Lots of Villages, A City and a Town
May 23rd 2014
Left Cheadle Heath at 8.00 in the morning. The weather
was threatening and the temperature had dropped by about 10 ° in a couple of
days. Spring, which had been showing its face, had gone into hiding. The wind
was gusting strongly from the North East.
Down the Trans Pennine and through the limply beating
heart of Stockport out to Reddish Vale. The Vale is an amazing green swathe
that conceals a full golf course, a river, a Riding School and lots of trails
and paths. The trail is riddled with large puddles, even in the middle of a
drought. They’ve done some work and the first few yards are a lovely green,
gripping surface. They’ve filled a lot of the puddles with sand, which, on a
rainy day, simply revert to mud. Still, it is a lovely cycle path. Lovely that
is until you come to the steep drop near the farm. Here I have to dismount and
walk Betty down the hill, bumping from wooden slat to slat. Then, it’s through
the cycle gate and here’s a thought.
Most cycle gates are impossible to get easily through
unless you’re as thin as a rake and riding a racing bike. Yet, cycle paths and
trails aren’t really intended for racing bikes. So where is the logic. Having
wrestled the handlebars and saddle bags and my frame through it’s up over the
river and past the lake.
The ride up to Reddish is always a bit of an effort but
worth it for the view back over the Vale.
Followed blue signs down the road to join the Fallowfield
Loop and then turned right and followed it all the way to Gorton. Wright Robbie
stands proudly on the right, basking in its green fields.
The cycle path doesn’t stop here any more. No, tarmac
hisses under your tyres all the way past and into a brand new housing estate.
Went right down Audenshaw Lane and crossed the main road onto a rough little
stretch, Kershaw Lane, which leads very quickly onto the Ashton Canal and the
weather picked up.
The canal was nearly deserted. For the first few miles I
only saw one narrowboat and a couple of dog walkers. Past Fairfield Junction
and down past Gorton again and along to the Etihad Stadium.
The path through Piccadilly Village is charming. The
flats and houses reflected in the still canal water are lovely.
Out onto the road for a few yards and then down onto the
Rochdale Canal in order to head for Castlefield.
The underground canal always gives me a buzz; a secret
world nestling under the busy traffic streets above. Columns lurk all round,
like a scene from “Tomb Raider”
and, of course – my favourite public notice:
From Castlefield out and heading towards Trafford Park
and Salford, past the old church and down by Bennett’s Yard. The gap in the fencing
is still there, and looking to the left from the bridge, with the Ship Canal on
my right I could see the Bridgewater Canal. Carried Betty down about 20 steps
and then had a confrontation with an aggressive family of Canada Geese. Are
there any left in Canada? By ringing my bell and being firm I managed to get
past and there, not five yards away was a heron fishing.
He’s a fine-looking fellow, isn’t he? Of course as I
sneaked forward towards him he took off. They always remind me of some sort of
ancient pterodactyl.
You have to come off the Canal near Man U’s Stadium and
bob and duck and dive through the Industrial Estate, to find it again and this
hasn’t been made any easier by United Utilities who have dug up the whole place
and screened everything which huge green boarding. Still, it’s always nice to
get back onto the Bridgewater.
The weather was almost warm and a lot drier by now and
there was a tail wind!! Wonderful.
Went through Stretford and Sale and reached Timperley.
Once again Betty had to be carried up the steps to the main road.
I wanted, as usual, to get to Brooks Drive in Hale Barns
and there seems to be no pleasant route. If anyone knows of one I’d love to
hear from you. Anyway got to the ghastly roundabout and crossed over.
Brooks Drive is another hidden gem. It runs quietly up to
the airport Orbital. However, my luck was out today. They’re building something
huge at the end of Roaring Gate Lane and it was closed. Of course, I didn’t
know this till I got to the very end, within sight of the Orbital. They’d
sealed it off to absolutely everyone. Not even a rabbit could have got past, so
I had to turn back and head off towards Davenport Green. I got totally lost in
the backwaters of Wythenshawe until finally, after some help from a couple of
old dears and inbuilt satnav, I hot Simonsway.
Followed the new tram route past Robinswood station. Why Robinswood? Why not Peel Hall?
It sounds so twee. Oh well.
Peel Hall Road led to Gatley and then Cheadle, past
Scotch Bob. Do hope they’re going to take the surrounding fencework away from
him.
And so, back to
Cheadle Heath.
Time: 4 ½ hours (approx)
No comments:
Post a Comment