It’s an hour’s ride from home to Delamere Station so I was pleased to get there and re-fuel with a coffee and a flapjack bar. Andy W’s bike was outside along with Steve T’s. Soon Ivan, Ray S, Dave M, Jim, Toby, and Neil arrived. Ivan was just out for a breakfast bap, and Neil had a ride looping back into Chester somehow. I’m assuming that Andy, Dave and Jim stayed a while and rode back home.
I had filched a ride from the CER’s 560+ routes on PlotaRoute, amended it and presented as “Today’s Ride”. Ray was up for the ride and I encouraged Steve to join as well. We set off the usual way towards to Hatchmere onto the new smooth surface of the previous “mountain track surface” of a road that we had to endure all those years. Of course it didn’t last as we soon get back onto the mountain track surface until the next bit a smooth surface – why not do the whole job in one go – it must be cheaper overall! At Hatchmere, a darkly clad rider appears coming out of the Delamere Forest road – it’s a “just-in-time” Young Chris. So we are now four.
The lunch target today is Oakwood Marina cafe on the Lach Dennis road out of Davenham. At 31 miles away, we would need a decent lunch today. Out via Aston, we head for Antrobus and onto the tiny lanes out to the Second World War airfield near the Lymm interchange. A burn eastwards and a right down Moss Lane, takes us into prime Cheshire farming land and on a six mile run to Pickmere.
Wincham comes and goes as we head for the dilapidated “Smoker” pub turning off and into the quiet lanes of Plumley. It’s not far now via Lach Dennis and in to the Oakwood marina cafe as stomachs are rumbling. This is the second time I have been here and three of us have the small breakfast which was very good and keenly priced.
I reassured the group that it was only 13 miles back to Delamere. We leave bound for Davenham, where I hadn’t realised that Steve needed to ride back to Runcorn so he peels off here for a similar distance back to his home. We three therefore take the Moulton Transfer to Whitegate and then the ride up Cinder Hill toward Little Budworth thence to Cotebrook.
As there was no need to ride back to the start, we three ride back to Chester as if from Rose Farm. The route round was 44 miles, but with the out and back, all of us racked up 65-70 miles today. The weather held up all day, with some sunshine and no rain. There were long clear views over the Cheshire countryside and a surprising 10C or more.
So as often happens, the weather was better than forecasted, the traffic was light and the lanes were reasonably clear of detritus. So my thanks to Steve, Ray and Chris for their good company today.
CA
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