Today, it is a January Sales offering – two routes routes and blogs for the price of one!
Last Thursday, Ivan had suggested a route to Whixall Marina from Tattenhall. So we set off and a few miles out it became clear we were not going to Whixall but were enjoying Ken's offering of a ride to Welshampton! As enjoyable as that was, I really wanted to go to Whixall Marina so decided that this is where today's ride would take us.
Ken had kindly offered a partial car assist for me from the end of Lache lane near Rough Hill (with no hill in sight). So we arrive at the Castle Bistro along with Steve T, Alan and Dave H. Ivan and John W had taken the train as usual from Chester and arrive shortly afterwards.
The Brisk group was down on numbers this week – only four of us – so we set off down the Ceiriog road as far as Castle Mill where there is a memorial to the Battle of Crogen in 1165 (see Wiki link) then take the short sharp hill towards Bronygarth. Ever upwards and down tiny lanes, we now have bypassed Weston Rhyn on our way to Gobowen and Whittington.
The weather was pleasant and bright at 14C but rather windy as Ken leads the charge down the old A5 towards Queen's Head. At West Felton, we now take 10 miles of small lanes and B roads through Ruyton-XI-Towns and Baschurch to Myddle. A left towards Burlton finds us sliding right up the long lane, with the wind now well behind us, towards Loppington.
Up until now, the small lanes had been quite passable with the occasional water bath, but the lane to bypass Loppington was very wet and agricultural so we head into Loppington passing the Dickin Arms pub. Was that a great DH sigh that we hear, or was it the just the wind?
We arrive at Whixall Marina around 1230 after 33 miles. A very modern cafe beckons us in and we ordered our food just in time before a dozen or so canal boat owners turn up for lunch. The food was very enjoyable as was the view of about £10 million of canal boats in their neat rows off the pontoons.
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| Looking very relaxed at Whixall Marina |
Ivan and John had decided to ride home from Whixall at only 27 miles, rather than riding back the 16 miles to Chirk (see blog below). So John and Ivan ride north with the wind behind them as Ken and I ride westwards with the wind definitely not behind us.
Ken bravely takes the lead as we head for Welshampton thence in and out of Ellesmere bound for St Martins. It is a long grind up to St Martins with the wind now gusting quite considerably making headway more difficult. We make the 16 miles back in little over and hour at arriving at 1430. Bikes on the car, I suggest a coffee at Caffi Wylfa which could be an alternative meeting site in Chirk if the Castle Bistro should be closed at some time.
So with this route at 49 miles all round and in surprisingly good weather conditions given the recent long spells of rain and some sunshine, in all it was 62 miles today for me and home by 1530.
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Ivan's Route Home from Whixall Marina
Starting from Chirk the route to Whixall was a great route and I’ll leave Clive to describe the route in detail. After a good lunch at the café we bade farewell to Clive and Ken to enjoy a struggle with the head wind back to Chirk whilst John and I should!! have the prospect of a good tailwind for our ride back home.
Not quite – but not bad as a lot of tacking was involved but overall the route up via Fenn’s Bank and Whitewell via Dymock's Mill was with the wind behind us then across to Threapwood to Shocklach the wind was everywhere. Several flooded lanes but nothing impassable and not as muddy compared to the morning route for the downhill MTB track to the mill pond.
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| At Dymock's Mill |
ID
Photos JW and ID
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