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Chester Easy Riders is an independent cycling club affiliated to Cycling UK. We cycle every Thursday throughout the year with moderate and brisk day rides of 40 to 80 miles.

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Friday 14 October 2016

13th October 2016: Special Ride to Longdon-upon-Tern (brisk)

With this being the last “Special” ride of the year, I wanted it to be a little special; and in my opinion, it didn’t disappoint. I’d planned the route based upon prior knowledge of about half of the route, with the rest being new territory. So there was a “cassette” of six Briskers (Ken,Ivan,Steve T,John M,Paul) that set off along the Nantwich Road. A right at Burley Dam soon gets us onto the long quiet lanes which will feature in today’s riding. 

Out passing Shavington Park, we go through Longslow, which is the crossing point on the return route. At the busy Tern Hill roundabout on the A41, we’re soon away from the traffic and onto Hodnet. We sidle around Marchamley Hill and onwards to Moreton Corbet. I can’t resist a stop to view the forlorn castle ruins that we visited on last October Special Ride. These were besieged by King John’s army in 1216; and Oct 19th is the 800th “deathday” of King John. No stopping at the “Elephant and Castle” today as we head through Shawbury looking for the River Roden valley. 



Another history lesson at Moreton Corbet Castle 

We pass through Roden and Rodington before looping north to the “Tayleur Arms” in Longdon-upon-Tern at 32 miles The Mods had recently arrived, so we order up from the Specials menu. The fare is good as we re-fuel for the 30 mile return. It’s definitely cooler as we head into the wind in a loop to Water Upton via Higher Ercall. 

It is now a long lane north up the River Tern valley via Great Bolas and Stoke on Tern to quietly enter Market Drayton via Salisbury Hill road. We are soon out of the metropolis and crossing through Longslow again taking the long and always uphill road to Calverhall. Coffee is within sight as Ightfield, Ash Parva and Ash Magna seem to fly by as we slide through the centre of Whitchurch and into the Sainsbury’s cafe where the Mods have recently arrived. This for me was a quintessentially CER ride down quiet long lanes in the early autumn countryside. Nothing better in my opinion. So 62 miles at 16mph. Oh, I nearly forgot to say that Paul had ridden out and back to Whitchurch today, so he'll have more than a 100 miles on the clock.
CA

Photograph by Clive Albany

PS: This ride was almost on the 7th anniversary of my first ride with CER. Now after 238 rides covering 15,100 miles, I’m a little better informed of the lanes we ride - but there are still new ones to find, as witnessed by today’s ride.

PPS: Thanks to Sainsbury’s Whitchurch store for allowing us to park at the store.

4 comments:

  1. Yes Clive it was an excellent ride, although you omitted to mention Ken's unintended dismount! A very well planned ride that even avoided the rain showers! Thanks John M

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  2. Thanks for the ride, Clive. The lanes of Shropshire are a pure delight, opened up to the less experienced of us by your encyclopaedic knowledge of them.

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  3. Thanks for another great day out Clive,really enjoyed it even if i did end up kissing the tarmac!!

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  4. Excellent route and company. Thanks Clive for organising

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