Elton Circular
30th July
Journey Length 10.3ml
Click here for route
Elton reservoir was our destination for this evenings adventure after our 64 mile ride to Blackpool the other week and while missing last weeks ride due to a family birthday, we decided to take a simple route this evening, plus the fact that I had forgotten my off road tyres and still had my road tyres on.
Less than 200m into the ride we had to pull over, I had no gear selection at all, but with Grahams excellent mechanics skills we soon had it fixed and back on our way. Over the Meccano bridge we headed down the canal towards Bury passed the cleared area of the breach and down the path passed the swans with their cygnets, just after here we dropped down Ladyshore Rd to the site of the old Lever Bank Bleach Works, where we took a look at the weir we had visited a few years ago, it looked like little had changed.
Here we came across the dreaded Hog Weed which had recently been in the local Bolton News regarding some children who had suffered severe burs from the sap in the plant. These actually looked like triffids from the “Day of The Triffids”. We rode back up the road and continued along the footpath. The weather was beautiful just a breeze as we rode along the path to Radcliffe across the road and down towards Elton reservoir
Whilst passing the reservoir we took in the sights of people enjoying a nice evenings sailing, even if some spent more time getting into the craft than sailing, but this only made our break even more enjoyable watching people fall in and out of the boats, this Graham found quite amusing until I pointed out that we would probably look a lot worse . After this we followed the road up until we came along a sign for a cycle path opposite Alpha Hospital, this brought us out onto Kingston close where we the followed the signs for the route hoping it would bring us back onto a cycle path , but unfortunately it only led us up to Bolton rd near Bury, here we apparently passed Peggy Lou’s son traveling in the opposite direction but as we were both well in the zone by now we unfortunately missed him and we headed back towards Bolton until we turned left Radcliffe Moor rd towards Little Lever then down Marsh rd back to our starting point near Nob End.
