It was clear that there would be a good turnout at Bellis given the forecast for excellent weather; and so it was that 14 of us split into two groups. The Moderate group lead by Brian Mac would be heading for The Greyhound at Street Dinas and the Brisk group to Wetherspoons emporium in Oswestry. So Andy, Ray, Dave M, Alan Jeffs (joining us for the first time) and myself set off down the familiar lanes to Shocklach and Threapwood. Exiting to Sarn and crossing the A525 we found ourselves in the beautiful border territory close to Penley. The sharply folded landscape hereabouts marks the border and provided the only hilly challenges of the day. Taking the lane out of Penley, we passed The Trench, shimmy across the A528 at the Seven Sisters and The Cross and on to Elson. The lane to Frankton passes New Crickett and Crickett itself, then onto Ridge and Perthy before exiting onto the A495 west of Welsh Frankton. A short burn brings us into delightful Whittington with its moated castle.
Photograph by Clive Albany
Rather than going into Oswestry the direct route, we circle south running in along the old coach road to the rather busy roundabout at the A5/A483 junction. Turning left to the town centre, a newish-looking pub was offering 2 for £11 but as there were 5 of us this wouldn’t work so a short tour of Oswestry town centre found us at the Wetherspoons. An ideal choice as it turned out, with prompt good food and three pints of lime and soda for 60p in total (due to a barman’s incapacity to operate the till correctly despite reiterated three pints please!).
The return ride took us out behind the impressive Iron Age hill fort then past the Gobowen Orthopaedic hospital bound for Hindford and lanes to Overton. This is really beautiful countryside around here and picture perfect on a 20+°C afternoon. Out of Overton towards Bangor soon found us on the familiar back lanes route to Bellis except for a surprise re-routing via Erla’s Lane and the Wrexham Industrial Estate – just to balance out the day scenically! Down Francis Lane and a mile from the end, we find Brian Mac riding back to his car having left the Moderate Group drinking tea in the sunshine at Bellis. Returning back to Bellis, Alan has done very well on this 52 miler and as he heads Wirral bound, we take tea on the terrace with Mike M and Dave P. For the Brisk riders 52 miles from Bellis and a round trip Chester bound of 75 miles in quintessentially English summer weather and spring green countryside.
CA
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