8th May 2025 : Loppington (mod +)

To think only seven days ago we were basking in twenty seven deg C temperatures at the beginning of May. One week later and it felt like autumn, a full twenty degree change to nine deg C.

Only one brisker today, so Nick joined Alan, Kevin and myself to form a small group. I last rode this route in Nov 2021. I believe its either a Clive route (as there is plenty of grass growing in the centre of the lanes) or a Steve T.

The mods were displaying a fragmented approach with at least four different groups leaving the Castle Bistro. Our route avoided the plunge down Castle Hill by turning right towards Brongarth. We passed Trevor who was embarking on a challenging ride to Pistyll Rhaeader. This lane meanders towards Weston Rhyn before bearing right towards Hengoed. 

The lanes in Shropshire are synonymous with the spirit of CER, quiet (apart from two huge tractors), and safe (apart from the girl racer that tried to run Nick over!) . Gobowen was soon passed on our left as the road continued to Whittington. It was at this point that most of us realised where we were! A little headwind appeared here, so we were very lucky the wind whisperer wasn’t riding with us today otherwise he would have turned around and headed home - LOL. 

Soon the village of Loppington appeared and the Dickin Arms welcomed us to a well-earned lunch. No sooner than having ordered than Keith & Dave H appeared, so a very pleasant lunch ensued with Trumpy providing no end of conversation as usual. 

As we bade farewell the mods, we headed north and circled White Mere, I incorrectly advised the group we were by Ellesmere! These lanes were sublime, quite scenic and thankfully dusty, not the mud-strewn condition Chirk rides often afford. 

St Martins was busy with lots of mums collecting children, we reflected that the 20mph speed limits must be “what ever the old speed limit was PLUS 20mph” such was the pace of the motorists. 

As we crossed the A483 for the second time today, I made a rare navigation error and instead of following the canal into Chirk over the viaduct, we retraced our outward route. Everyone was polite enough not to complain. 

So a pleasant 42 miles at 13.5mph with great company and a scenic route.

See route map and/or gpx file download

S Hu 

Photo AO

5th September 2024: Loppington (mod)

There was a strong turnout at the Castle Bistro for our last visit to Chirk for the season. We have certainly cycled some very wet and muddy lanes around here during the last year.  Nevertheless, the venue presents us with varied and attractive selection of routes, which we have particularly appreciated on fine days. Today was expected to be dry, if cloudy with a strong wind from the north. The Moderate group consisted of Mike Dodd, Andy Barber, Dave and Liz Pipe and myself. Dave Matthews had made it for coffee but would not be on the ride itself. Andy, had a new map, but refused to lend it to me; I wasn’t surprised.

We set off across the Russian roulette roundabout on the A5 and were soon relieved to be on the quiet lanes to Hindford. The tandem, understandably, had to be dismounted for the particularly narrow and grotty surfaced lanes at Gannow Hill. From Welsh Frankton we cruised down the smooth tarmac before carefully attacking the severe humpback bridge across the canal. Unusually, the wind was in our sails on this south-west route to Hordley. I discussed with Mike the fact that a number of club riders had been, or still were caravanners, and that we all enjoyed riding past green fields, but hardly any of us chose to live in the country (or “the middle of nowhere” as Moreton Ray calls it). Mike liked having facilities close to home in Chester, such as coffee bars and alehouses; particularly alehouses.  Those of us in our late seventies or early eighties generally like to be near a ready supply of Eccles cakes, the Countess of Chester or a local graveyard. We took to the lanes bordering Kenwick Park to reach Cockshutt, and entered Loppington via English Frankton and Brownheath .

As ever, lunch was delicious at the Dickin Arms, and it was great to catch up with Dave and Liz. Mike and Liz were discussing following the latest Netflix films, and education in Switzerland and Singapore. Alongside his globetrotting, including being in an internationally performing choir, I don’t know how Mike finds the time and energy for everything. I blame the dog for making me so boring in comparison. Of course, my wife would say Scousers always blame someone or something else for their deficiencies. Andy was well-informed company as usual. Liz resurrected a once regular Easy Riders’ indulgence of ordering pudding. I joined her in enjoying a melt in the mouth ginger sponge and custard.

 The way back was by the more westerly route to Colemere and was very pleasant, and mostly well-surfaced. We were soon passing my favourite spot near the side of White Mere at Spunhill. Some stiff banks followed on our route to Perthy and New Marton. Liz and Dave coped commendably, until a puncture on their tandem halted progress. The busy road section from St.Martins to the A5 has a swoop down followed by a demanding rise. My attempted run at the hill was sabotaged by my map flying off across the road. Mike and Andy generously rescued it for me, evidently only half a dozen lorries had run over it. It was a relief to join the canal towpath at Rhoswiel (a first for me) and cycle in on the peaceful towpath. With pedestrians and dogs on the spectacular viaduct it was no surprise that Dave and Liz walked it. Impressively, Dave managed to ride the tandem solo up the steep path to Castle Road.  It had been a very enjoyable day, and I really appreciated Dave and Liz making the effort. Of course, the very patient Steve Tan had been waiting sometime after our day which had included a map retrieval, a puncture, tandem walking and two sponge puddings. I must leave him with a car key, a flask of coffee, and a couple of novels to read in the Berlingo next time. About thirty-five miles covered in very agreeable company; many more for Mold Andy as usual.

DH 

21st March 2024: Loppington (mod+)

‘Enjoy your ride in the rain today’ were my wife’s parting words as Dave H and I set off for Maggie’s at Holt, as there was light rain falling in Runcorn. ‘It’ll be alright’ was my reply as, according to the Met Office forecast, the rain would ease pretty soon. 

I had planned a 40-odd ‘mod+’ ride down to Loppington and both Steve Hu and Alan were up for it. As we were getting ready to leave Maggie’s, Clive rolled in, so we delayed our departure for a bit so that he could gulp a coffee down. Heading off through Farndon, it was still raining a bit and I had to stop a couple of times to adjust my rear mudguard, as it was rubbing on the tyre – something that would plague me throughout the day.

All went well until we got to Horton Green when Steve Hu caught up with me to show me the reading on his heart monitor. A reading of 158 suggested that he hadn’t fully recovered from donating blood the day before and so, sensibly, he decided to return to Holt.

So, the three of us pressed on into the now strong south-westerly wind and the rain, which had still not stopped. In spite of this, we made good progress through Threapwood, Fenn’s Bank and Whixall, reaching the The Dickin Arms about two hours after leaving Holt. There, we were welcomed and seated next to a fire so that our clothes could dry off a bit and we could get warm. As usual, the food was excellent, being served quickly and hot, although a little more expensive than the last time I’d been here.

Photo by AO

After a quick stop by the church for a selfie, we turned for home. By now the rain had stopped and we would have, for the most part, the wind behind us. All good, you might think, but that statement would not  include some of the roads that we encountered on the way back. Between Lyneal and Worthenbury not only were they wet and very muddy, but the potholes were enormous and impossible to avoid. This made progress quite slow and difficult in places and at the end of the ride Clive handed me his ‘muddy road king’ badge!

Reaching better roads, we made our way back to Holt via Shocklack and Crewe by Farndon. Clive left us at Farndon to head for home, whilst Alan and I went back to Maggie’s for a hot drink. Dave H arrived there shortly afterwards, having led the mod ride to Whixhall Marina.

Thanks to Clive, Alan and Steve for a 48 mile ride which the weather and road conditions made less enjoyable that I would have liked. As Clive said ‘it’s so much nicer in the summer’.  

Steve Hu later reported that he’d done a few miles with the mod group before heading home and that he’s now fully recovered.

See route map and/or gpx file download

ST

26th May 2022: Loppington (mod)

As usual, there was a good turn out at Cleopatra’s, eleven CER members being present. Brisk riders Ivan and John W were on their own, as Clive had gone down with Covid (hope you feel better soon, Clive). Steve Ha was going to do his own thing, as he needed to be home early today. That left Dave H, Mike G, George, Andy B, Steve Hu, Alan, Roy and me with a decision about our destination.

I had a route in mind to The Burlton Inn at Burlton, but Dave H was not keen as he thought their lunch offer might be limited. Instead, he suggested the Dicken Arms at Loppington where he was confident we’d get good food and, anyway, it was on the way to Burlton.

So, it was agreed that we’d go there, but I would need help with navigation, as I was not confident that my OutdoorActive app would not drain my phone battery completely if I tried to have the display on as we rode along. Fortunately, Mike G offered to help out, so we set off to the south-east via Crewe-by-Farndon and Tilston.  A minor deviation from my planned route saw us arrive in Threapwood and Tallarn Green in a more direct manner that originally planned, but with guidance from Mike G we soon arrived at Fenn’s Bank back ‘on piste’.

A stop to phone the pub got us an assurance that they’d cope with eight cyclists, so we pressed on with confidence through Whixall and arrived in Loppington just before 1pm with 25 miles covered.

Photo by Mike G

Food and drinks were ordered and paid for at the bar prior to service. Whilst their a la carte menu was a bit pricey, they had a £10 lunch menu with a wide selection to choose from. As usual fish and chip was popular, but Steves Hu and T both had their lamb tagine which was very tasty. Discussion covered a wide range of topics including the proposed windfall tax, house building and the NHS.

Suitably refreshed we went back to the car park and our bikes. Two ladies arrived on bikes, having cycled all of four miles to the pub and we left them consuming gin and tonics to aid their recovery! Our route back took us via Brownheath to English Frankton, which got us back on to my original route home from Burlton. From there, we headed north to Lyneal and Welshampton, stopping occasionally to check that we were taking the correct route.

By now, the brightness that we’d enjoyed before lunch had been replaced with darker skies and the threat of rain. Pressing on through Penley, we crossed the A525 at Holly Bush and took a direct route to Worthenbury, where we ‘enjoyed’ about ten minutes of light drizzle, but never got really wet.

We were soon at Shocklach and here Roy, Steve Hu and Alan started to raise the pace. They were joined by Mike G, Andy B and me in the now traditional race back to Farndon. This was enlivened by the presence behind us of a huge tractor. On occasions it had to slow down to allow traffic coming the other way to squeeze by. Andy had let it past him but then found that he had to come to a complete halt behind it for that reason….just at the bottom of a hill.

Arriving at the crossing of the A534, Andy B and I waited for Dave H and George whilst Roy, Steve Hu, Mike G and Alan pressed on to Holt. When we arrived back at Cleopoatra’s, Stev Hu and Mike G had gone on home, whilst Roy and Alan had stopped for a coffee. We did likewise before heading to the car park and home.

In all, we covered 49 miles on a day when the wind was not as strong as we’d feared and we’d stayed dry. My thanks to Mike G for his extensive help with navigation and to the rest of the gang for their company on a good day in the Shropshire lanes.

See route map and/or gpx file download

https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1919300

ST

10th February 2022: Loppington (mod 1)

There was a fine turnout on a bright and blowy day at Cleopatra's. The Fast Lads sorted their own plan out, with the minimum of fuss, as usual. The moderate group had a choice between Neil's route to “Chocks Away” at Hawarden, or my Malpas-free suggestion heading for Hanmer.  Neil had planned his route so that the stronger winds that he was anticipating in the afternoon would be blowing the group home on the return leg. There was an amicable split, which had the advantage of keeping the groups to a more manageable size on the road. Unfortunately, a quick call to ensure that the Hanmer Arms could accommodate 'my' group, ascertained that a very large walking group were already booked in for lunch. The Dickin Arms at Loppington seemed an attractive alternative, even if it was a bit of a stretch, hopefully not too ambitious for the tandem. George, Dave and Liz, Roy, Mike, Andy and myself were on board.

Both moderate groups rode out together, before splitting at Stretton Hall. We rode south through Tilston and along the Roman road before turning right at Kidnal for Chorlton Lane, Cuddington Heath, Oldcastle Heath and Lower Wych via Bishop Bennet Way. Roy popped into my favourite garage with me at Peacock Farm Yard, Cuddington Heath, where we briefly viewed a very smart, and increasingly rare, mid-engined ClioV6. I could have done with a V6 for the next climb! The tandem had the next best thing, with Dave's impressive fitment of a powerful electric motor aiding uphill  progress very effectively. James Dyson's design teams would have been proud of this result! Climbing from Lower Wych we took the second left, passing Strift House,  because I wasn't sure how viable first left would be. We then navigated the quiet little lanes to Whitewell with its little whitewashed chapel in a small green field. I could live here, but how far would I have to go for a bottle of 19 Crimes? After crossing the A525 and A495, we swished down nice and easy lanes from Fenn's Bank to beyond Dobson's Bridge, and then cut across to Wolverley. At Spenford Bridge, I chose another very narrow lane, rather than turn into a headwind for a short while.

This was a mistake! On paper, it was a nice back route through the small village of Loppington, but, on the day, was very muddy and rough for a while, and took longer. So, we arrived a little late for lunch, but we received a warm welcome, and enjoyed their lunch menu, which once again was outstanding in its quality and presentation. We had covered about 25 miles at this stage.

The route back needed to be as direct as possible, so we headed for Northwood. Unfortunately, George had a thorn puncture. My long-nose pliers, and the very efficient expertise of Roy and Dave Pipe meant that George was up and running pretty quickly. I was a bit concerned, because we were still well south of Hanmer, and really needed to crack on. As it happened the wind was not a problem, the sun was mainly out, so we soon warmed up again and made consistent good progress north, all afternoon.  At Bettisfield we came across an attractive conversion of a former railway station nestling down on our left. The former railway line appears to have linked Whittington to Whitchurch via Ellesmere. A stretch of rail with a locomotive engine has been installed as feature in the grounds of the station house (see Roy's pictures). Bettisfield was mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1066. 

Photos by Roy

After climbing past The Hanmer Arms we crossed the A539 and passed through Little Arowry, before crossing the A525 and tackling the steep bank at three Fingers. The route from Threapwood is pretty quick, even if the faster members of our group were not giving it full throttle. Cleopatra's closes at four, and we arrived as an apologetic Helen was locking the door. I think she was having to dash off for a parents evening. Never mind! We had covered about 45 miles in relaxed company, and with the deeply rural territory covered, and Dave and Liz alongside, it was a steady paced sunny day that seemed to capture the essence of Easy Riders from years past.  

DH

9th September 2021: Loppington (mod)

It was good to catch up with John and Ivan before they set off on their own trajectory. It was also a pleasure to have the company of super-slim Dave and Liz for a while. There was a  lower turnout than of late for various reasons. Undoubtedly, the likelihood of being struck by lightning and suffering torrential downpours, had led some to lily-liveredly buttering another round of toast and hunkering down at home. The moderates consisted of Steve Haywood, Alan, Peter and myself. Loppington was the chosen destination.  Peter was accompanying us only part of the way, as he too was running frit of forecast deluges.  It was difficult to know what to wear, as it was likely to remain warm even if we were soaked through. We drooled over John's neat GoreWear black jacket from their Rich City Slickers collection. Evidently, it remains totally waterproof in a tsunami, yet retains the ventilation comparable to travelling in an open Ferrari Portofino at a steady199m.p.h. Some would rather have the fluorescent yellow safety of a Decathlon waterproof jacket on a dark, wet day in winter, and put the hundreds of pounds saved in the tin marked, “Winter Holiday in Barbados.” To be fair, John covers more miles than most, and being soggy and sweaty for many hours is not pleasant.

We were a little late setting off as we inspected the Pipe's electrified tandem, which I thought smelt of burning. My route was through Tilston, Malpas and Higher Wyche. The sun had appeared and was pretty hot. I had left my helmet behind at home after the distraction of my daughter's dog escaping as I went to the car. Alan kindly lent me a cloth cap to spare my burning bonce, and we made good progress toward Whixall. Alan had hopes that if we could just make lunch before getting wet......Then, the heavy rain started, and we sheltered under some trees as it really began to pour down. It was time to forget further meandering on intricate lanes toward Wem. We cut across to the B5476 and rode south and straight to Wem and out the other side to Tilley. We passed the Tilley Raven where we once arrived late, but the chef left a good helping of chips for us as he left for home. We sped down the back lane to Nonely, as the rain eased off, and reached The Dickin Arms shortly after. We could have sat outside under canvas, but Steve preferred a wasp free lunch, and we agreed to eat inside. The food was very good and excellent value. The standard of the cooking, and the class of the clientele is definitely up a notch on most pub stops. We were the only plebs, and the only ones looking like drowned rats. 

Photo by AO

The narrow, well-surfaced lane to Lyneal was a scenic delight on the way back. Alan kindly took the photograph, and the sun was out again. The dirty little lanes towards Tart Hill were given a miss, and we headed for Hanmer via Northwood and Bettisfield. We continued to push on through Threapwood, conscious that a lot more wild rainfall was looming. Steve persuaded me that the direct route to Shocklach was a bit rough, and that he had a nicer little detour! So it was that we cycled down Chapel Lane to “The Holy Land” and then ploughed on north for Farndon and Holt. Thanks to Steve's cute diversion we failed to beat the next heavy rainfall, which hit us at Crewe-by-Farndon, minutes before reaching Cleopatra's! Steve may well have led us to the Holy Land, but, for me, he now still needs to find the Road to Redemption. Perhaps, I am being a bit harsh, perhaps, I am being that “typical Scouser” from home that usually blames others if things go wrong! At Holt, Alan headed for his car, and Steve and I had a last coffee and a chat to Helen. Steve reminded me of my once forgetting to bring my jacket to this venue, on a very cold day. I asked the staff if they could spare me a bin bag, and I then made a gilet from this. Helen took pity on me and lent me her partner's cycling jacket. Today, Philippe made an appearance from the kitchen to amuse us with some inane trick questions. If you don't know why Philippe left South Africa, and how he met Helen, read their 'Journey' on Cleopatra's website. The drive home, across country to Steve's at Kelsall, and then to Runcorn was extremely frought with deep, swirling floodwater everywhere, but fortunately the old Berlingo made it. Despite everything, we were never cold, the scenery was enjoyable, and I am sure that the three of us were glad that we had made the effort. We had covered nearly fifty miles, the majority of them dry, surprisingly.                                       

See route map and/or gpx file download

DH

27th May 2021: Loppington (mod)

 It was a warm, sunny and dry forecast at last. It was smashing to be able to return to Cleopatra's, and sit outside in shorts and short sleeved tops. Catching up with Elwyn and Fiona was enjoyable, but they couldn't join us on the ride. Nick also turned up for a coffee, but was doing his own thing on the day. Most of the other regular lead riders were elsewhere, so my half-baked thoughts of an intricate route to the Dickin Arms were accepted.

The moderate group were Dave Matthews, Andy Barber, Mike Gilbert, Mike Dodd, Steve Hughes, George, Alan and myself. We pottered along to Tilston with plenty of breath to spare for interesting chats. Malpas is best avoided, so my back route to Lower Wych was via Horton Green, Cuddington Heath, and Oldcastle Heath. After climbing up from Lower Wych we turned left, passing the attractive Strift House before drifting south on little lanes to Whitewell. We crossed two main roads without any problems before entering the delightful rural corridor to Whixhall and beyond. Steve did us a favour by phoning the Dickin Arms to ensure that we could be accommodated for lunch. We headed towards Wem by an intricate lacework of lanes near the Prees Branch of the Llangollen Canal. Mike Gilbert was particularly interested, having spent many happy hours of his childhood on a narrow boat. Mike is an excellent route navigator, but he was unclear where exactly I wanted to go (that made two of us!). The upshot was that we spent a lot of time pleasantly meandering, but becoming behind schedule for lunch. For expediency, I was no longer contemplating Wem, Tilley and Nonely as a route to Loppington, but headed briskly for Poolhead, Lowe and Horton. Steve had rung the pub again as my e.t.a. was passing. They said, that was fine, but we would have to make it before 1.30 p.m. We made it with five minutes to spare! And it was well worth it. We had two adjacent tables shaded by an airy canvas construction, and the food was excellent, good value and served swiftly. We joked with two local ladies, who took an interest in our day out. One of the staff kindly took our group photograph, before we headed home.

Photo by Mike G

The road to Lyneal was a peaceful and lush easy cruise after lunch, then we headed for Hampton Bank and Breadon Heath. All lanes were narrow and quiet and laden with summer scents. At Tarts Hill I turned left with Dave convinced I was heading south for Welshampton, which I would have been if I had turned left again shortly after, but I didn't, and we finished up painlessly in Penley, as planned. From Penley it's a pretty straightforward route north to Farndon. At Holly Bush I became aware that not everybody had passed me as I stopped to sort out my maps. I rang Steve to try and find out who was ahead, after ringing George and finding myself chatting to his wife! Andy had already gone back and Steve retraced his steps to reach me. Andy then rode up to say that Dave had had fixed a puncture, but was intending to cut off for his home before we returned to Holt anyway, so was happy for us to carry on without him. 

The ride continued to be pleasant and steady until Andy started to wind things up north of Worthenbury, as has become a bit of a tradition on this stretch in recent years. I stayed on his wheel, with George, Mike and Alan in close order, I think. It was good to see Alan back to form after his recent breathing problems. Although I gave it a go for a couple of miles or so, the pace was faster than it was sensible to try and sustain for me. I presume that Mike had no idea why suddenly everybody was cycling away at twice the speed we had been travelling all day! Anyway, a couple of calls from Alan ascertained that there was no significant problem, and Steve accompanied Mike back to us at Farndon.

There was still time for coffee and cake at Cleopatra's for some of us, before Andy, suitably sustained, set off on his sixteen miles to Mold. Mike told me we had covered 52mls. It was a particularly enjoyable day, given the outstanding weather, beautiful, quiet Shropshire lanes and the relaxing company. I very much appreciated Mike and Steve being on the ball in terms of navigational support. There may have been the odd tactical imperfection, but at least I couldn't have selected a better team, so one up on Pep then!

DH

P.S.

Some of you would have been amused at me banging on the locked door of Cleopatra's having convinced myself that I had lost my debit card when I returned to my car. I found it in my pocketed face mask shortly after the door was unlocked!

30th November 2017: Loppington (mod)

Six Easy Riders assembled at the Tea Rooms in Chirk – Bob, Ken, George, Keith, Dave H and myself.  Not as many as in recent weeks, but it was very cold and Chirk is a long way out for many. What was to be our destination?  A north wind was blowing, so an easterly or westerly direction was preferred.  We wanted to avoid any icy roads, so climbing the hills to the west was ruled out.  This meant an eastwards route of not much more than 40 miles given the short days.  Surveying the map, the village of Loppington seemed about right and previously we had enjoyed its Dickin Arms, although we had never ridden out from Chirk.

We headed out through Western Rhyn and passed by the Oswestry Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital. (In case you had ever wondered, these two were pioneering orthopaedic specialists: Sir Robert one of the first surgeons to focus on fractures and Dame Agnes the first orthopaedic nurse. Forty years ago I was treated with a Robert Jones bandage when I fractured my patella.)

We then took to east bound lanes through Welsh and English Frankton before arriving at the Dickin Arms. Two incidents ‘enlivened’ our morning.  On a little back lane we found the road blocked by the work of a ‘white-lining’ team – they were very apologetic for causing us to carry our bikes past on the verge, but we did wonder why it was worth painting white lines on such a narrow road.  A little later, Bob suffered a puncture and mended it while we all shivered.

The Dickin Arms was especially welcome on such a day with a large fire, a friendly barman, good beer and good food – a little more pricey than our usual, but well worth it – the Italian meatballs were a favourite. It should go on our favourites list.

Our return took us through Lyneal, Colemere and Ellesmere and several lanes before hitting the main road at St Martin’s. On our route we were surprised to see a dog being taken for a walk by a woman driving her car alongside it!  The main road from St Martin’s took us quickly back to the Chirk Tea Rooms, except for Ken who still had to cycle back to Rossett.

It had been a very good day. Despite the cold were had lots of blue sky and great views, and but for a few muddy spells, we rode on smooth clean quiet Shropshire lanes, and we lunched at a great pub.  Overall about 37 miles.

SH

15th June 2017: Loppington (mod)

The turn-out at Cleopatra’s was significantly higher than last week at Rose Farm, but then again the weather was much better and it was no longer half term. So it was that seven Easy Riders (the Magnificent Seven?) gathered for coffee and toasted teacakes. As ever, Helen did her best to accommodate us, even moving tables and providing us with tap water to make us comfortable.  John Wilkie was only here for coffee prior to returning home to take up his grandparenting duties, but it was good to catch up with him and hear more tales of his long distance rides.

The remaining six (no longer magnificent?) comprised Dave H, Steve H, Bob, Nick, George and yours truly. Steve H was brandishing his new Trek Domane S machine which he told us has rear suspension.  We asked how it works, as it was not obvious from the configuration of the bike. Steve replied that it is ‘very clever’ and ‘magic’, but some of us think it’s the Devil’s work.

Dave opined that he had a route in mind down to the Dickin Arms at Loppington, which he understood to have changed hands recently. In days gone by, this had been a favoured lunch stop  for CER and Dave had actually stopped there on Monday with George and Keith B on one if his ‘Tuesday rides’ (don’t ask!). Sadly the place does not open on Mondays so they’d had to go on to The Raven at Tilley, where they’d dined on two plates of chips between the three of them (again, don’t ask!). Anyway, Dave had rung the pub and told them to expect about six cyclists at about ten to one.

So it was that we set off over the Dee and into Farndon. Steve H was speeding up the hill through Farndon on his Trek, but it wasn’t long before his exploits in Scotland last week, where  he’d bagged his 118th Munro (out of 282), began to be felt and his pace returned that of a normal ‘moderate’. We threaded our way through Crewe-by-Farndon and Tilston, heading in the general direction of Malpas. Now Dave H has a pathological hatred of Malpas, which he claims is at the top of a very steep hill. The OS map shows it to be at an elevation of 118m – a giddy height indeed, given that Tilston, only a couple of miles away, lies at 40m. Consequently, we diverted at Tilston along Church Road to go via Horton Green and Chorlton Lane to reach Cuddington Heath and then Oldcastle Heath, avoiding Malpas completely. Pressing on to Lower Wych, we crossed into Wales, whereupon George felt immediately relaxed and at home.

Crossing the A525 at Eglwys Cross we took a small lane towards Arowry.  About half way along the lane there was a sudden a sharp hissing noise behind me as Bob’s rear tyre deflated. It’s only two weeks since Bob had to return home after suffering a puncture and cut tyre, so his luck is clearly out in this area. After replacing the inner tube without finding the cause of the puncture, the tyre was successfully inflated using a pump that Bob had bought in a French supermarket – who needs fancy gear! However, all was not well, as someone spotted a bulge in the side of the Michelin where it had become split; whether it had been cut by a sharp stone or the split was due to a manufacturing fault was not clear. In any event, the outer was new, having completed only 165 miles, so Bob will be taking it back to the shop to complain. Dave H sprang into action, furtling, Dave Pipe-style, in his saddle bag and coming up with a section of an old outer tube which was quickly glued inside Bob’s defective outer (tyre, that is). Bob gingerly inflated the tyre, stopping when there was enough air in it to bear his weight but before the sidewall bulged out too much.

We pressed on, crossing the A495 at Bettisfield Park and heading to Bettisfield where we crossed back into England and the lanes of Shropshire. How is it that the lanes here are almost devoid of pot-holes or traffic? Compared to our own Cheshire territory, they are a sheer delight. After a zig-zag through Lyneal, we arrived, approximately on time at the Dickin Arms, and very pleasant it looked.

I got an inkling of how things might be when the waitress removed the wine glasses from the table in the corner that had been reserved for us. Wine? For cyclists? Initially I thought I’d need a mortgage to buy my lunch as the ‘mains’ seemed to be priced at ‘teens’ of pounds and there was a 28 oz steak on offer for £45. However, the reverse side of the menu offered Italian meatballs and pasta for £11 and ‘Wrexham beer battered’ fish and chips for only £10, so we placed our orders. Some concern was expressed that Steve H has been away from his Rotherham roots for too long, as he asked that his mushy peas be replaced with a salad! The food, when it arrived was of a very high quality and quantity, so it was suggested that Steve adds the Dickin to our list of favoured stops. He said he’d put it on the ‘waiting list’ pending another favourable report from a second visit. When Bob went to pay his bill, he was told that ‘the system’ did not allow for individual settlement of bills and that we’d have to pay as one. So we all slid our notes and coins towards Bob and he pulled it all together and went off to pay. Have we found a candidate for the post of Hon. Treasurer?

Suitably refreshed, we gather outside the church of St Michaels and All Angels for the photocall. The church dates back to 14th century and Loppington was recorded in the Domesday Book as Lopitone.

Photo by Steve T

The route back took us, west, directly into the strong breeze that had been blowing all day, but the lanes are set within hedges which gave us some protection. After crossing the A528 at Cockshutt,  we turned north, heading towards Ellesmere. There seems to be an unwritten rule that, if you pass by the mere at Ellesmere you must stop for an ice cream/cake or some other calorie-laden sweetmeat. Given  that we’d only just left the pub, this seem like over-indulgence, so Dave concocted a route through the town which avoided said mere and took us out via the oddly named Coptiviney, through the dip down and up to Hampton Woods to Penley. Here we followed the A539 for a short distance before turning right along Hollybush Lane.

Crossing the A525 at Holly Bush, we made for Threapwood and Worthenbury before picking up the familiar route back to Farndon via Schocklach. Round about here, Nick picked up the pace and the two Steves went with him. Then at Crewe, Nick went into full ‘brisk’ mode and flew at 25 mph towards the A534. This proved too much, even for a Domane S (with rear suspension), but Steve T’s Boardman was able to keep up – just. Pausing for breath at the crossing of the A534, we saw Dave H flying by into Barton Road. Clearly, the pull of cream cakes had given him second wind. Whilst the ‘Famous Five’ paused at Lewis’s of Fardon for the aforementioned tea and cakes, George forged onward, as he’d left his car at Broughton, so had another hour in the saddle heading into the wind before he could make use of an internal combustion engine.

All in all, an excellent ride in the superb lanes of Shropshire. Good food and amusing company combined with dry and sunny (if a bit breezy) weather to make yet another great day. 53 miles were registered at an average speed of 13.5 mph, the latter helped, no doubt, by the sprint home at the end.

ST