RSF - The Off Road Cycling Club

The Adventure Starts Here

Triple Egg and Chips, a muffin and a pint for £5.80!

 

It was Roger's fault really as he let slip that he really enjoyed finding a new track on a Saddo Ride.  Rising to the challenge I quickly did some dynamic route planning and came up with the rather narrow and occasionally very muddy track above the railway line through the quarries where the stone came from to build much of Uppermill.  As the forecast for the day was grim and there were only about eight members in the Lime Kiln Cafe, I reckoned it would be fine.  When I got outside I found another seven Saddistes waiting to set off with one more on the way - a phenomenal turnout given the forecast for the day. 

Sadly for me, Roger had ridden the track but he did not know that at the end you could descend to an unmanned railway crossing at Moorgate Halt which we negotiated very carefully somewhat chastened by the floral tribute to a recent suicide on the track.

Thereafter it was down the canal, circling round the Marina just to see how many would be daft enough to follow me - this being a Saddo Ride there were plenty of takers, up onto the Micklehurst Loop Line cycle track and off to Micklehurst itself. With joy in our hearts and smiles on our faces we began climbing a tarmac road to regain all our height before plunging down a bridleway we have only ever used the other way before to reach Carrbrook, once a thriving mill village but now a pretty conservation area.  The climb from Castle Farm up onto the Pennine Bridleway meant quite a lot of pushing for the majority but the views up and down the Tame Valley with Manchester and Cheshire in the distance were ample reward; the sun even began to shine!

 

Now we were in famous contouring country or mainly flat as I like to call it high above the Tame Valley on the track known as Moor Edge Road under the fantastically named Abraham's Chair and Noon Sun Hill before plunging down once to Friezeland Lane then up past the ill-named Brow Top Farm before a final descent along BRadbury Lane, one of our favourite flowing single tracks, past Forty Row and on to Dovestone Reservoir. Information about Forty Row can be found here:

 All that remained was one more BBC up out of Dovestone past Tunsteads marvelling at George Dew's (regulars will recollect his connection with the King of Tonga!) former home Hollyville with a view of the ninth hole of his private golf course as we cycled past.  Those ahead missed out on the last real challenge of the day, the ride up the very rough track of Old Thorn Lane, which we normally ride joyfully down, choosing instead the tough climb up the tarmac of Haw Clough Lane.  Happily we all reconvened to bowl down Gellfied Lane to the Church Inn for an incredibly good value lunch - see above.

Nov Sad 1After prising ourselves reluctantly out of the pub some chose the quick way back to the start down Church Road while others took to the hills again, grinding or way up Running Hill Gate before descending again via the tricky and very muddy bridleway Hill Barn Lane to Ward Lane then on to the Diggle Hotel where we took a bit of an up and back detour to view the statue of Jeptha and his slain daughter on the site of Diggle Mill.

A rather splendid poem about Jeptha can be found here:

 All that remained was a gentle ride down the canal back to the Lime Kiln where several of us found room for a brew and I found room for an excellent piece of Malteezer Cake.

Rob Newton

Nov Sad Map

Roger's Photos can be viewed on Flickr here: