Earlier in the week, the Brisk Group, aka Ivan, John W and Ray, joined me to ride from the Old Dee Bridge for a 60+miler to Overton. These days after 10 year's plus of cycling locally with nearly 500 routes available to me, it becomes harder to find a ride with something different in the mix. So I fashioned a route to the Two Doves cafe in Overton involving five crossover sections i.e five opportunities for riding part of the route back at any time. We did this only once due to my error after grinding up the very steep lane out of the Alyn valley along Blast Lane and Bradley Hill in Gwersyllt.
I enjoyed the Two Doves cafe, so I was minded to cobble together a route to Overton from Hawarden. Today, the Brisk group was Ivan, Ray, John M and myself. From the Gallery cafe, we set off up hill bound for Penyffordd en route to Llay. We turn here at the single route crossover point to take the road towards Wrexham. In and out of Wrexham and over Offa's Dyke, we are close to Bersham Colliery for the second time this week. We continue on the road from Wrexham passing through Johnstown and onwards to Ruabon and the Dee Valley at Cefn Mawr.
Park Road takes us towards Cefn Mawr and also states that it is “Closed” and closed it is at the Dee bridge with massive concrete blocks (see photo). The reason for the closure becomes obvious as part of the road and footpath had slid down into the river valley. We weren't sure when this occurred but the Wrexham Leader article explains that it was over a year ago. Read all about it here.
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| Blocked! |
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| It just slipped away from me! |
We get through OK and motor on into Chirk, where a local ancient rocker on a motorbike doesn't understand why I was gesticulating expressing my concern as he parks his front wheel half across the cycle lane just as we four approach. He was turning onto the Chirk road from a local side street. He obviously has not boned up on the new Highway Code. He did mutter some choice Welsh words though, probably remonstrating with himself no doubt!
We exit Chirk uphill via the housing estate, and out and over the A483 into the badlands of Glynmorlas and Pont-y-blew. It's a bit like Hobbit land down here with deep lanes, brooding hillsides, and muddy roads. We climb out ok though on the only serious climb of the day into the edge of St Martins and now are bound straight for Overton after 30 miles of riding.
Our usual table (the one I requested after visiting on Tuesday that is!) is ready in the Two Doves and it is yet again a very pleasant atmosphere. Suitable refreshed, we are leaving just after 1300 for a visit to the local churchyard to see the ancient yew trees, one of which is thought to be between 1500-2000 years old. It was very gnarled and well-supported and mainly hollow, but had a vigorous canopy and stood alongside a lot of youngster yew trees.
We had decided at lunch to peel off back to Chester at around Borras as none of us needed to climb all the way back to Hawarden. So we head out of Overton down the hill passing the Cross Foxes at some speed eventually sliding around the east side of Wrexham metropolis circling around the massive quarry bound for the Marford Hill descent.
Powering back down the B5445 (aka the old A483), Ivan cuts through the fresh northwest wind as we now separately disperse homewards near Chester. The official route back would take you to edge of Higher Kinnerton via Llay for 50 miles of dry roads.
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| You can see a long way from Borras Head |
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| We are going this way. So it is thanks to John M and Ray for their company today and especially to Ivan for often leading the pack on the long "main" road sections. A dry, “warm” sunny day with long views available everywhereunlike Tuesday where it was uniformly grey and crept up to 4C . |
CA
Photos JM and ID
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