23rd June 2022: Peover Heath (mod)

Delamere Station was the starting point for today’s ride and quite a few Easy Riders turned up in the warm sunshine. Although a few mod riders were absent, we formed a small, but shrinking party. Peter was out just for a coffee; Andy B was out for the first mile or so as he had to be back to prepare for a trip to France; and David M was out until we passed a friend’s house where he popped in to say hello.  This left myself, George, Alan and Dave P on his own without Liz.

Our destination was The Dog at Peover Heath, one of our regulars. Given the good weather of the last few days, I decided to ride out to Acton Bridge along the path beside the Weaver Navigation. I remember one previous ride when this route was blocked by three horses with their backs to us, and it took us sometime to persuade them to move.  No barriers today, just a tranquil picturesque scene which demanded a couple of photos.

Photos by AO

Passing the Leigh Arms, Willow Green Lane was full of vehicles and the place was swarming with teenagers carrying large backpacks – obviously the start of a DoE expedition. Weaving through, we passed onwards towards Comberbach, and continued northwards avoiding Great Budworth. Signs for the Cheshire Show were plentiful as we swung round to Pickmere and Higher Wincham, and after crossing the A556 arrived in Lower Peover. Despite the common name we were still seven miles from Peover Heath, as we turned left through Ollerton and then swung back to Marthall.  We approach the posh environs of Over Peover and turned into The Dog at Peover Heath. 

Always a popular destination, today many were sitting outside enjoying the sunshine. We chose to sit within, similarly busy, and were shown to our table. Our waiter took our drink and food orders without writing them down, and delivered them correctly to each of us – an impressive memory.  Weetwood beer was popular and most of us ordered from the light bites menu – all fairly substantial items for less than £10!  Good value is becoming something of a rarity with today’s rising inflation.  We wondered how so many other customers of working age could be present at midday – they were unlikely to be railwaymen currently on strike. We spent some time discussing Switzerland where one of Dave P’s daughters has been teaching for many years, a wealthy country doing quite well for itself and with many foreign workers from the EU and elsewhere.

Soon it was time to go. Previously when I’ve ridden back from The Dog, the route had been south into Goostrey, west through the village and then back north and on to Lach Dennis – that is the long way round a rectangle. There is a bridleway that cuts out this loop and given the dry weather, today was the day to try it. This starts a couple of kilometres north of Goostrey near the Blackden Lane/Red Lane junction.  Alan pioneered the way forward, steering a narrow winding path between high nettles and other vegetation. Overcoming exposed roots and dips in the track we emerged after about a kilometre onto a stony drive, which eventually gave way to tarmac, and before long we were at Boots Green and back on our usual route home. This is worth riding as a novelty and it cut about 2.5 miles off our journey, but it would not be viable on road bikes in anything other than the conditions today.

Our route took us onwards through Lach Dennis, Davenham and Hartford. Then it was the dodgy crossing of the A49 south of Weaverham, the steep climb up Dog Lane into Norley, and then back to Hatchmere where the group split.  Our return had been equally warm but the skies had clouded over. Total mileage was 47, on an excellent day’s cycling.

See route map and/or gpx file download

SH

27th September 2018: Peover Heath (mod)

The Station House Cafe at Delamere was closed, so we eventually cycled down to Delamere Cafe at The Visitor Centre.  Jim, Mike Evans, Trevor, George, Dave Matthews, Dave Pipe, Keith, Clive and myself  were soon ensconced outside in the sun supping tea. I made the mistake of talking chain lengths with Dave, who, of course, could write a PhD on the subject. To be fair, like Dave Pipe and Ray Hardman, Dave is very knowledgable when it comes to the technicalities of bikes. He also often uses his skills to sort out members' machines, Clive being the  latest beneficiary of help from Cheshire's version of Richard Hallett.  When Dave started linking gear tables and penny farthings, however, I began to wonder if he was auditioning for the BBC 'Would I Lie to You?' programme! As you might expect, after one thing or another, we started our ride late. I felt that Bryan would not have been impressed!  Those able to ride with us for the day went with my suggestion of The Dog as our destination. Clive agreed to lead out, and I would take over for a return route.

We eased our way to Norley, as so often, but then turned up the narrow, attractive Gallowsclough Lane. I remember riding along here with Jim, I think, when a breathtakingly beautiful woman on a lovely horse stopped and engaged us in a very pleasant, if short, chat. She was very posh, perhaps the Lady of the Manor trying to show kindness to a couple of poor, old commoners in their sad mix of cheap Muddy Fox and Aldi clothing? It remains my longest contact with a authentic member of the Cheshire Set. Perhaps I just imagined it? I must check with Jim! Then we passed Gary Barlow's former pad at Delamere Manor. Clive continued  through Cuddington and Whitegate. We were soon crossing the Weaver, and pedalling the perilous rocky path up to Moulton. Pretty Davenham was next, and just over the M6  and before Swan Green, Clive led us down Baker's Lane in a south westerly loop to Goostrey, and then north on small lanes to lunch.  The route had been attractive, and the blue sky cloudless. The food and service at The Dog was spot on, as usual.

Our way home took us past a polo club, reaching the A50 at Radbroke Hall. A young female driver then shouted at us and sounded her horn as we turned right. Yet another driver unreasonably aggravated by having to sometimes share tarmac with cyclists. I did have more adventurous options for the route home, but settled for the familiar Plumley Moor Road. Previous experience told me that it was essential to cross the dangerous A556 Roman road as pedestrians at the lights. We then rode to Linnards Lane on the footpath. From here onwards the roads would be quieter as we headed  west through Pickmere, Great Budworth, Comberbach and Little Leigh. At the A49 we cycled beside the glimmering Weaver to the picnic area at Dutton Lock. Here we took a break, chatting to an elderly couple, as we sat on rustic benches in the rays of the still warm, but slipping sun.

Photos by CA

There remained some steep banks ahead, as we headed for Cooksongreen. Just before Norley village we turned up a small  lane with lovely buildings including The Paddocks and Norley Hall. At Delamere Clive headed home, but George, Keith, Dave Pipe and myself enjoyed cake and coffee back at The Visitor Centre. I had the last big piece of proper cake with icing and a cherry. I offered half of it to the others for 70% of the price, but they all said they would rather have No Deal than a bad deal. So, they all munched lesser cakes in cellophane! Another thoroughly enjoyable day in the sunny Cheshire countryside with good friends. About 48 miles covered. Thanks to Clive for the morning route and the photographs.

See route map and/or gpx file download

DH

22nd February 2018 : Peover Heath (brisk)

I had created this route using http://cycle.travel/map as Ken had told me that it’s easy to use. Yes, it is easy to use, but as you will see, you need to check the route it generates, otherwise you can end up going down bumpy tracks or private roads.

From the throng of CERs (including Clive – good to see you if only for coffee) gathered at Meadow Lea on a bright but chilly morning, six offered themselves for the ‘brisk’ ride; Ivan, Paul, John M, Nick (on posh new bike) and Dave M, who said he’d come with us at least part of the way.

The first part of the route, along the A56, is pretty dull, but we were soon in the lanes, passing the entrance to the Windsurfing Centre at Manley, one of our erstwhile starting venues. The road along here is very rough and the vibrations caused my rear mudguard stays to come off the retaining lugs, a problem I’ve had before and one I thought I’d fixed. After a quick stop to put them back on, we continued, only for them to come off again soon after. So we stopped at the top of the hill on Sugar Lane, where Dave M delved in his saddlebag and provided some cable ties with which to make a lasting repair. Having fulfilled his role as ‘support crew’, Dave opted to do his own thing from here as his heart pacemaker doesn’t get on very well with hill climbing.

We pressed on through Mouldsworth and the undulating road through Delamere Forest to Norley, Cuddington and Sandiway, where we diverted from the route suggested by cycle.travel to avoid a long, bumpy run alongside the A556 Northwich by-pass. Instead, we headed towards Weaverham and then swung right through Hartford (and the first of many road works) to join the ‘cycle track’ (I use the term in the loosest possible way) next to the A556 at Hartford Bridge. We quickly left the main road ran through Davenham and out into the countryside on NC573. Crossing King Street (A530) there were more road works for the installation on new gas pipes. (I could bore you with the colour codes used for pipes to carry different services – gas, water, telecoms etc.,…. but I won’t!)

We followed NC 533 to Goostrey, passing two more places where is said ‘road closed’, but which we could pass on bikes – even if John had to carry his at one point. From Goostrey we turned north through Withington Green and the radio telescope at Jodrell Bank which is impressive every time I see it. A short run down Basemill Lane to Peover Heath brought us to ‘The Dog’ and our lunch stop. The pub was nice and warm, but quite busy, as it still seems to be half term hereabouts. So, we had to wait a while for the food, but it was good and filling when it did come. There’s a portrait of ‘The Dog’ where we were sitting and John M found is disconcerting, as it seemed to be dressed in women’s clothing and staring him in the eye (see photo) so he didn’t know what to make of it.

Setting off after lunch, the temperature had dropped significantly, the sun being partly hidden behind clouds. We pressed on, but I now found the cost of not checking the proposed route more carefully as it wanted to take us up the driveway to Peover Hall, a Grade II* listed Elizabethan family house dating from 1585. During World War II the house was requisitioned as the HQ for General George Patton of the United States 3rd Army to train for the D-Day landings in 1944. It is open to the public, but probably not for passing cyclists, so a diversion was called for which took us through Goostrey and back along NC533 to the A50. After a short run towards Knutsford on this road we turned left for Lower Peover and got back ‘on route’. Going through Lower Peover we came across yet another ‘road closed’ section. Here, Nick had a contretemps with a lady in a 4X4 who, it seemed, could neither read the road signs nor execute a multi-point turn when she reached the closure point. At the far side of the roadworks, John had an altercation with a traffic bollard. He claimed he was looking at his Garmin, but Nick reckons that there’s something of the ‘Bermuda Triangle’ about this part of the world. In any event, no damage was done to man or bike and we were soon on our way again.

Crossing the M6 at Plumley Moor, we were reaching more familiar territory, but I was beginning to feel the pace, taking refuge behind John whenever I could. We negotiated the tricky crossing of the A556 at The Smoker and were soon in Wincham. Entering Neumann’s Flashes, Ivan stopped to answer a call of nature whilst we carried on. However, there is a right turn along the way and Paul suggested that Ivan might not see us take it, so he went back to look for him. A good job too, as Ivan wouldn’t have taken it without Paul’s guidance and he might have been lost forever in the flashes. The path emerged on Marbury Lane, once a through road owned by ICI between Anderton and Northwich, but now closed to cars. Exiting Marbury Park, the route took us through Comberbach, Dones Green and along bumpy Marsh Lane to Dutton and the A533. We took the lane through Aston village to reach the top of the hill at Sutton Weaver. Here, Ivan declared that he was not stopping for coffee in Frodsham; he needed to get home as he was going out that evening. As it was just after 4pm at this point, John M, Nick and Paul also decided to head straight back, which gave me the excuse to peel off half way down the hill and go straight home. I had ridden from home to Meadow Lea in the morning, so can justly claim to have done the full ride.

This was a total of 67 miles on a dry but cold day using some new and some familiar lanes. At least there was no need to jet wash the bikes this week!

See route map and/or gpx file download

ST

Photo Steve T