I left home just
after 6am to cycle to Chorley Railway Station. The ticket office was
just opening when I arrived and I was able to buy a single ticket to
Manchester Piccadilly for £6:40. It was just after 06:30 and the
station platform was empty. I waited on Platform 2 for the 06:53 to
Manchester but as I suspected the platform soon filled up as the
train departure time got nearer. The train was quite full but
thankfully only one bike on it. I even managed to get a seat for
myself. When we reached Bolton there was standing room only. I was
in Manchester around 07:20 and navigated my bike up and down the
station lift to the exit.
Arriving at Manchester Piccadilly
I started by riding
along the national cycle route 66 which started in Store St. which
passes underneath the bus entrance area to Piccadilly Station. I
wasn’t on the road for long before the route went through a minor
road to join the Rochdale canal towpath. The weather was fine with
blue skies and no wind. I set off riding the towpath which was a mix
of surfaces. It was generally good on the flat stretches between
locks but the locks varied a lot and were nearly all uneven cobbles
and some had steps.
Rochdale Canal and Mill
Some of the old mills
that have been converted to modern use looked very picturesque in
the morning sun. I crossed over the M60 by an impressive
cycle/pedestrian bridge. For a while I was riding in the countryside
then in to the urban area of Rochdale. The main problem here was
avoiding the frequent piles of dog muck on the towpath. The other
annoyance was the occasional barrier across the towpath that is
designed to let only pedestrians through but prevents a bike. Near
Littleborough there was one that I would have had to take all my
panniers off to lift the bike over but fortunately someone had
demolished the adjacent wooden fence to get round it so I was able
to get my bike through.
Crossing the M60
There were now some
very muddy stretches of towpath and one section had been closed and
I had to use a muddy diversion through an adjacent field.
Approaching Todmorden I came to Grandma Pollard's Chippy. It was
midday when I arrived so stopped to buy a £1.50 bag of chips. There
is indoor cafe eating area but also a small bus in the yard with
tables and chairs as another eating area. I had my chips there but
when I’d finished I couldn't get my bike out because a woman in a
huge defender car had parked across the entrance, blocking me it. I
found her and asked her to move it. She wasn't apologetic at all and
pointed to the sign saying it was OK to park.
Chippy lunch at Grandma Pollard's
I continued my ride
along a deteriorating towpath but had to leave it near Todmorden as
it was closed. I rode along the road to pick the towpath up again in
Todmorden but after a couple of miles came to a path closed barrier.
To get back to the road I had to remove all paniers and carry them
and the bike up steep steps. I then had to re-join the busy road
which I followed into Hebden Bridge. I stopped briefly by the old
bridge then through the centre of the town. There were still lots of
sandbags and evidence of the recent floods.
The Bridge in Hebden Bridge
Wainhouse Tower near Halifax. Completed in 1875 and the tallest
folly in the world.
I knew the canal
towpath was closed so continued on the road in to Sowerby Bridge
where I called at Tesco to buy some bottled water. I cycled past the
Railway Station and further on was able to re-join the canal
towpath. I reached my planned stop near Halifax and cycled down a
new road to find a spot to pitch my tent by the railway. A lot of
work was going on by the river Calder and large areas were being
levelled and stoned ready for houses and industrial units. Across
the road was the strange new and sprawling building of Lloyds Bank.
Behind it and up on the hill was the impressive folly of
Wainhouse Tower.
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Whittle Wanderer
