A loop around South Manchester and North Cheshire

A loop around south Manchester and north Cheshire

A select group (ie there were four of us) of Moultoneers met at Chorlton Water Park in south Manchester, for a pleasant 35 mile circular ride, led by Mark Taylor. Despite being in the middle of the monsoon, the day was dry and bright, and a strange orange orb even appeared occasionally in the sky during the afternoon.
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We started out on a track alongside the Mersey, before joining the Bridgewater Canal towpath, recently resurfaced by Sustrans, and a pleasure to cycle on. A brief stretch on fairly busy roads through Altrincham was followed by minor roads to Dunham Park, a National Trust estate. It’s a lovely spot, deservedly popular on a Sunday morning. The deer population was all present and correct, and seemed happy to be inspected. We visited the cafe, upstairs in an old stable block, for tea and low calorie caramel confections, to set us on.

From Dunham we crossed a narrow bridge over the mighty Bollin , and then the evil A556, to arrive at Tatton Park, another National Trust property. It’s an extensive estate, regularly used for all kinds of events. Preparations were well underway for the Royal Horticultural Flower show which was due to start the following, week, and there was some kind of musical event scheduled for later in the afternoon on the lake shore. We cycled through the park, and then past the Italianate architecture of Knutsford (you could almost imagine you were in Tuscany, apart from the puddles) to arrive in Mobberley and the Railway Inn, our lunch stop. This is a fine pub, clearly favoured by cyclists. The local Dunham ale went down well, as did the food (though the fishcakes were obviously prepared in a different time zone to the other dishes).

Riding along small Cheshire country lanes we rejoined the Bollin valley at the point where it disappears under Manchester Airport’s second runway. The bikes were lifted over a gate (yes, a NS is lighter than a TSR), to get us along side the second runway, giving a close up view of planes taking off and landing, including a giant Airbus A380. The penalty for riding down the rough track was a puncture (though the glass shard that had penetrated the Marathon tyre was probably picked up earlier on Manchester’s streets). A spare tube meant a reasonably quick repair (once we had located a pump that worked properly…)

Then it was a fast run along tarmac back to our starting point - a bit later than planned (the fishcakes, waiting for the A380 to take off, and the puncture…).
A fine day’s excursion, on about the only dry day in this Mancunian “summer”. (Mark: “all down to careful planning”.)

David Butler, 19 July 2012

Blackpool Ride June 2012

Moulton Bicycle Club ride 17th June 2012
Blackpool – Fleetwood – Pilling - Elswick – Blackpool

Seven Moultoneers met up by North Pier in Blackpool, which had inadvertently become a
temporary tram terminus, due to construction of the Elton John’s concert arena at the weekend; the
tramlines were blocked and a number of trams couldn’t make it back to their new depot on south
shore.

After the odd coffee & bacon butty were consumed (a bit too chilly for ice cream this morning) we
set off just after 10:30, riding on the coastal paths & promenades north through Bispham, Cleveleys,
passed the golf course and into Fleetwood. There must have been millions spent along this route in
the last few years and is considerably better than when I ride the route some years ago. We were
just in time to see the ferry crossing the River Wyre on the 11:30 scheduled run. We paid up &
queued up and shortly after the ferry’s return we were ushered on so we could store the bikes, or
so we thought, but it was really a ploy to get us to sponsor the skipper in a Lifeboat pull later in the
year! As it was in aid of the RNLI we each gave a little to support the Lifeboats. At 12 noon we set of
for the 3 or 4 minute crossing to Knott End–on-Sea; after disembarkation we had a brief debate as
to where to eat, café or pub and which one – thankfully for us Ken S was with us, who lives locally in
Thornton so his local knowledge was invaluable in this critical matter.

Zig zagging through the little lanes passed nice houses and their well-managed gardens on our
way to Pilling. We stopped at the first pub in Pilling that only served full “Sunday roast” lunches so
we carried on another mile or so to Stake Pool and the Elletson Arms for lunch. Good beer & food,
shame about the speed of service but at least we all got a good rest before setting off again. When
we got out we were all bathed in sunshine, most of us removed a layer of clothing before setting off.

Down the long straight road south to the Ecclestons, over the Cartford toll bridge – 20p for bicycles,
pedestrians free (we checked, it’s still 20p if you want to carry your bike so we all elected to ride!).
We ascended the big hill of the day (all 60 feet of it according to the OS map) rode on through Little
& Great Eccleston and on to Elswick.

We then turned west and into the wind, thankfully the Met Office got it right, the intensity of the
wind had dropped over the day but it still wasn’t welcome. On occasions we could see Blackpool
tower on the horizon as we headed towards it, passing through Singleton and then the outskirts
of Poulton-le Fylde. It’s surprising the number of undulations in this leg of the ride; towards the
end of the ride and into the wind it was an unpleasant shock. Back into Blackpool town centre a
short ride through the pedestrian area, there was one of their cycle hire racks in the precinct and
signs indicating buses & cycles were permitted to enter. A short distance on the other side of the
pedestrian area we came back to the tram tracks on the sea front by the North Pier.

Great company & conversation en route, no mechanical or pneumatic issues and as a bonus we
didn’t get wet!

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Mark Taylor

Ride Around The Cotswold Water Park

Moulton Bicycle Club Ride Around The Cotswold Water Park – Sunday the 13th of May 2012

The weather for the previous 3 weeks hadn’t been good so it was a big relief to find the sun shining down on the 11 intrepid Moultoneers (along with two ‘big wheel’ cyclists) who set off on a Sunday morning ride to visit some of the local sites drawn by cycling artist Frank Patterson. Riders came from far and wide to take part, including a contingent from the South Bucks CTC who happened to be on holiday in the area. Most models of Moulton were represented, from a lovely F frame painted with the Union flag through to Am’s, Land Rovers, Bridgestones, Pylons, Speeds and TSR’s.

We left the start to ride to our first stop in South Cerney - this Patterson drawing caused some debate as the artist states that the scene is in Sommerford Keynes (a village some 2 or 3 miles away). We then rode via Fridays Ham Lane (I guess there was a pig farm in the area once) to a lovely view in Ashton Keynes that has remained virtually unchanged since the time of the drawing. On the way out of the village we passed two of the four stone crosses in the village that were pushed over (but since have been rebuilt) by Cromwell’s men! We carried on visiting two more ‘sites’ including one in Latton and another in Marston Meysey.

Riding on to the dinner stop past RAF Fairford caused some riders to ‘fly’ like that had a jet engine on board! We stopped for lunch in Fairford, with some opting for The Bull, whilst the teetotalers sat in the local bus shelter to eat their sandwiches (only the finest dining places will do for riders of such high class machines). The bikes attracted a lot of attention outside the pub.

After lunch it was only a short ride to another of the Patterson sites at Fairford Watermill, and with the river now in full flow after the recent rain it was a truly picturesque sight. On the way to the next stop a rumour went around that we were going to go by a fantastic micro brewery / real ale pub and when I confirmed that this was the case, the pace seemed to speed up! Unfortunately by the time we got to the pub it

had run out of beer, which was maybe just as well as we needed to push on. With the last Patterson stop out of the way (in a lovely Cotswold churchyard), we cycled to the village of Down Ampney to visit the birth place of composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. It was such a nice day that the party decided to carry on to see a local war memorial dedicated to the men and women that took off from the Down Ampney airfield in World War 2. We then rode on to the local church were there is a small display to Vaughn Williams. Unfortunately I was unable to arrange for a lark to ascend which would have finished off an excellent day’s ride!

Thank you to everybody who came along and see you at BOA?

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Roger Osborn

Leicestershire Ride Report May 2012

LEICESTERSHIRE RIDE SUNDAY 27 MAY

Four Moultoneers met at 10am in Syston for the Leicestershire rural ride. Two riders were mounted on TSR 27s, one on a modified Series 3 and my chosen stead was a TSR 30 tour SR. As the temperature was already about 22C there were no takers for cake, scones and toasted tea cakes but water and tea were eagerly consumed.
Before the ride Matt Dunn was presented with the Johnston-Major Cup for identifying the best original painted vintage Moulton in the known universe.

The ride was mainly on lanes and minor roads, often gated, from one Conservation village to another most of which are mentioned in the Doomsday Book. The terrain in this part of Leicestershire is surprisingly undulating and affords excellent views and, for the densely populated Midlands of England, is delightfully free from vehicular traffic.

Many of the historic buildings in these villages are made of a type of sandstone called ironstone so the area looks like the Cotswolds but without the crowds and traffic.

Starting from Syston we headed eastwards into High Leicestershire through the villages of South Croxton, Beeby and Ashby Folville. Then we took the gated road and climbed to Thorpe Satchville, turned westwards to Gaddesby and then north to Rotherby, Frisby on the Wreake and then having crossed the river Wreake to Asfordby, only stopping briefly to check out an old Sun bicycle frame perched on top of a gate and to apply a generous smearing of sun block.

We then took the lane to Ab Kettleby which involved a three mile moderate climb and then on to Wartnaby the former ancestral home of Lord King of British Airways. We then turned west and rode along the only main road on the ride, the B676, before turning off to Grimston where we watered and fed in a leisurely and kingly manner at the Black Horse pub, before proceeding on our way along gated lanes having taken on additional water supplies. The temperate had soared to 26C – much too hot for the puncture gremlins!

Heading south we passed through the villages of Saxelbye, Rotherby and Brooksby. In the chapel of what is now Brooksby Agricultural College is the memorial to Lord Beatty of Brooksby and the North Sea - I always find the juxtaposition of the village of “Brooksby with the “North Sea” rather amusing. Admiral Beattie fought in the battle of Heligoland (August 1914) and Doggerbank (June 1915) and became Admiral of the Fleet in 1919.

Next came the villages of Thrussington, Radcliffe on the Wreake, East Goscote and finally the most dangerous part of our ride, along a cycle path crossed by occasional entrance drives to houses, then through the churchyard of St. Peter and St. Paul church in Syston (the first priest of the church was appointed in 1206 and if memory serves me right one of the early vicars was called Achibald the Bald).

When we got back to base no one wanted cake, scones or toasted tea cakes but the iced water produced by my wife was gulped down vigorously.

The ride was 42.66 miles.

The uneaten cake, scones with double cream and jam were most effective in helping me rebalance my energy deficiency.

Alex Johnson

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