Spent the night in Ironbridge taking an early night in prepartion for struggling back up the hill towards the route to Wolverhampton.

This morning had breakfast and then wandered out and about on the Ironbridge taking some pictures of the beautiful gorge with the two cooling towers poking above it.  Reminded me of the tripods TV series.

Checked out and then cycled to see the Coalport bridge. From there cycled to route 81 directly rather than plodding back up hill to the Milton Keynesqueness of Telford.  Nice scenary but a bit of a breeze.  First ten miles knee stiff bu no problem so carried on route 81 to Wolverhampton rather than taking the train at Cosham. 

Lost route 81 due to a disappearance of signs so took the A41 for the last five miles.  This wasn’t too hairy but far more direct than my gentle pedalling through the countryside.

Knee was hurting quite a bit at Wolverhampton so decided not to do the 14 miles along the tow path to Brum.  Cycled just over 20 miles in total.

On the train to Brum I briefly got chatting to a group of girls, from the Isle Of Man,on train going to the Reading feestival.  It looked like they were taking their entire wardrobe with them, well if it were mine it would be half of it.  I don’t know if they were going to be as fully equipped as Phil would like to be with hair straightners.

Sucessfully changed my ticket to go to Southampton so now on 1500 train. Fortunately it’s not packed with people going to the Reading Festival so have quite easily found seat to stretch out in. 

Knee is stiff and only hurts if I try and straighten it.  Hope a couple of days and it should be right as rain. 

Just about to tuck into my splurge out at M&S and WHSmiths.  Ploughmans sandwich, coke, fruit salad, pringles, tangfastics, chocoloate.  What more could a boy want. 😉

I ended up resorting to buying earphones to drown out a crying baby.  So much for being in the Quiet Zone.

Passing by Reading I can see a tent city from the railway line.  Obviously where the Reading Festival is located.  Big tops are up and the main stage is visible.  Quite a lots of people getting off to go to the festival by the looks of things.

Well finally back in Southampton for a few days in my own house.  Will be quite strange to be down the pub this evening on a Wednesday night which I haven’t done for a year.  All told looks like I managed 120 miles in my three days.  Not bad really given how things went.

Had breakfast and headed off to find the start of the National Byway at Chester station. Did a bit of an extra cycle following road signs to the station before discovering the cycle path signs that didn’t mean Ihad to cycle round the ring road.

From the station headed towards the tow path and cycled along it quite happily admiring the canal boats.  Think in retrospect that I should have come off it when the tarmac ran out but missed all the signs telling me to do so Iploughed on along the tow path dodging the overgrowing brambles.  Without any way markers I wasn’t quite sure where I was not having a map with the bridge numbers on.  Seeing a road running alongside of my bumpy tow path confirmed my view so Igot off at the next opportunity and was rewarded with road signs and route 70 way markers.  Carried along quite happily till 5 miles out from Whitchurch.  My left knee was really hurting so I was pushing my bike up hills rather than cycling. 5 miles took my over an hour to do so it wasn’t till 1:30 reached Whitchurch having done 32 miles.  Did see two route 45 markers with National Byway logos on it.

 After resting up and eaten  lunch I decided to train to Telford as Ididn’t think I’d get there under my own steam.

Quite a relaxing train journey sharing a carriage with half a dozen bmx’ers.  Arrived in Telford and realised that it’s like Milton Keynes.  All new and you need a car to get round it.  What other kind of place points you towards the shopping centre as the centre of town.  Found the tourist information centre and through them got booked into a hill in Ironbridge. Both the YHA’s in Coalport and Coalbridge where both booked out in August..

Armed with a map of the Telford cycle routes I headed off down the Silken Way to Coalport after working how to get the otherside of the shopping centre when you’re not allowed to take your bike through it. 

The park in Telford that the Silken Way goes through is very pretty. The route was nicely downhill.  Unfortunately it was marred by my second flat tyre this time caused by a piece of glass making its way through the wall of my tyre.  After a ten minute stop and using my new bicycle pump in anger for the first time Iwas back on my way. Inearly did suffer a sense of humour failure given the problem I was having with my knee but wasn’t ready to give up then.

Arrived at the bottom of the hill and started off on the road to Ironbridge.  Reached the Lloyds and found it closed to all traffic due to subsidence so had to doubleback and use the foot bridge to the other side. Cycled along the footpath crossing the new bridge back onto the road runing the north side.

Finally arrived in Ironbridge at 7:30 pm to find the hotel I was staying in directly overlooked the bridge.  Couldn’t have arranged to stay closed. 

Had a triple room to myself and enjoyed the luxury of a hot shower before wandering out and looking round things in the evening light.

After a very pleasent weeking staying with Andy and Helen up in Macclesfield  it was time to mount my trusty Dawes Horizon and set off and do some cycling.

Set off from Andy and Helen’s around 8:30 in the morning.  Headed off across the nearby park heading for the Congleton Road.  Nearly headed off to Leek but spotted this and double backed finding the Congleton Road. Hit Route 70 just after Warren. Thought I shouldn’t be heading east so went West via the sign saying Route 70 via Henbury.  Good weather for cycling, relatively cool and overcast. 

Carried on and turned left at an unexpected fork.  Ended at Alderly Edge which surprised me. Shortly after this had a Nemisis like descent. Fast and not being able to see what was coming up next.

Not long afterwards could hear and see planes taking off and landing.  Alarm bells began to ring.  Saw a rather interesting tree trunk carved into an owl shape so stopped to take a picture.  Decided to press on and try and find out where I was. Cycling along I could hear something caught up in my wheel.  Stopped and found a thorny twig imbeded in my front tyre. Pull it out I could feel the air leaking out through the rubber. Short stop to swap over the inner tube blowing the seal out of my pump and I was off again.  Saw a sign for Ashley station so I stopped to see where on the train ran. Discovered that Iwas on the way to Crewe under the bit of my map hidden by the enlargement of Chester.  At this point decided to plough on for Chester and overnight there.  Decided to head off on the main road rather than continuing along route 70.  Found Knutsford where the tourist office provided me with the Cheshire cycle tour map allowing me to work out that it was about another 30 miles to Chester and I should be able to do it in 3-4 hours.  Rang up the YHAand booked a place to stay at Chester, photocopied the page for Chester out of the Cheshire street maps in the library and then set off on my way just after two.

Took the A road for a bit before swinging north to find Route 70 again.  Sucessfully found it and came across Acton Bridge.  Fascintating swining bridge with still the original wrought iron gates in place though raising arms now perform their function instead. 

Carried along my way sucessfully until I ran out of markers and ended up by Cuddington station. Someone had turned a route 70 sign round I think directing me the wrong way.  Was very frustrating after having cycled up two longish hills and to get back on course having to cycle back up their opposite sides and another hill. Was rewarded by getting to cycle through Delamere Forest.  After getting through it stopped and spotted a message on my mobile phone from Andy so rang him back. 

Continued ontowards Chester getting there just after 5:30 just in time to buy a compass before the shops closed. Had a well earned mango and passionfruit fappacuino before wandering around and around the old streets taking photos of the two tiered shops before heading over to the YHA.   In all I managed about 60 miles that day which I was pretty pleased about given the earlier hiccup.

Found I was sharing a room with a couple of Canadian lads over in England for a few weeks.  Being Liverpool fans they’d been off to see Liverpool play at Anfield before their move to a new ground. They’d also been to see the England under 21’s play.  Headed off to see Harry Potter and the Order the Phoenix.  After walking back found my left knee hurting some what.