Day 12 - Northwich to The Shepherds Shack

Day 12 – Northwich to Shepherds Shack

Northwich is just North of Helmshore. We have had a big day yesterday and we have paid quite a lot for our little cottage in Northwich. We now  have 3 nights ahead booked. That is some relief.  The map in our guide for Northwich is very confusing. On our touring route we often travel much greater distances to avoid the busy roads. This also means we do more climbing.  Road infrastructure is pretty exclusively set up for cars and trucks, not bikes. So getting out of town is often a drama and we are very happy if we end up leaving (without getting seriously lost) on a quiet road,  as the guide normally plans.

After confusion we find our correct quiet road. Sometimes we meet a farm vehicle.

A few kilometres  later we find we have gone the wrong way.  Either we have missed a sign or if the sign was missing. After a period of mass confusion we eventually find – almost randomly,  our way to a canal which gives us a fabulous ride into Manchester.

Not only was it flat, interesting and traffic free, it gave a 100% secure way of route finding. Half our energy every day, especially around cities, is the mental effort of trying to stay on route, not getting lost, avoiding big extra distances due to route errors.  We ride. into central Manchester. Everything goes well. We see many canal boats on the way. Canal boat life as holiday activity or permanent accommodation is a significant part of English life. And much of our trip has been shaped by canal travel.

 It was now late and we were looking for lunch but as we left Manchester the area was a bit rough and uninviting. Away from the canal and back on the roads and paths the  route signs are often  missing and Google Maps is easily confused as far as bike routes are concerned. So we make lots of stops to try to figure out how to stay on route.  

Leaving Manchester we climb on a steady gradient to Rockport. Another common feature of our travels is that we are often riding on old rail lines converted into a cycle trails with the most beautiful gradients.  By the time we arrive at Rockwell I feel dizzy and  a bit off. It is  3:30pm.  No drink or food and lots of mental and physical effort since 8:00 am. We get to a  McDonald's.  I have a fish burger and chips and a large drink and come right.
 Onwards. To Bury and then RAmsbottom. As we get to Ramsbottom we can see the moor tops ahead. I so love the look, the colour  of the moors.

 With less of a climb and more descent than I thought we have a beautiful ride in the early evening with southern Lakeland moorland hills all around. We arrive at the turn off to Eldon Way and then another half mile uphill and we're at the Shepherd's Shack, our accommodation for tonight. We check in at the main farmhouse and then take our bikes across a rough field avoiding the many chickens.

Path to our hut

Shepherds Shack

Such a sweet little one room bothy.   I light the fire in the wood box and we cook our own meal tonight. Simple, cheap, healthy, delicious, perfect. Tomorrow we will move on to just north of Borwick,  a Travelodge hotel next to the motorway. Cheap, convenient, functional, different to tonight.

 It is a complete treat for me to be now cycling into these northern moorlands. The last part of the ride tonight was heaven.  Tomorrow we pass the halfway point on our journey during the day.  Yeh!. But also daunting. We seem to have been so far already and there is that much more again.

Distance so far: 895/1910 kms