18th August 2022: Goostrey (mod)

 A dozen CER members gathered at Delamere Station café on a warm but overcast morning. The forecast was for rain, but not until the afternoon, so we would at least start today’s ride dry. When we’d sorted ourselves out into ‘briskers’, ‘mods’ and ‘only here for coffee’, there were four hardy souls prepared to undertake the ride I had planned to the ‘Pastimes’ café in Goostrey.

So it was that Trevor, Dave H, Andy B and yours truly set off through Hatchmere, taking Forest Lane and Beech Lane to drop down onto the B5153 at Crowton. From here we took the usual route past Acton Bridge and the fast run down to the A49 at the swing bridge. Then followed the steep climb out of the Weaver valley to reach Comberbach.

We diverted to Budworth Heath to avoid Great Budworth village and proceeded through Plumley and Higher Wincham to reach the crossing of the A556 at The Smoker pub. From here we ran the length of Plumley Moor Road to reach Lower Peover. We then followed Free Green Lane to its intersection with the A50. A short run along the A50 took us to Booth Bed Lane after which we were soon in Goostrey, arriving at the Pastimes café just before 12.30 with 24 miles completed.

The lunch menu at Pastimes is quite varied, offering sandwiches, paninis as well as more substantial fare. When we arrived it was fairly quiet, but it’s clearly favoured by cyclists as more and more arrived whilst we sat outside and ate our lunch.

Our route back took us through the Allostock stockbroker belt with their huge mansions, Lach Dennis and Davenham. Crossing the A556 here, we rode up through Hartford to pick up Hodge Lane which led us to the crossing of the A49. That left us with the run up Norley Bank and Maddocks Hill before we turned down Post Office Lane to reach Hatchmere and our starting point at Delamere.

40 miles covered  at an average moving speed of 13.8 mph, with only a few spots of rain before we got back to Delamere. I rode home and had just got in when it started to rain ‘properly’, so I guess that, whilst Dave H and Trevor also stayed dry,  Andy B must have got wet before he got home to Mold.

Thanks to my compadres for their support and company on yet another dry day out in the Cheshire countryside.

ST

See route map and/or gpx file download