The weather couldn’t make up its mind today, so I put my waterproof trousers and boots on anyway. I set off from The Mill Hotel along the canal side and then headed south to Evans Cycles - I needed to replace a rear light that had failed. I got a new one and also noticed they had the brand of map holder I am using, at a reduced price - I could do with a spare. However, that meant that I had to phone Jan and get her to pick it up. If any of you have been to Chester recently you will appreciate that the road system is VERY confusing, so what should have taken Jan a couple of minutes took a total of about ten. The bottom line was that I was a good forty minutes later starting my ride than intended!
I managed to find the Greenway out of Chester (an old railway line converted to a cycle/footpath) and used it to avoid a couple of busy road junctions as I used the A56 to get to Runcorn. My extensive online map preparation paid dividends as I confidently negotiated a potentially confusing set of cycle paths into Runcorn and then over the bridge into Widnes. Later, I safely followed several miles of a fast cycle path alongside a busy A road - I’d spotted the cycle paths on Google maps last year.
Jan and I had arranged to meet for lunch at a National Trust house at Rufford - this was Forty miles into my ride (plus a couple of extra miles added onto my route plan). I said I wouldn’t be there until 14:00 hrs based on me starting at 10:00 hrs, so I was really pleased that I made it just before 14:00 hrs even though I’d lost those 40 minutes at the start!
I dined on soup and a roll and then a Cornish pastie, a cup of tea and a Kit Kat.
The afternoon was only 20 miles and fairly whistled by: I entered a sunny Preston on an old railway and was impressed by the bridges over the river Ribble and the lovely park almost in the centre of the city.
Continuing north the weather got wetter again and I kept up a good pace until I arrived in Garstang There I pulled up at tonight’s stop - The Best Western Garstang Country Hotel and Golf Course. Jan had sent me a message saying it reminded her of the Hotel in The Shining. What do you think? I’ve posted the picture I took and a picture of the Hotel used in the film.
We’ve just had a nice evening meal here and I’ve spent about an hour cobbling this missive together, so it’s time for bed. We should hit The Lake District tomorrow and there’s a bit of climbing involved!!
Todays stats:
Distance: 64.91 miles
avg. Speed: 12.5 mph
Max speed: 26.8 mph
Climbing: 2044 feet
Accumulated Mileage: 450 miles - nearly halfway.
