Words & Pics by Pete
Crew : Captain Lee, Smiffy, Pete, Butty, Chris & Troll
Pub : Alex & Ruth
Weather : Calm, no wind. A little bit damp on the journey back from the OKH to Bolly
(Full) Route : Zag – Cliff Lane – Calrofold Lane – Kerridge Bridleway – Waulkmill Wood – Poacher’s Snicket – Oakenbank – Jumper Lane – The Closed Road – Bakestonedale Rd – Gritstone Trail – Boundary Wall track – track through the ladder style – Bakestonedale Wood lay by – Pott Shrigley – Bolly Middlewood Way – Towpath – Olde King’s Head
Notes : (once again, in a stream of consciousness style)
Butty & I meet the main posse at the benches on Oakenbank . Lee had gathered rest of the troops at Zag and led them Northward to the righteous lands of Bollingtonia.
The Closed Road is gradually being repaired …it feels like it has been closed for ever.
It is still great to ride it with no traffic .
We traverse the GT and descend to Pott Shrigley without touching Dale Top – its ages since we took track to the ladder style & triple gated bit . Its quite nostalgic to revisit it !
It is a long way back to the Olde King’s Head from North of Pott Shrigley , the posse put the hammer down and Troll & I hang on at the back as best we can.
I think I finally arrived in the warmth of the OKH about 8:45pm , and the food is getting brought out. Beers appear and the service is as top notch as ever .
Can’t remember too much about the pub conversation other than something about Bob Monkhouse’s joke book not passing the 2026 wokery test . And long may it be so.
Butty was very very generous and bought a round of seven shots of Laphroaig to celebrate his promotion !