The good news was the rain forecast never wet us, it followed us all day. The bad news was the 18 mph wind never let up. Bryan is still out of action but kindly turned up at Bellis in Holt for elevenses and to suggest a route and wave us off. Thank you. Off directly into the South Westerly via Cross Lanes, Ruabon and the old iron/coal fields of the Dee Valley to the Canal Basin at Trevor. Excellent lunch at The Telford pub, including a dessert called ............. "Rumpy Pumpy". That's what I asked for and got.
Photograph by Brian MacDonald
After lunch it was over the "8th Wonder of Wales", now a World Heritage Site, Thomas Telford's Pontcysyllte breath-taking Aqueduct. We discovered that, in high cross winds, cycling on it is inadvisable, due to the canal on one side and the 116 foot drop on t'other. Back along the Llangollen Canal towpath for 3 miles, we passed three more of Telford's viaducts before emerging from a canal tunnel in sunny Chirk. Then with the wind behind us, we returned to Holt via St Martins and Overton, completing an easy & very varied 38 miles.Next week, it's another 38 mile historical ride from Ness Gardens, to see where the Victorians went to play.
BMac
Interesting. I had no idea it was possible to cycle all the way along the towpath, through the tunnel, into Chirk. I've always used the road for the last mile or so. A bit more to explore when I'm next down that way.
ReplyDeleteBryan