10th March 2022: Over Peover

It was overcast but dry and reasonably warm as I rode out to Delamere Station Café. I was grateful for this after last week’s sodden outing.  At the café, I was joined by Dave H, George, Alan, Andy B, Steve Hu, Mike and Keith, who it was good to see out with us. Also there, but just for coffee were Dave M and Neil. In another corner were a trio of briskers (John M, Ray and Colin) who were out, but  only for a short ride.

The plan was to ride out to The Dog at Over Peover using a route I’d had on my phone for a while. Now that my Viewranger app has been turned off recently, I was trying to use the much inferior Outdoor Active app instead for the first time, so I wasn’t sure how this would go.

We set off on the usual route through Delamere on what must be the worst road surface in Cheshire – at least for cyclists. After a stop to fiddle with my phone to get the map centred, we continued to Norley, taking Gallowsclough Lane to Cuddington, crossing the A556 at Sandiway. A left into Dalefords Lane took us on to Foxtwist Green, Whitegate and Bradford Mill, where we crossed over the Weaver Navigation canal and under the Crewe to Liverpool railway line. The ‘road’ here is not metalled, but although it was quite rough, it wasn’t too wet or muddy, so we made it up the hill into Moulton and Davenham without incident or complaint from the peloton.

Now on better roads we reached Lach Dennis at which point I had to stop navigating using the phone as the battery was almost dead. This new Outdoor Active app was many faults and heavy battery usage is one of them, so a switch to trusty old paper was required.

As time was pressing on, I decided to miss out a loop via Swan Green to Goostrey continuing directly along the B5082.  Reaching Goostrey we turned left by the church, heading for Blackden Heath. Whilst most of us paused for a group photo with Jodrell Bank behind us, Dave H had disappeared up the lane and was nowhere to be seen.

Photo SHu

As we followed him, we passed a tree hugger…literally. There was a guy standing with his arms around a very large oak or sycamore tree with his face pressed against it. Every day is an eye opener with CER! By the time we caught up with Dave we were a bit off piste, but after some mid-course corrections we arrived at The Dog at 12.45, precisely the time our table had been booked for.

As usual, the staff at The Dog were first class and we were soon seated in the snug with drinks and food swiftly ordered. Fish barms, club sandwiches and other tasty dishes soon arrived to fuel us up for the afternoon. As we were eating, Keith noticed a fabulous looking sports car came into the car park. On closer inspection, this turned out to be a C Type Jaguar or perhaps a copy of one. Steve Hu and I spent a while trying to work out if it was genuine or not.

 

Photos AO

I looked it up when I got home and it seems certain that it was one of only 8 'Continuation'  XKCs built by Jaguar in 2021 using original parts and drawings to celebrate the 70 years since this type of car won at Le Mans. The cost of these cars was £1-2 million, depending on specification. Astonishingly, all are sold!

By the time we set off back, the clouds had broken up and it was now a lovely warm, sunny spring day – ideal conditions for the run home through the Cheshire countryside. The return journey was via Radbroke Hall, Lower Peover and Plumley  to The Smoker, where we crossed the busy A556 Northwich By-Pass. The lanes through Higher Wincham, Pickmere, Great Budworth  and Comberbach were quieter, although the odd gust of wind from the SE made itself felt. At Little Leigh the lane by the school was packed as it was turning out time, but we were soon past and down the hill from Willow Green and over the Trent and Mersey Canal to the A49. 

The traffic here was very heavy and it was quite a while before there was a gap big enough that we could cross safely and take Acton Lane up the steep hill into Acton Bridge. This is a real sting in the tale, coming 42 miles into the ride. Surprisingly, there are no chevrons on the OS map at this point. Similarly, there are none at Norley Bank which is, admittedly, shorter and less steep, but unwelcome at this late stage of the ride.

The group dispersed at Hatchmere after a good day out in the Cheshire countryside and 47 miles travelled. Thanks to all for their company and support.

ST

See route map and/or gpx file download

29th August 2019: Over Peover (mod)

A large group of riders assembled at Delamere Forest Station Café on a warm bright morning. Once we had sorted out who was riding and who wasn’t and who was ‘brisk’ and who wasn’t, it looked as if there would be six for the moderate ride to The Dog at Over Peover – except that Dave P had arrived telling us that Peter had ridden with him from Chester, but he’d picked up a puncture about half a mile away from the café and was in the process of fixing it.

There followed a lengthy delay whilst we a) located Peter and checked that he could fix his puncture, b) got him to the café with it fixed and c) examined the cuts in his tyre(s) and established that they were too serious to allow him to continue with us. So, in the end, we would be six and not seven.

So it was 11.00 by the time we left Delamere heading, inevitably, towards Hatchmere and thence Norley. By this time ‘we’ consisted of Dave H, Dave M, Dave P, Fiona, George and yours truly. Taking the pretty Gallowsclough Lane in Norley, we headed across the A49 at Cuddington and the A556 at Sandiway. I had been anxious to make up for our late start so had been pressing on. At this point we’d averaged almost 15 mph – a supersonic speed for the mods. Things slowed down a little as Dave M led us over the River Weaver at Bradford Mill and up the rough path under the bridges leading up to Moulton. At Davenham we picked up Cycle Route 573, which runs east towards Congleton, passing through Lach Dennis and Goostrey.

Passing The Crown at Goostrey, we looked but couldn’t see any sign of the brisk riders who had planned to stop there for lunch. Either they were hiding from us or they were lost on the Whitegate Way.

Passing close by Jodrell Bank, we arrived at The Dog in Over Peover at 12.50, having covered just under 25 miles in less than 2 hours. As usual, the food at The Dog was excellent and the service friendly. There was some discussion about the multitude of ‘Peovers’ in this area.  According to Wikipedia, Peover is a rural area in Cheshire, southwest of Chelford and northwest of Jodrell Bank. It contains Peover Superior (also called Over Peover), and Peover Inferior (also called Lower Peover or Nether Peover) and Peover Heath.  Peover is mentioned in the Domesday Book as "Pevre", from a Celtic word meaning "the bright one" referring to the Peover Eye, a local brook.

Photos by Steve T

Suitably refreshed and photographed for posterity, we made our way out of Over Peover to Lower Peover. Here Dave M took his leave to ride back to Oscroft by a different route. We pressed on over Plumley Moor, crossing the busy A556 at The Smoker by wheeling the bikes over the pedestrian crossings.  Riding the short distance on the pavement alongside the A556, we turned right into Linnards Lane and followed this into Higher Wincham. From here we took the familiar route through Pickmere, Great Budworth, Comberbach and Little Leigh to take us down to the River Weaver at Acton Bridge.

Given the choice between riding up the very steep hill into Acton Bridge, or taking the riverside path to Dutton Locks and the more gradual climb back to Delamere, we stuck by the moderate group motto of ‘never take the hard route when there’s and easier one’ and rode down to the river. Fiona thought she was going to have to swim across the river, but found the crossing at the locks a novelty. She was less impressed by a muddy section of the path as we cycled towards the railway viaduct!

The climb out of the Weaver Valley up first Crewood Common Lane and then Norley Lane is certainly less steep than taking Acton Lane, but it’s quite a long grind, so it was a relief to reach the top and freewheel down to Hatchmere. Here we directed Fiona back through the forest to the café where she’d left her car. There rest of us split up like the Red Arrows, heading back home after 46 pleasant miles through the Cheshire countryside on a sunny summers day.

Thanks to Dave M for his guidance on the early sections of the route and to all on the ride for their company on a classic moderate ride.

See route map and/or gpx file download

ST

31st July 2014: Over Peover

Gathered at Manley Mere were Brian Mac & Dave Matthews, who had just joined us for coffee, and the rest: Dave H, Keith, Clive, Ray, Tom, Trevor, Steve T, Dave & Liz Pipe and Steve H.  Dave H took the initiative to organise us, and I asked whether we’d ever ridden out to The Dog at Over Peover.  That was enough to be elected as leader for the day; not that I’d ever been to The Dog, but it looked OK on the web.

We laboured up the hills over the New Pale, before enjoying the fast descent to Kingsley. We crossed the Weaver at Acton Bridge, then on to Great Budworth, Plumley and Lower Peover that gave us a misleading sense of closeness to our destination. The two Peovers are about 4 km apart, but wishing to avoid main roads and have a decent morning ride, we took a loop through Ollerton and Marthall to reach what the map said was Over Peover’s pub.  But it wasn’t The Dog. The Dog is actually in Peover Heath, less than half a mile away.

The Dog was bustling with activity – there appeared to be a barbeque and a beer festival.  Unfortunately the barbeque was a private party and the beer festival starting the next day.  Still, we found a good range of real ales and food, which turned out to be of very good quality - a place to return to.

The return route took us through Goostrey and Lach Dennis, where Dave H bid us farewell. We then sped on to Davenham and Moulton to descend the rough track that allows the Vale Royal Cut of the Weaver Navigation to be crossed.  Through Whitegate, after which we said goodbye to Tom, Clive and Ray who headed towards Chester.  Then to Sandiway where Steve H left, allowing the others to make their way back to Manley.  Overall 59 miles and just under 1,000m of climbing on a mild dry day which was much better for cycling than the hot weather of recent weeks.

SH