27th April 2023: Llanymynech (mod)

I arrived in Chirk wondering how many other riders would turn up - the forecast was for a cool day with heavy rain in the afternoon. Steve Hu and Alan had already told me they had other plans. Andy W arrived by train and was simply planning to ride back home. Andy B arrived, meaning there were just two of us for the day. I'd prepared two routes: a 42 mile run eastwards to Whixall Marina because I remember Dave H saying he wished to go there; and a 37 mile run southwards to Llanymynech. A strengthening southerly wind, plus the predicted rain later made Llanymynech the choice. It was to be an eventful ride.

Our start was inauspicious. Leaving home, Andy B had already suffered a broken spoke and had swapped bikes. We now left the cafe to find drizzle falling. As we headed towards the A5 roundabout this dried up. Knowing the last few days had been dry, I chose to follow the lanes towards Hindford which are a muddy hell in the wet.  We crossed the A-road at West Frankton, reminding ourselves of places we had been forced to stop due top punctures and mechanicals. We passed through West Felton and Woolston making good progress and joined the road into Llanymynech at Maesbrook.

Less than a mile before our destination, Andy pulled up.  I looked back and saw him standing with the pedal and crank dangling from his foot - only a couple a weeks after George had also lost a crank. A bodged repair was effected, sufficient to get us to the pub. 

As usual we found a good welcome at the Bradford Arms. The cat was there but this time the fire wasn't burning. Nonetheless, we each enjoyed haddock and chips from "the two mains for £18 menu". I then waited inside while Andy made a more permanent repair able to get him home.  

We left the pub and took a lane northwards towards Morton with a spot or two of rain falling. We found the road closed when we reached the line of the filled in Montgomery Canal. Restoration work was underway, but we followed a sign for pedestrians. Unexpectedly this didn't bring us straight back to the road, but took us on a rough 1/2 mile walk along the old canal path. Reluctant to turn back, we manhandled our bikes over two stiles until we were able to get back on tarmac at a bridge, on the other side of which the canal was filled with water.  The Montgomery Canal here has been un-navigable between Maesbury and Llanymynech since the 1930s. This year saw the start of a two year restoration project along more than four miles of the route.

Back on tarmac again - photo by SHa

The rain was now steady as we took the familiar route through Maesbury, across the A5 and into Oswestry. We passed the old hill fort and continued northwards into Western Rhyn. From the Ceriog Valley we climbed back to our starting point, me to my car and Andy to his ride home. Our route had covered thirty seven miles. Although the rain had been steady for the latter part, we avoided the forecast heavy rain, and I'll count this as a successful ride. 

See route map and/or gpx file download

SHa