A crowd of CER riders milled around outside Meadow Lea café, and for the first time this year, we were able to welcome our Welsh contingent. Fourteen of us were out for a club ride and our supremo dictated that this meant three separate rides. I volunteered to lead a group out to Malpas, though with no clear idea of where we would stop for lunch. I was joined by George and Peter.
We set off in bright sunshine though with a cold air temperature, through Waverton, then Greenlooms to arrive in Tattenhall. From here there was an opportunity to take Holywell Lane to Clutton without its usual winter-months flooded and muddy stretch. On to Tilston and then into Malpas by the back way though Chorlton and the Wrexham Road. Church Street was closed to vehicles, so we climbed uninterruptedly up the hill and on to The Cross.
We passed the Fire Station Café which didn’t have any tables, which was just as well because we ended up at the Snack Shack on the corner of High Street and Chester Road. Here we settled around a small outside table and enjoyed reasonably priced and tasty food as we basked in the sunshine. Well worth remembering this place.
The return route took us north up to the top of High Street and then down the long descent along the old Roman road. This is a great way to leave the town swooping downhill, though unfortunately speed needs to be controlled to avoid some bad surfaces. We went through Tilston again and on to Stretton, where we turned off down Wetreins Lane.
From here it was into Farndon where Peter departed for a more direct journey to his home via Holt. George and I carried on to Churton and then across the bridge at Aldford, where workmen continue to repair the parapets swept away by floodwater earlier this year. We rode through Bruera and Saighton until we reached Waverton where we reversed our outward journey to Mickle Trafford.
We were back at Meadow Lea quite early by 2:30pm, partly a reflection of how quickly our lunch was served. The day had warmed up and with very little wind it had been perfect cycling weather. The whole route was just under 40 miles, slightly more on the outward leg.
See route map and/or gpx file download
SH
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