31st May 2018
Journey Length 18.5ml
Click Here For Route Via Ride with GPS
Thunder storms were forecast for this evening but that wasn’t going to deter us. I had a route planned to go over to the Delph reservoir near Egerton and tonight we were going old school with paper maps to guide us, they didn’t prove totally successful but we will never the less continue to use them as a guide in future adventures.
Graham came to meet me at Leverhulme park where our adventure would begin. After a minor adjustment of his glasses we set off. Less than a mile into our approximate 18 mile ride, I misjudged a flight of wooden steps and crash I was off flying into the bushes, stinging nettles and all. As I composed myself and checked the bike Graham chuckled “ well that didn’t go well , but at least you gave me some entertainment” continuing to chuckle. As extreme bikers this is part and parcel of our adventures.
Once I was back on the bike we made good speed through Seven Acres Country park , even negotiating more steps with Graham’s support “well done mate” .
Out of the park we crossed Thicketford Rd and followed the path of the brook, crossing the small bridge into Longsight park, which incidentally I found out today from DT used to be a golf course.
It was through here I made our first mistake in map reading , missing a turning to take us onto Tonge Moor Rd and then another, a wrong turn completely, forcing us to turn around. Thinking we were on the right path we continued out of the park and onto Longsight Ln, this was yet another error as we found ourselves on Hardy Mill Rd heading totally in the wrong direction. After a bit of head scratching we turned around and headed back through Harwood passed Morrisons and up through the traffic lights at Turton Rd before we turned right up Oaks Ln. It was here we experienced an unexpected obstacle a railway level crossing, something we don’t often encounter. We managed to get through the small gate and across the line, it was only then I noticed that we could open the main gate and ride our bikes through.Never to old to learn as they say. Once safely across we stopped. It was Graham who noticed the sign This Crossing Is Monitored By CCTV were upon he remarked “good job we didn’t have a quick pee, we’d have been wanted men”.
It was just after here we went slightly astray again, but fortuitously we stumbled upon an old derelict barn at Great Oaks farm. Upon correcting my error we were soon on our way and proceeding upto Darwen Rd and then left down towards Eagley Brook, a totally unexplored area to us. The area is very beautiful if a little eerie in places. The path led us down a very steep hill where I noticed a very large bank of steps. I stopped and dismounted, not wanting a repeat of my earlier experience. Graham on the other hand continued but was taken by surprise at their size and even he had to dismount.
Eagley brook was our landmark to follow, but unfortunately we followed it the wrong way yet again a U-turn. Back on track we came out at the bottom of Eagley Way where the old mill has been converted into apartments, which was great to see instead of an impressive building just being demolished. Up the hill to join Blackburn Rd, it was here I had the first incident of items falling off my bike, my pump. Luckily for me Graham was behind me and being ever vigilant ( a trait of extreme bikers) spotted and recovered it.
Following the signs for Dunscar Golf Club or otherwise know as DT’s second home, it took us up this path, if you could call it that. It was made up of cobbles loose stones gravel and even old bricks. This was a proper bone shaker of a route. Near the top of the path I stopped, looking back there was no sign of Graham. A few seconds past by, still no sign. Had he had an accident ? Had he fallen off? No he had in-fact stopped to rescue my rear light that had now fallen off.
On Longworth Rd North Turton our goal was in sight Delph Reservoir , passing a sign welcoming us to Darwen we took a small path at the side of a stone wall, unfortunately missing the entrance to the sailing club further up the road. This path took us over the run off from the reservoir and upto Walmsley Unitarian Chapel. It was here we came across a unusual sight in today’s throw away world, empty milk bottles awaiting collection.
Dimple Rd was to take us to the start of our return journey leading us through a lovely pine woods and up to Stones Bank Rd, which was a relief from the previous terrains we had been riding on. We sped down the hill on Egerton Rd and up the hill up onto Belmont Rd. By now we were beginning to feel the effects of the difficult terrain of tonight’s adventure and were well behind time. We reassessed our homeward route. Instead of going up Scout Rd and down Smithills Dean Rd and calling at Smithills Farm we would now reluctantly head straight home down Belmont Rd. This is where we broke our own land speed record achieving a speed of 29.8mph.
Our route home was simple along Crompton Way, it was here , as instructed I text Peggy Lou “15mins out” .Then it was on through Leverhulme park. It was in Leverhulme park that Graham came into his own again, rescuing my light for the second time. A great wingman indeed to to have at my rear. By now it was nearly 9.00pm so straight home for our teas. Of course Graham text me when he was home safely, an unwritten rule in the code of extreme bikers.
