1st June 2017: Gresford (mod - short)

Among a busy CER gathering at the Gallery Tea Rooms, three of us, for various reasons, were looking for a shorter ride today.  Bryan, Jim and I decided to make for lunch at Pant yr Ochain, though our initial concern was to avoid arriving before it opened.  We need not have worried, for less than a mile out Bryan suffered a puncture. After close examination of tube and tyre by each of us, no reason for the puncture could be found, so fitting a new tube, we moved on.

We crossed the A55 and following Lower Mountain Road, skirted Penyffordd and stayed on lanes until just north of Llay where we crossed over the A483 and headed up through Marford.  Whenever I’ve passed through Marford I’ve noticed the unusual architecture of many buildings: strange roof lines, rounded shapes and Gothic windows. The web suggests that either these were built as part of the Trevalyn Hall estate in nearby Rossett or that they reflect a European style of building that came with an influx of refugees in the late 18th Century.

From Marford we cycled along the edge of the escarpment giving fine views of Cheshire’s sandstone ridge to the north and east, before meandering towards Pant yr Ochain. I believe we had last been here for a Christmas lunch some years ago. Today we sat outside in the sunshine and enjoyed decent beer and good food.

Bryan led our return into Chester, through Rossett and Doddleston, along Lache Lane and over the Grosvenor Bridge.  Here we said goodbye to Bryan, while Jim and I cycled past the river and through Boughton for him to reach Guilden Sutton and myself to stop at Meadow Lea café for coffee and cake.  Here the route recording ends: a total of 28 pleasant miles in good weather.

See route map and/or gpx file download

SH