It was the last day of summer, and a gorgeous one in Cheshire, so I decided on a longer ride than usual, perhaps returning to the Monday morning bike ride routine, albeit on my own today.
I pedalled along the Bridgewater Canal towpath to the closed Bay Malton, then along the Trans Pennine Trail (TPT), where I noticed my bike's odometer looked as if it was about to return to zero. It's taken me from October 2003 to clock up 10,000 miles on this bike, having only done about 2,000 on it in the previous 13 years. I'm almost up to 1,000 already this year, which will be the highest usage of the bike. Thank Lockdown for that. The odometer actually changed to 10,000, with no decimal place, so unless I can zero it, I'm now recording the distance in round miles on this gadget.
It's always a pleasure to travel through the tree tunnels and dappled sunlight along the TPT. We are so fortunate that some of the disused railway lines in the area have been made into green corridors open to the public.
Two adjacent pubs in Grappenhall have both re-opened, the Parr Arms, next to the 'Cheshire Cat' church, and the Ram's Head Inn. Well done them, and what a glorious day. It was still early, but there were plenty of people about and no doubt both pubs would be busy later.
Next to the Ram's Head, 'DEV's house is covered in neatly manicured ivy.
I've done a very similar ride before, with Paul and Jeanette, (see here), and I think the top picture in that posting may have been taken along the same track leading to Hillfoot Farm as this next picture. What a contrast between April and August!
I'd planned to briefly re-join the towpath at Acton Grange Bridge, but there's a big sign banning cyclists from the towpath. Previously I've ignored these signs as I'm courteous to other users and don't damage the surface, but since Lockdown I've encountered opposition and abuse in the Lymm area, so I gave that route a miss and cycled around the road to Moore Lane.
One day the Bridgewater Way may be completed. In the meantime we will continue to have to use an 8 km section of the TPT both there and back, on this ride, and I will need to recce an alternative route from Appleton Reservoir to Red Brow (via Hatton), for the longer ride we do to Phoenix Park and Norton Grange.*
A short way along Moore Lane, the Manchester Ship Canal is crossed, and the journey home starts with a right turn along a good track next to Moore Nature Reserve. A little way along here, a convenient bench offered a good spot for a rest, a cup of tea, and a banana.
Soon after that, this route joins the TPT, and follows it all the way to Altrincham recycling depot. It's a lovely path alongside the Ship Canal/River Mersey.
Eventually the Ship Canal is re-crossed shortly before the disused Warrington and Altrincham Juncion Railway crosses the canal at Latchford Viaduct.
Latchford Locks are then reached, opposite which a lane leads up to the track of the disused railway for a gentle pedal all the way back to the Bay Malton in Altrincham.
At the end of the railway, the TPT takes quiet roads to the recycling depot, where I left it to return home via Walton Park and a short section of the canal towpath, to make the distance travelled up to exactly 50 km, taking a shade over 3 hours for the basically flat route.
* I'm not sure about this. The Bridgewater Way website says work has been completed on the section between Waterloo Bridge in Runcorn and Acton Grange Bridge in Moore, so the route via Hatton may not be needed, though I will try it as an alternative.
1 comment:
That red bike must think it's its birthday.
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