Wednesday 9 October 2024 - A Phoenix Park Circuit

I'd advertised this ride, so felt obliged to do it despite rain and no other takers apart from Sue, who joined me for a 22km outing to Lymm before turning back. She took the above photo before retreating to Timperley

I left the Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) here, taking back roads and tracks to avoid the angry dog walkers of Lymm, before joining the Bridgewater Canal towpath at Moore. Time for elevenses.

On then to Runcorn and Phoenix Park, where the cafe was well sealed up, as expected.

On rejoining the towpath, autumn colours perhaps disguised the fact that it was still raining, albeit fairly gently, on the warm day, so not really at all less than pleasant.

I chose not to go to Norton Priory, as I think the cafe would have been shut. The North Townfield Bridge was crossed where the towpath was deserted in favour of a series of meadow paths, where I found a bench for another coffee break, to reach the Manchester Ship Canal. That canal was crossed, then the Trans Pennine Trail was joined. After a while, that trail re-crossed the Ship Canal, with the M6 and Thelwall Viaduct in view through the old railway bridge at Latchford.

The TPT then follows the disused railway line all the way to the outskirts of Altrincham. It passes by the Lymm Ranger Centre, where I found another bench on which to enjoy the last of my provisions.

There's a huge information board at the Ranger Centre.

The Bridgewater Canal is rejoined before Seamons Bridge, for the final ride home along the towpath, to conclude this gentle 60km ride with about 250 metres ascent. I was home, and the bike was washed, by around 2:30, after our 9:30 start. Here's the route (click on the image to enlarge it).

Reports on previous similar outings can be found here.

Monday 21 October 2019 - A Phoenix Park Circuit

 

I've written about this 60 km bike ride several times before - see here for reports, route, and maps.

 

Today, Monday morning bike rides were rekindled when Paul B and I set off at 8.30 from Seamons Moss Bridge. A lovely morning, but with autumn taking hold, gloves were needed. And the route was damp, waterlogged even on the Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) where it passes under the M6.

 

We stuck to the TPT and some minor roads to reach Moore, thus avoiding the moronic dog walkers of Lymm.

 

 

The towpath from Moore has no morons, and was a delight, passing swans, a heron, lots of mallard, coots, grey wagtails, a cormorant, carrion crows, jays, and a fleet of Canada geese, as we continued to the turn off to Phoenix Park. Beyond the park, the café at Norton Priory provided its usual generous portions.

 

 

After a leisurely 'two coffees' break, we saddled up for the second half of the ride, initially on an excellent newly surfaced path beside the Bridgewater Canal.

 

 

Today's ride was taken at a leisurely pace, as we both have colds. It was a lovely way to spend a Monday morning, and we were back in time to hose the bikes down before lunch.

Monday 27 May 2019 – The Phoenix Park Circuit, a Bike Ride

Despite a showery start, Bank Holiday Monday saw a record turnout for a Monday morning bike ride, with Sue, Paul, Jeanette, Alastair, Richard and Jan all making it to the rendezvous point at Seamons Moss Bridge, albeit Jan was rather late having got lost in Timperley!

With Alastair and Jan normally having to work on a Monday, and Paul and Jeanette on child minding duty in the future, numbers are set to rapidly diminish.

I think it’s November since we last cycled this route (report here), though a shortened version with a café in Stockton Heath has been ridden a few times – see here.

Sue came as far as Grappenhall, so was included in the photo taken just as we joined the canal briefly in Lymm, where we received abuse from dog walkers despite being extremely courteous and doing no harm to the hard surface of the towpath. It has happened before; apparently there’s a ‘No cycling’ sign.

At Grappenhall we paused to show Jan the Cheshire Cat on St Wilfred’s church – see here, it’s obscured by the lamp in the next picture.

(Click on any picture for a better resolution image or a slideshow.)

 

We seemed to take different routes down the hill to Phoenix Park, and the others found their way to Norton Priory’s tearoom whilst I went up to Halton Castle. I soon returned to the tearoom. The coffee and cake had been demolished!

 

Then we went back to Halton Castle. It looks like I nearly got left behind again, as I seem to be leaving the tearoom without a bike. Duh.

 

The site of Halton Castle, at the top of a nearby hill, is accessed via The Castle Hotel pub, where the landlord unlocks a door to access the castle, which doubles as a beer garden. There are good views from here. Today’s visibility wasn’t brilliant, but we could see the old bridge, and the recently opened bridge that has relieved the traffic problems in the Runcorn area.



The narrowing of the River Mersey at Runcorn has provided a crossing point for centuries, with a regular ferry since the Norman Conquest, formally established in 1178 by John Fitz Richard, the 6th Baron of Halton.

There’s not a lot left of the castle. The information board shown below gives some idea…



For most of its life, the castle was used as a courthouse and prison. In 1737 the gatehouse was replaced by a new courthouse which is now the pub through which you enter the castle grounds.

From the raised area where the castle once stood, St Mary’s Church is overlooked, with the courthouse down to the left in the next picture.

The church dates from 1071, in the time of Nigel, 1st Baron of Halton. I don’t think what you can see now is quite that old! In fact, it’s a 19th century building.

Maybe I’ll visit this place again and delve a bit further into what must be a rich history.
 

 

We enjoyed cokes, etc (thanks Jan) before setting off back home by the usual route via Norton Priory and the Trans Pennine Trail.

As is normal on these rides, Richard got a puncture, Paul mended it, and the used inner tube (thorn removed) was passed to me to add to my collection of spare tubes.

 

Here’s the route I took. Others will be slightly different. My journey was 67 km with about 300 metres ascent, over a period of over 6 hours. We didn’t rush!



No ride for me next Monday as I have to take Dot to the eye hospital, but others are free to arrange something.

Monday 26 November 2018 – A Bike Ride to Phoenix Park and Norton Priory

With apologies from Richard, who was a bit tired after a fell race yesterday, it was just Paul and Jeanette who joined me for this morning’s bike ride. The Phoenix Park circuit hadn’t been visited since August, partly because I knew that sections of the Bridgewater Canal towpath would be a bit muddy.

The picture of the Linotype Works, above, is simply for the record, showing the current progress with redevelopment of the site in Altrincham.

The meeting point for this route is Seamons Moss Bridge, which looks smart after having been repaired – apart from a bit of graffiti.

It’s a pleasant enough place to wait. The recently renewed towpath continues for a few hundred metres before it gives way to mud.

Paul and Jeanette arrived on time and we went to the end of the renewed towpath before turning right through woodland full of leaf litter to reach the Trans Pennine Trail (TPT). Between here and Acton Grange Bridge we avoided the towpath, apart from a short section in Lymm, by following the following route (enumerated here for future reference purposes):

TPT > turn left down Whitbarrow Road, just before Lymm Ranger Cabin > straight ahead to canal > sharp right along towpath, under a bridge, then exit at next bridge where the canal goes over Barsbank Lane > turn left to go under the canal and up to the main road > turn right > take second left down Massey Brook Lane > bear right on to Weaste Lane and proceed under M6 motorway > at the end of this road turn right along Cliff Lane and go under the canal to reach a main road > turn right, then immediately left down Bellhouse Lane > go over the canal then soon bear right to stay on Church Lane > turn left down Stockton Lane just before the canal is reached again > continue to traffic lights at Lumbbrook Bridge > turn left away from the canal, then first right > first right again down Greenfields Avenue > right again, onto Waverley Avenue > turn right, then right again onto the main road > turn left just before the canal, down Birchdale Road to the end > turn right and then first left down a bridleway to Hillfoot Farm > go through the buildings, keeping left to join a road with speed bumps > turn left at the end and head up to Appleton Reservoir > turn right and keep straight on over two junctions to reach Acton Grange Bridge.

We were making good time, so we paused here for a coffee/tea and cake break.

The towpath is well surfaced for the next 4 km of this route, to Red Brow Lane. We passed through Moore, where swans and ducks congregate in masses at a particular spot. They are here every time we go by. Just before this we encountered a lady enjoying a coffee on a bench. She pointed to the village shop and told Paul that he could get a pie there if he wanted. “But you have to phone ahead if you want a hot one.”

The towpath continues past Daresbury and its Science Park, part of which is just visible in the next picture.

We left the towpath and followed our usual route to Phoenix Park, and onwards to Norton Priory, timing our arrival perfectly for the 11 am opening time of the café. The coffee and cakes here are really excellent, and we were told that they would be happy to serve us any time after 9 o’clock. So the later than usual (9 am instead of 8.30am) start wasn’t really necessary.

We then managed to keep roads to a minimum to reach the TPT near Morley Common. By now my bike had developed a slow puncture, slowing me down and causing me to stop a couple of times to re-inflate the recalcitrant tyre.

But the sun came out and the old railway line near Dunham looked very pretty in the bright light.

Back at Seamons Moss Bridge, where the TPT car park was full of commuter vehicles (just like our road), our ways parted and I followed the TPT past Altrincham Recycling Centre to get home. This took some time, as my tyre exploded and I’m not very good at replacing inner tubes on the back wheel of a bike with disc brakes. And the replacement tube seems defective, so I foresee a long session with inner tubes tomorrow.

Anyway, it was a lovely ride, in good company, and the ‘winterised’ route was a success, with the lanes that replaced the muddy towpath sections proving to be satisfactorily clear of traffic.

Here’s an overview of the route – 62 km with about 200 metres ascent.

No ride next week, unless P & J arrange one, as I’ll be away.

Monday 20 August 2018 – Phoenix Park again

Today Jeanette joined Richard and Paul in meeting me at Seamons Moss Bridge for another 60 km+ bike ride to Phoenix Park and back.

It was a brighter day than last Monday. We all enjoyed the ride past countless herons, swans and moorhens, even more mallards, and a few grey wagtails and other small birds. Thankfully no Canada Geese on this section of canal.

We took the same route as last week to Norton, slightly faster as I could remember the way after just a week. A different route into Phoenix Park saw us passing the landmark of the Urban Cafe, where Paul and Jeanette suffered a jammed chain problem and got a bit misplaced before we all headed down the road and back to the Bridgewater Canal towpath.

Less than five minutes later we arrived at Norton Priory Museum and Gardens, for a long refreshment break.

The reception area seems to contain part of the old priory building. As previously mentioned, a proper visit should be made at some point.

We found a slight improvement to last week’s route back to the Trans Pennine Trail, but once on the trail we managed to leave it for a while by crossing the Ship Canal by the wrong bridge.

After that it was a simple ride back under the canopy of trees along the disused railway line that often features on these pages.

Today my ride took me 62.7 km, with 175 metres ascent, taking 3 hours 42 mins plus stops totalling an hour and 22 minutes. The others took a slightly different route to and from the Seamons Bridge rendezvous. Here’s my route.

Monday 13 August 2018 – Another Bike Ride to Phoenix Park (Runcorn)

Andy Wright recommended this route a couple of years ago, and I enjoyed the ride on 18 September 2016. A detailed record of that ride is here, so I’ll make this one brief.

I met Richard and Paul at 8.30 am at Seamons Moss Bridge, where the repair work is continuing at a pedestrian pace. At least the necessary diversion is very short, and pedestrians and cyclists are allowed over the bridge.

This bridge, next to the now defunct Bay Malton pub, marks the end of industrial Altrincham and the start of the Cheshire countryside through which the Bridgewater Canal now passes. Here’s the view in the other direction, towards Cheshire.

As before, the towpath was followed all the way through Lymm to Stockton Heath. There are occasional signs indicating ‘no bikes’, but today the towpath was firm and I can’t see that we were doing any harm by using it with courtesy on our bikes. Apart from one woman, everyone was friendly and no objections were raised. Later on our ride, some narrower and muddier paths were encountered on the Trans Pennine Trail that is a recognised cycling route.

We took a short break from the towpath between Stockton Heath and Acton Grange Bridge, using bridleways and quiet lanes by way of variety.

Here’s the view from, and the team at, Acton Grange Bridge.

Leaving the towpath at Red Brow Lane, we followed tarmac to muddle our way into Town Park then Phoenix Park, where the Urban Cafe that I used in 2016 was sadly closed down..

Andy W had usefully commented that we might find a café at Norton Priory, so we found our way past a building side to the canal again, and a footbridge that led into the grounds of Norton Priory Museum & Gardens. The Brooke Café saw to our needs (coffee and cake), and the whole site looked worthy of a longer visit.

The cycle path through Moore Meadows was a big improvement over my previous route, and we soon found ourselves next to the Manchester Ship Canal, hidden from view for a few kilometres until we reached the well signposted Trans Pennine Trail and familiar ground closer to home.

By now the drizzle was thickening and when we looked back to the bridge seen below ahead of us, that same bridge was engulfed in a watery mist that was slowly gaining ground on us.

The good news was that the wind was behind us. The bad news was that it was carrying with it ever heavier rain. By the time I got home I was still warm, but literally ‘soaked to the skin’, leaving a big puddle on the kitchen floor…

Here’s the route, by way of an overview, many alternative options being feasible. My route from home was 63 km with 150 metres ascent, taking 4 hours plus stops. An excellent ride, and thanks to Richard and Paul for joining me.

Same time, same place, similar route next week – Monday 20 August.