It always feels a long way out to Delamere from home. I met Jim and Trevor on the Delamere Forest leg and pushed on to the cafe at 15 miles. Not as far as some come – but enough first thing in the morning. Ken was already in the cafe and quite soon a goodly number of riders were ensconced in the warm cafe environment.
There was just Ken and I to represent the “Fast Lads” as others were doing their own thing or away skiing. Ken had cobbled together a route as I had done and both going broadly north south to mitigate the southerly wind on the return trip. We agreed to head for Whitchurch on my route and when at Wrenbury, evaluate whether to continue on or cut to a cafe.
So south we went to Cotebrook, Eaton and onto Barbridge. Here we take the A51 for a short distance before sliding left and over the canal to eventually join the Wettenhall to Nantwich road in all its pock-marked glory. At the busy Burford Crossroads, we head south towards Ravensmoor down Ravens Lane which was in a really poor state. We take the long way round to Sound and into Wrenbury.
This was the cross-over point for my original ride, and we have decisions to make now: a) carry on down to Whitchurch or b) cut that loop out thus saving 9 miles. As the sky as looking decidedly black south of us we decide to cut out the loop. The second decision was of Shakespearian proportions : “To B or not To B?” Aficionados of these blogs will know that “B” stands for Bhurtpore Inn. We decide to check out No.18 The Park and if it is not busy, to lunch there instead. Despite the car park being quite full, the cafe has a lot of tables free – so it was decided to lunch here.
 |
| Food at No.18 The Park |
You are always assured of good food here and so it was today. Ken suggested that we use the return section of his route back to Kelsall and so we set off just as the rain starts – only lightly, but still really wet roads now. We head for Bunbury down familiar lanes and out round the east of Tarporley sliding past Eaton again.
As Ken had driven over today, he kindly offers to give me a car-assist back to the outskirts of Chester. I’m definitely up for this as the rain comes and goes – the price for this offer was the climb out of Cotebrook and up Heaths Lane to where he had parked his car.
So Ken drops me near Hoole roundabout where the last few miles to home are enjoyed in a heavy fine rain and I arrive home with 59 miles ridden whereas Ken would have managed about 45 today. So a joint effort on piloting today cycling in a relaxed mode, and the correct decision being made to stop and enjoy lunch at The Park.
CA
Photo ex The Park website
No comments:
Post a Comment