Bike Route: Sparrowpit to Newcastle-under-Lyme 45mi 2800ft of climb
Accommodation: Clayhangar Guest House (Airbnb); host Kevin (Jiang). Twin Ensuite. Breakfast included.
Dinner: Monsoon Indian Restaurant. Two different lamb dishes and rice. Excellent.
Leaving Sparrowpit, we coasted down to Chapel-en-le-Frith, backtracking for several miles until we veered off to the south toward Bollington. We did almost all of our climbing in the first 10 miles, then suddenly we had left the Yorkshire Dales and High Peaks areas behind us and were riding on small tracks through farms, before we hit the canal paths. The last 15 miles were mostly on canal towpaths, often narrow and bumpy with rocks and tree roots. We had to duck under low bridges, watch out for walkers and dogs and other cyclists, pull off into the nettles when a rowdy gang of teenage boys on electric dirt bikes roared past.
We arrived at our guest house in Newcastle-under-Lyme dusty and hungry, got good hot showers, and took our host’s advice to walk through the car park, turn through the next car park, and find lots of restaurants. Most of the eateries were fast-food places, but we spotted a nice-looking Indian restaurant and had a wonderful meal.
Relaxed and refreshed, and no longer hungry, we stopped in a little market for chocolate and biscuits just in case we got hungry again later, and returned to the guest house for a little sleep.
