Lane Wood which leads on to the A539 at Sandy Lane. After only a short distance on the A-road we turned right into quiet Burgess Lane and headed up to Holly Bush and Worthenbury. From there we went through Shocklach, Tilston and Clutton along the quiet and flat lanes of the Cheshire Plain before reaching Tattenhall. As we passed through Tattenhall Neil left us to head home and instead of turning right into Newton Lane to return to the Ice Cream Farm the rest of us carried straight on to return to our own cars or home.
49 very pleasant miles on a dry, warm summer’s day (plus our respective return journeys) in classic ‘Easy Rider’ fashion.
See route map and/or gpx file download
TC
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