Words by Alex, Photos by Pete & Butty
Crew: Slim, Butty, Stunt
Route: Bolly Maze, Canal, Clarence Mill Bridge, Palmerston Street, Ingersley Road, Oakenbank, Robin Hood, Jumper Lane, Blaze Hill, Whaley Bridge road, Bakestonedale road, Gritstone, Sponds, Dale top, parting of the ways, Quarries descent, Moorside lane, Pott Shrigley, Bolly, home.
Conditions: Still, cool, cloud inversion.
Notes:
With Thursday falling on Boxing day, twas a mini crew for the last TNR of the year.
Pics from daytime walkers above the clouds suggested that we too should climb out of the murk on a dry but cool evening.
The bigger question was whether any pubs would be open! Expectations were low, and Butty had brought some whisky just in case.
Our initial route involved heading up through Bolly to see which pubs were open, lights on at a couple, but the Poachers cold and dark 🙁
Time for an oakenbank climb to see if maybe the Robin Hood is open
Just high enough to get above the mists, and see clear skies, we stop – lights off and gaze at ethereal lights behind us, and hear owls, before pushing on into Rainow.
Lo the Robin Hood is lit and peopled. No matter that the pale ale froths and finishes before a pints worth is dispensed, Wainwrights will suffice! A nice sit down and chat in a reasonably busy pub is very pleasant, but we must ride more.
Feeling cold post pub the Jumper lane climb soon warms, more viewpoints to take in, then the main road – which is clear and quiet. Pete’s favourite clump of trees is sillouhetted in the starlight, Orion is clear, and planets, satellites and aircraft aplenty.
With the cold air having sunk into the valley’s and no wind, it is a perfect evening to ponder at Sponds.
Butty dispenses generous measures of Bushmills which slide down nicely as we admire the rather weird glowing lights of the towns and villages under the foggy blanket. A bearing is taken on the red light almost due west which Stunt tells us is a mast Wrexham way, Winter Hill and Holme Moss both very clear too. (Post ride analysis indicates Moel Y Parc transmitter just SE of St Asaph)
Behind us there is a circle of light to the right of Whaley where the roads go around a hill.
A shooting star tells us what an amazing sight we are seeing – so rare that a second dram is in order.
Time eventually to head across to Dale top, where we accept that there will be no pub finish, and opt for routes to take us homewards.
Butty goes straight down by the wall, whilst Pete and I head for the quarries descent and then back via Pott Shrigley into Bolly.
A very special evening to be out, and a great end to the TNR riding year.