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.