Monday 6 May 2019 – A Bike Ride to Bury, and the Dixie Beats at Eagley Jazz Club

I’ve described this 70 km bike ride before. Here. Well, that was nearly six months ago. Doesn’t time just fly past at a terrifying velocity?

I was surprised to get a group of six of us on a Bank Holiday when I thought people would have other commitments. Some did have other commitments, hence Sue, Jeanette and Alastair turned round after the above photo was taken on the outskirts of Castlefield, leaving Richard, Paul and me to brave the predicted deluge.

The route passes as excitingly as it can muster through Salford, where this fine church is one of the landmarks along the way.

I got into a bit of a navigational muddle in the Irwell’s oxbows, but the gents seemed happy enough.

Before reaching the fleshpots of Bury (namely the excellent Dynamite Raw Café), we arrived at the now defunct Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal, where a couple (not this couple) were trying to de-choke the weedy waterway.

The ride then continued as planned, with a few short bursts of light rain, but nothing that enticed us to don waterproofs. There was an amusing incident at Gigg, where the bridge over the River Roch has been declared unsafe. It may be unsafe for heavy vehicles, but it was easy enough to lift our bikes over the barrier whilst a group of women debated whether or not it was wise to cross, possibly continuing that debate until long after we had gone.

The Rochdale Canal and the Bridgewater Canal have a thriving population of Canada geese. That population is expanding by the day. This chap looked as if he had just escaped from his shell. We saw several plump looking herons today, perhaps benefiting from this ready supply of food, whilst cormorants skimmed low over the canal in search of the fish that the herons would normally go for.

Meanwhile, we await the swifts that make their home under our eaves. They should arrive tomorrow.

Later, Bolton’s leading jazz band (Bolton’s only jazz band?), the Dixie Beats, gave a great performance at Eagley Jazz Club. They really were on top form in front of a record attendance of 83.

As usual, click on the pictures for better images.

Wednesday 20 March 2019 – Timperley to Rochdale

Click on the image for a better version, with slideshow at the bottom of the screen

A bit of exercise was called for. I’m supposed to be doing (I hasten to omit the word ‘running’) a marathon in a couple of weeks’ time.

So I set off at 8 o’clock and joined the commuters who were taking full advantage of the nicely surfaced Bridgewater Canal towpath.

After 3 km I reached Dane Road, pictured above, and I took pictures at regular intervals all the way to Rochdale. I’ll therefore describe the rest of the route by way of captions, with just a few additional comments on this pleasant morning’s outing.

Km 6: Stretford

Km 8: looking back as Old Trafford is passed

Km 9: view towards Pomona from Throstle Nest Bridge

I didn't realise there was so much graffiti here, amongst the construction work for the Metrolink extension to the Trafford Centre.

Km 9.5: the River Medlock makes its way from a culvert into the Irwell

Km 10: St Georges, Cornbrook

Km 11: Castlefield and Merchant's Bridge

Km 11.5: the arrow beside the Rochdale Canal points to the submerged plug that releases the canal water into the culverted River Tib

Km 12: approaching Oxford Road

Km 12: Oxford Road horse - also in the previous picture

Km 13: on the bridge where the Rochdale and Ashton Canals divide, looking up the Rochdale Canal

Km 14.5: footbridge and mill on the Rochdale Canal

Km 16.5: mess left by workmen in Newton Heath

Km 17.5: Canada Geese are in pairs at present, probably the commonest bird on the entire route

There’s lots of bird life on this route – Grey Wagtails, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Herons, Mallards, Cormorants, Black-headed Gulls, to name but a few.

Km 18: disgraceful rubbish between Newton Heath and Failsworth

Km 18.5: Ten Acres Lock

Km 19: mill chimney in Failsworth

Km 19: Regent Mill, home of Remington

Km 25: the Rochdale Canal has many green interludes

Km 26: really quite countryfied here, though you wouldn't guess that from the map

Km 26.5: these are real horses!

Km 27.5: Slattocks, I smell coffee

Km 27.5: AlanR, purveyor of fine hospitality

Thanks to Alan and Sheila for the giant mug of coffee and a very pleasant interlude.

Km 28: evidence of flooding at Norton Grange

Km 29: approaching Castleton

Km 29.5: Sustrans people near Castleton

Km 30: my route encountered over 30 locks; it would be slower by boat!

Km 30.5: water management, a feature of the entire route, at lock 51

Km 30.5: Arrow Mill

Km 31.5: the final section to Rochdale really doesn't look as rural as this on the map

Km 33: at Rochdale Metrolink - for a one and a quarter hour ride back to Timperley

Here’s the route, virtually entirely off road for a little over 33 km, with around 200 metres gentle ascent up thirty odd locks on the Rochdale Canal. It took me about 4.5 hours, plus an hour with Alan and Sheila. A good workout!

Click on map for better resolution

Monday 19 November 2018 – Yet Another Bike Ride to Bury

Richard, Paul and I last did this 71 km ride on 8 October – report here.

Today Richard was replaced by Jeanette, so we went a bit faster. Except where there were cobbles.

Previous reports describe the route, so today I’ll just offer a few photos. Above is the view from the bridge at Waters Meeting. This is where the original canal, from Worsley to Manchester (1761) was extended to Stretford, Sale, and onwards to Runcorn, over a period of several years following Royal assent in 1762.

Below – the view from Throstle Nest Bridge towards Pomona and the new Metrolink line being constructed to the Trafford Centre. I’m not sure where the original Bridgewater Canal ends and the Rochdale Canal link – built after the construction of the Rochdale Canal in 1804, starts. Perhaps at the locks in Castlefield.

We joined Sustrans Bike Route number 6 in Salford and followed it (more or less) all the way to Bury.

Here’s one of the iconic buildings of Salford that’s nearly on the route.

After a section of woodland in Prestwich Forest Park, we were granted a view of what Monday mornings of our comparative youth looked like should we have been trying to visit clients. The M60 was as busy as ever.

There’s a fair amount of woodland on the ride up to Bury, and the autumn colours are persisting nicely.

At the ‘Irwell Sculpture’ at the junction below, we took a left turn to join the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal towpath by paths, rather than by the more tarmaced route of number 6.

There was a 10% chance of rain. It rained. Coffee and cookies in the Dynamite Raw Café in Bury went down rather well. As did Jeanette’s scrambled eggs with spinach.

Mainly roads, with an interlude on a muddy path, took us to Middleton. The sun came out near Birch Motorway Services. (We could use the picnic benches there, and talk in loud voices about our experiences with the heavy and fast traffic.)

Eventually the Rochdale Canal was reached. Whilst there were no barges in evidence, the area that was drained last time we were here (in the Miles Platting/Ancoats area) seems to have been sorted, though some of the water levels are still very low.

A pair of herons seemed to be fishing from the top of a fence, and further on a Canada Goose was standing on a submerged shopping trolley – one of many seen in the canal today. We also saw staff fishing out rubbish from the canal. A thankless task, I suspect.

There’s a footbridge in Ancoats where I waited for a while as it was preceded by some cobbles. Here’s the view towards Piccadilly.

Looking back, you can see Paul and Jeanette approaching along the towpath.

We split up briefly while I followed the canal – there were no towpath closures today, and the others took an alternative road route due to an excess of cobbles. Here’s the view from Castlefield, where I obliged some tourists from County Fermanagh by taking a group photo of them. This is probably where the original Bridgewater Canal from Worsley to Manchester terminated.

After that we soon picked up our outward route to return home. This final picture was taken in the Pomona area on the approach to Throstle Nest Bridge, near the point at which the second of today’s pictures was taken.

An excellent ride, as is normal, of 71 km, with about 300 metres ascent, taking just under 6 hours, of which 4.5 were recorded as ‘moving’.