Words by Pete. Photos by Pete, Butty and Bern
Crew : Butty, Pete , El Pres, The Troll ?, Bern and Dunc
Route : Bolly viaduct, Middlewood, Brookledge La, ingersley Rd , west gate of LP. “evil loops” within the park , exit via Red Lane on the Disley side , the Green Lane, Mudhurst Lane , Bow stones , Dale Top, Moorside Lane, Pott Shrigley, The Poachers.
Conditions : Cold, windy and dusty dry . About 4c
Notes :
Tonight’s formula was partly a celebration. Butty (and many other enthusiasts of the outdoors ) has been annoyed by the National Trust’s (NT) refusal to return to an 8pm closing time for Lyme Park (LP).
I think he has even been berating the NT on Twitter
Finally LP is now open until 8pm , the sun does not set until well after 7:30pm , and we had dry cold conditions with dynamic low lighting. A great set-up for some LP adventures.
Butty has been researching and devising some entertaining “killer loops” (his words)
Everyone is more or less punctual with the muster time, off north we go to warm legs on the flat before the little climb to the West Gate (WG) .
This entrance to LP always brings good memories back for me. Twenty years ago (yes, you read that right) the park was a frequent feature of my first few months of TNR. When El Pud was our operations leader .
Loop 1 : Climb up from WG then do a little single track on the right hand side which almost brings you back to the gate . Short but very sweet . Classic single track.
Loop 2 : Climb up from WG all the way to the Gate to the car park by the Knott . Hang a right and follow the purpose built MTB track through Hase Bank Wood. I really liked this one, it flows but you have to be careful at the end – Bern had a slight off ! But thankfully emerged unscathed.
Loop 3 : This was actually a series of mini loops around the top of The Knott , short bits with the opportunity to get a bit of “air” for those who dare
This bit was interrupted by the distraction of a very visible squall (of snow I think) giving the evil doers of Manchester a pasting . Great light as the sun dropped
There was just about nobody else in the park . We headed towards the Disley side and encountered a big herd of whiffy deer running around . Maybe 70 or so, mostly hinds with a few young stags. A musty smell as they passed. Quite a sight.
Out of the park on Green Lane with the Landrover which is slowly rotting into the landscape , and the house with the phone box in the garden. Mudhurst lane was very quiet , hardly a car passed us.
The views of Manchester from here, just after sunset, were still sharp. The plus side of cold, dry air from the North East.
Dusty dry trails deliver us quickly to Dale Top , and full on lights are needed to pick our way down to Moorside lane through the rock field .
In no time we are safely ensconced in the Poachers. There pub was full of Nancy boys subgroups and us and seemingly no-one else .
Pork, Apple and Black pudding pie was the popular choice, but fine gammon and egg for a weary and hungry Pete .
Dortmund lager to quench the thirst . Only El Pres is on the whiskey finish tonight….others pitched for a second Leffe.
It’s a tough life, eh ?