1st February 2024: Egremont (mod+)

Well the first ride of February for CER was well attended. Often this starting point can be a low attendance or populated with riders who have ridden out and then ride home. Today we had enough for two groups, a mod and mod plus group. 

Alan had tweaked the classic Wirral route to take us to the Ferry Hotel at Egremont / Wallasey. This was a new venue to me and we were well catered for with food and drinks being served promptly. Today's group consisted of Alan Shane Steve T and Steve Hu. 

Following a delayed start at Ness gds where Steve T wrestled with his tethered bike which had been surreptitiously locked to Trevors. During this entanglement we were harangued by the mods for our striking athletic poise and looks. LOL

From Ness we skirted Neston and proceeded to cross the usually busy Chester High Rd. Maybe through good fortune or traffic light phasing but the roads were empty. The quiet lanes took us through Raby and then to the charming village of Thornton Hough. 

Next stop was Brimstage road, if we would have taken a right we would have found ourselves at a favoured lunch stop at the Brimstage tea rooms, however Alan's route continued to skirt Heswall via Irby road. 

By now it was clear we had navigation issues  as myself as back up pilot was on Version 1 of Alan's route and Alan was on Version 2. So I was cheerfully saying left and we would go right, a real winning solution. Despite the differences in the mapping we successfully crossed through Saughall Massey and onto the coast by Meols. The tide was so far out it was barely possible to see, however we found a lighthouse and stopped for our obligatory photo opportunity. 

Photos by Steve Hu

However our sea views were not to last as Alan had discovered the Birket Trail (part of the Wirral Circular Trail) a cracking cycle route that takes you north of Moreton and into Bidston. Taking our lives in our hands we braved the golfers on Bidston Golf course and followed a tortuous route out to Egremont. 

At Egremont we were treated to the spectacular views of the Liverpool waterfront and the new Everton stadium which is progressing well. 

Following lunch , we took the time honoured route around Seacombe docks and the ferry terminals, stopping only for a second group photograph. Soon we were heading into the lovely village of Port Sunlight hot of Lever Bros, a previous employer of both myself and Shane. The disused railway line provides a great alternative to the more urban nature of this leg. 

Eastham village and Rivacre road soon allowed us to whizz into Childer Thornton and Heath Lane. Alan had left the best till last putting in a cyclocross section of mud linking up a farm road which provides a good shortcut to the busy Chester High Road. A quick plunge into Burton on what were now tired legs brought us back to our start point whereby Steve T and Shane left to meet Dave at the car park. 

An added bonus was as Alan and I approached the entrance to the marsh we were joined by Andy B, Mike G and Trevor, all heading over estuary. 

Big thanks to Alan for leading a very chilled ride of appx 42 miles at a nice pace on a day with no wind/rain/ice/snow so quite unusual from our January rides :)

See route map and/or gpx file download

Steve Hu 

28th July 2011: Wirral Wander

Part 1
I always look forward to the start from Ness Gardens Cafe, as I can have a lie in.  Not so, the other 7or 8 who were all there before me: Alan, Dave H, Dave & Liz, Ivan, Norman and Trevor.  A late guest appearance saw Jim & friend, just back from Le Tour, but they weren’t joining us for the ride today.
The route was – Leighton, Thornton Hough, Irby and (unusually) to bits of Wirral not covered before, Arrowe Park, Upton in Wirral, Noctorum and down through Birkenhead Park to Seacombe Ferry.  Here we stopped for our resident photographer Ivan to capture a picture of The Ferry across the Mersey, aka the cruise ship “Crystal Serenity”.  She was on an 11 day British Isles cruise and berthed across at Pier Head, the ship was a fitting backdrop to today’s photo.  I had a meeting to attend, so left the group just before the lunch stop at The Egremont Ferry.  Dave H / Norman were going to take over leading back round the North and West coast of the peninsula.

BMac


Photograph by Ivan Davenport

Part 2
The meal was excellent as usual but believe it or not the Cains ran out on the first pull.  We returned via the sea front and Wirral Way with only a threat of rain to put us off diverting via the jetty and footpath in West Kirby.  Another great day out.
DP

13th January 2011: Egremont Ferry

With 11 riders meeting at 10:00 at Ness Gardens, is it New Year resolutions or has the CER been on a recruitment drive?  Whatever.
It’s always encouraging to see so many, and a warm welcome back to some faces not seen for a while, like Mike, Kate and Dave B.
With a SW breeze, the best route to New Brighton was clockwise via Thornton Hough and the Viking settlements of Pensby, Irby, Greasby, Frankby and Hoylake.   Then it was that very easy ride along the sea wall, past the new £60m development of lido, hotel and shops, which hope to bring the punters thronging back to regain New Brighton’s glory days.  A photo stop ensued at Perch Rock Fort (unfortunately the passerby recruited to take the snap suffered from uncontrollable camera shake requiring the later use of the delete button).  The fort has been guarding the Mersey entrance for nearly 200 years but with walls 24 feet thick, it only ever fired its huge guns twice; and that was in peacetime.

Photograph by Ivan Davenport

Lunch was again at The Egremont Ferry Hotel, where a quality pint of Cains is always served, while enjoying the views over the city opposite and the river below.  The TV was showing Everton’s recent 5 goal spree......... bliss.
The route back is easy if you know Birkenhead; Duke St Bridge, through The Park, Manor Hill, Storeton Rd, and down to Thornton Hough.  Then back through Raby and Neston for tea and cake at Ness Gardens.  An easy, pleasant, if uneventful ride round the Peninsula, of some 37 miles or around 60 miles for those riding from Chester.

BMac

25th March 2010: Egremont Ferry

Every ride is different with Chester Easy Riders and today was no exception calling for two quite different rides from Ness Gardens.
Brian’s story
It was very encouraging to see two bikes at the Ness Gardens RV before I arrived at 10:30.  I thought that folks are eager to get going, always a good sign. By the 11:00 KO, we had Clive on his virgin Trek bike, the two Bri(y)ans, Dave P, Jim, Liz, Ivan and a warm welcome to Phil, joining us for the first time.
As this ride was billed (by Jonathon Ross) as www “wandering wound Wirral”, we set off East over the peninsula, past Bromborough GC to the forgotten Victorian playground of Raby Mere.  Then it was up the steepest hill in Wirral (all 100 yards long) to Poulton Lancelyn, where we turned north through Brackenwood and on to Lord Levers farm at Storeton.  From there it was 4 miles of residential development (& Birkenhead) past Brian’s alma mater and an old girlfriend’s house.  Where is Marie now?
Just before lunch, the sun shone on the righteous, down by the sandy beaches of the Mersey.  All true, check out Seacombe beach at low tide.  Lunch was had in the Egremont Ferry Hotel, washed down with an excellent Cains again.
After lunch, we continued anti-clock along the Wirral foreshore, passing the huge redevelopment mess at New Brighton; what’s that about?  Then the ride along the North shore made it all worthwhile………….. sun on our faces, no wind, a traffic free cycle way and one of Mother Natures most spectacular sights, tens of thousands of starlings in a “murmuration”.   (You got fit and educated on this ride.)  We continued round the bend (literally) at Hoylake and then paralleled the Dee, riding south through the middle of Wirral, passing Caldy, Irby, Barnston, Leighton, Little Neston and back to Ness Gardens, all avoiding the busy A540.  A sunny and very pleasant 41 miles. Thank you to everyone who made it easy after my unforeseen absence.
BMac
Bryan’s story
As Phil was on his first ride with the group and not yet up to speed Bryan and Phil embarked on a shorter version of the main ride aiming to join the others for lunch at the Egremont Ferry at 12.45pm.  Leaving the others to visit Raby Mere we headed straight to Raby and Thornton Hough along the lanes and then on to Storeton where the main group passed us on their way to Birkenhead Park.  Not to be outdone we made a fast descent down to the centre of Birkenhead with the intention of circling the park before heading for lunch.  Half way round the main group appeared heading in the other direction!  We decided to follow but were dropped after a mile.  Now there is only one way from where we last saw them to Seacombe and that’s the way we went but there was no sign of them when we arrived: until a few minutes later they turned up having failed to find a mythical crossing of the docks! So much for local knowledge.
After a good lunch at the Egremont Ferry pub (don’t be put off by the external appearance) we followed the others through New Brighton before turning away from the coast at Dunes onto NCR 56.  This should have been an easy route, but with major road works under the motorway flyover necessitating a poorly signed diversion followed by a new B&Q built across the route we began to think that we would never leave Bidston.  Once back on course we headed for Thingwall, Barnston and Parkgate where we joined the Wirral Way for the last stretch back to Ness Gardens where we arrived just before 5.00pm.
BW