An early start today for our annual ‘long’ 100 plus ride! Ivan was busy fuelling up when I arrived at Chester Station café just after 07:30. Within a few minutes Clive, Dave Hill and Mike G had joined us, leaving only Dave P unaccounted for. Leaving it until the last moment Dave P and his son Dominic (planning to ride with us for the first hour) arrived just before 08:00. With everyone accounted for there was just time for a photo before Clive led out down City Road.
Photographs by Bryan Wade
The weather forecast predicted ideal cycling weather: a warm but cloudy morning followed by a sunny afternoon with temperatures in the low 20’s and best of all no wind. Clive’s planned route bore no resemblance to a normal CER ride apparently including some 12 miles of urban riding through the centre of the Potteries from Barlaston in the south to Kidsgrove in the north. It says something about CER members to accept Clive’s assurances that we were in for a great day out: but that’s for later. To start, we headed out of Chester along the canal towpath to Waverton where, with only a few miles done, my SatMap handlebar mount sheared off releasing the GPS to bounce at an alarming rate back down the road. Unlike Clive’s experience a few weeks earlier the SatMap did not survive its ordeal. A fractured screen amongst other damage signalled the end.
Back on the road we were soon going through Tattenhall, passing Bolesworth Castle, where Dominic left us, and on towards No Mans Heath where we turned left with Clive ensuring that we had one decent hill, over Wirswall, before entering Whitchurch for our morning stop. Clive had chosen Jones Coffee House and with its impeccable and speedy service (from baked beans to toasted tea cakes) it was easy to see why. An excellent choice.
The next leg was to take us along beautiful lanes, most of us had never ridden before, to Market Drayton and on to the upmarket village of Eccleshall. From here the route took us past Drake Hall prison over the M6 and into Stone to complete a wonderful two hours of cycling from Whitchurch. In Stone we headed for Wetherspoons for lunch just as the sun started to break through. With some 50 plus miles done I couldn’t resist a pint of the ‘Stone the Crows’ ale from the local Lymestone Brewery to go with the steak and kidney pudding, chips and mushy peas. Service could have been friendlier but was certainly quick and the meals substantial: just what was needed for a long day in the saddle.
By 14:00 it was time to leave and we set off heading through the lanes to Barlaston where we joined NCN route 5 to follow the Trent and Mersey Canal towpath north. What followed was 12 miles of truly enjoyable leisure cycling through the heart of the Potteries, ducking under the ridiculously low bridges and squeezing through the anti-motorcycle ‘gates’. It all took time as we cruised at a sight seeing pace taking in the familiar names, Wedgwood, Etruria, Stoke City ground, and then on to Middleport and Longport where the remains of the old mills lining the canal (Oliver’s Mill, Middleport Mill and Port Vale Mill) suggest how different things were in the heydays of the early 1800’s when they were built. Further on the Westport Lake Country Park was full of families enjoying the sun as we rode by on the last mile to the start of the Harecastle tunnels where we left the canal to continue along the lanes.
After such an interesting section of the route one might be forgiven for thinking that it would be ‘downhill’ from now on, but no Clive had a number of other surprises in store for us as we continued to Alsager before getting on to more familiar lanes to Barthomley, Wybunbury and Nantwich. Our afternoon tea stop was now overdue but Ivan had arranged a special treat for us, so rather than a stop in the town centre we headed to his sisters house on the edge of town to be greeted with plates of sandwiches and cakes and a choice of beverages: absolutely wonderful, many thanks indeed.
“It’s all downhill from here” says Clive with a smile “Acton, Brindley, Spurstow and home” he says. I remind him of a slight undulation he has forgotten to mention. “It’s at least two chevrons,” I say. “There are none on the map” he replies. “That’s because it hardly qualifies as a track let alone a road. In any event its virtually unrideable” I protest. With that Ivan looks up with a gleam in his eye and you know he’s up for it.
We follow the route back but by now I’m slowing down on every hill, dropping back and catching up on the flat. Time is going on and just outside Bunbury, and despite the offer of a free birthday pint, Dave Hill and Mike G decide to take the direct route back via Beeston. In the circumstances I decide to join them rather than face a struggle over the Peckforton Hills. The three of us make good time past the Ice Cream Farm, Gatesheath and Bruera. By Saighton we are caught up in a time trial and our insignificant 16 mph speed counts for nothing as the constant ‘whooooo se’ of passing time trialists testifies. Not far now though and 20:00 sees us safely back in Chester with just over 110 miles clocked.
The remaining three of Clive, Ivan and Dave P continue on the original route through Spurstow and Peckforton before taking the track over the Peckforton Hills. Here Ivan attempts the track, the top part of which is surfaced with setts the size of loaves of bread, only to fall off muttering about not getting out of the cleats quickly enough! At The Pheasant the three take a pint while watching the sun go down over the Cheshire Plain. “A fitting finale to the days ride” says Clive.
What a great ride! Who would have believed it was possible to cycle the full length of the Potteries on such a fabulous route. There were also lots of surprises all the way along. A ride to remember: well done Clive.
BW
Once in the country, things calmed down and I was caught by Clive, Ivan and Ray taking the same route out. At the Ice Cream Farm Colin was already demolishing a toasted teacake when we arrived. Before long there were 14 of us present although one wasn’t riding. While the rest of us chatted Jim did a fantastic job of painlessly extracting the monetary balance due from everyone for lunch. Though how he managed to do the ride with pockets bulging with cash is another matter.
By 10:30 it was time to leave with a short circuit of the Peckforton/Bickerton hills planned to get us to The Pheasant by just after 12 noon. I led out round Beeston and on to Bunbury before cutting across to Peckforton. By this time we had all warmed up, the weather was more favourable and by and large the roads were clear with just a few isolated patches of ice turning slushy. Nearing Bickerton it was clear that we wouldn’t make the pub by noon if we stuck to the planned route so I cut out most of the Bickerton circuit to head straight for the old Copper Mine pub now renamed the Sandstone. Then it was over Harthill before taking a sharp right and the climb up to Burwardsley and the Pheasant at Higher Burwardsley.
The Pheasant had reserved a window table for the 15 of us: Mike G, Colin, Dave B, David M, Clive, Ivan, Trevor, Dave P, Jim, George, Ray, Liz P, Mike M, Dave H and myself. Once seated and refreshed with a pint, dinner was served. Food was excellent although a complaint about the turkey was conveyed to the kitchen. To be fair to the pub the menu described the turkey as saltimbocca style. It would therefore be churlish not to expect some form of rolled turkey although in this case it was more of an industrial roll rather than the more traditional rolled and skewered pieces.
