29th August 2019
Journey Length 11.8ml
Click Here For Route Via Ride with GPS
It’s Thursday and that can only mean one thing, adventure night. We are finding it harder to find new places to explore but tonight we were off to see something that we should have already seen before an 306ft tall chimney at Barrow Bridge near Moss Bank Park.
I’d arranged to meet Graham near Leverhulme Park. I’d only been there a matter of seconds when he arrived. While Graham caught his breath and I planned our route out in my head I heard ting ting, ring ring, ting ting, ring ring, there was Graham playing with his and my bell, “Your bells better than mine!” he exclaimed. We chatted about bank holiday weekend and how it had been glorious weather. Its been too hot I like it hot but not that hot we joked.
Now we were ready to set off when Graham says “Eee I’m glad I put my jumper on might be a bit chilly later” I agreed, I had put mine on as well.
We exited Leverhulme Park and then through Seven Acres onto Thicketford Rd and across down the private road. Here there is a barrier so we had to dismount, this proved disastrous for me, as I dismounted onto one pedal the bike tilted over the opposite way, taking me with it and snapping my rear light clean off much to Graham’s amusement. Uninjured, apart from my pride we continued up on Compton Way to the traffic lights at Tonge Moor Rd, with the lights on red we waited, all I could hear from behind me was “Are you ready?” “Yes” was my reply then again “Are you ready”, same reply, then the same question followed by the same answer, over and over again. Eventually the lights changed and the circle was broken. This was repeated at every traffic lights we stopped at, thank god most of them were on green.
Our route to Barrow Bridge took us up Smithills Deane Rd before turning left on Smithills Croft Rd which lead us straight to the chimney, and what a chimney it is, over 300ft tall, set in a very idyllic country setting it was built for the Ainsworth Bleach works back in 1863.
Leaving the chimney behind us we came upon a path which looked like it might lead us to our next point of call, Moss Bank Park. It didn’t, eventually it brought us back out onto Smithills Deane Rd, straight opposite the entrance to Smithills Hall and Smithills Open Farm. So without a do we crossed the road and rode up to the hall. It is a long time since either of us had been here, when we used to go on doo’s at the Coaching House, many a good night there, but sadly it has now been made into apartments. The Hall on the other hand is a rather stunning very old Grade 1 listed Manor House dating from the 15th century.
After a look around the house we set off to find the Open Farm. Now for a couple of adventurous extreme bikers this shouldn’t have been a problem. Well it took us a while, even to the point of looking on Google Maps. The huge sign at the end of the road was a give away. We got to the farm, which is owned by Mr Grimshaw, who many years ago I fouled in a football match, and even to this day every time he sees me, he calls me “Fouler”. At the entrance to the farm I could hear him in the distance working, and I was going to say hello, but between him and us were 2 rather large German Shepherd dogs, which I didn’t fancy having my ankles nibbled at by them, so it was back up to Smithills Deane Rd. Riding up to the road Graham shouted out “Car behind us”, but looking around I didn’t see anything. Stopped at the junction he asked “Where did that car go????”. While we pondered which way to go we were both startled by the bloody electric car sneaking up behind us, giving us quite a shock.
We decided that it would be best if we headed homeward down Halliwell Rd. There are quite a number of pubs along this road but we were looking out for The Lord Raglan where we needed to turn left .Now both of us have been along here many times in our cars but have never noticed St Peters church and houses on the left hand side of the road. Theses are wonderful old buildings and are the things you only really see when your extreme biking.
Left at the Lord Raglan pub down Raglan St then down onto Astley Ln where at the bottom is situated Maxalin, the home of the liquorice sweets know simply as “The Flyers” ,tubes of liquorice with crystal centres a family favourite, we could even smell the sweetness wafting around outside. Whilst there I noticed an old mill to the right, pointing this out to Graham he said “ I know a job made for you pal, finding period sets for films”. Ur mm not a bad thought that pal.
Now it was up a path to Blackburn Rd as we did I spotted a cemetery to our left, so as per usual we had to explore. It was Astley Bridge cemetery ,not the largest but it did have in it two wonderful monuments. As we rode out of the cemetery Graham read the ages of some of the gravestones and commenting on how old or young they were when they died, this has become a bit of a ritual with him.
We crossed over Blackburn Rd down Greenwood Vale with the intention of finding the path that led to Water Meetings Rd, but as usual we took a couple of wrong turnings and ended up emerging back onto Blackburn Rd opposite a new Italian Cafe & Grill “Dolce”. We turned onto Watermeetings Road and rode down until I spotted the small bridge that I thought the path we couldn’t find led down to. I decided to take a closer look and rode over the bridge, as I did noticed a man on the opposite side in the bushes , he looked like he was spiced out on drugs. When we returned over the bridge Graham led and as he did he screamed out “ F**king hell where did he come from, he shit me up !! “. Obviously he hadn’t seen him the first time ha ha ha.
Heading home, we decided to try a shortcut on the path which runs behind Matalan at Turner Bridge, we rode up Fold Rd underneath the railway arches and passed Dave’s Aquarium, which looked like it had closed down. We picked the path up behind Matalan and noticed a sign that the land had been sold to build 14 apartments on, hopefully they will keep a public path so we can continue to use it. Dusk was beginning to fall and with the fading light the temperature was dropping too at which point Graham proclaimed “Glad I put my jumper on , the weathers closing in getting a bit nippy now” I agreed and expressed concern of how many more adventures we would be able to fit in this year with the nights now beginning to draw in.
On Bury New Rd I knew it was now becoming darker by the minute I decided to take a shortcut, through Leverhulme Park hoping it would save some time enabling Graham to get home before the light went altogether. He was up my rear all the way back due to my broken rear light, nice to have your Bestie watching your back.
Through the park we proceeded along a path under the trees, thankfully I had my light on full beam and spotted a fallen tree across the path just in time to avoid a disaster. “Bloody hell pal good job you spotted that I hadn’t seen it” announced Graham. Whilst we were stopped I heard Graham call out behind me “ Hiya alright mate” turning round I asked him who he was talking to, “ who ?” he asked “ I don’t know whoever you said Hiya to”, I stated , “ Didn’t say owt” he replied. “ yeah you did I heard you” I said “Err some bloke, was it ? “, “ I don’t know I didn’t see anybody” I said. Now this was getting weird so we decided to plough on home, we parted company at the car park in Leverhulme Park with the familiar request for us to text each other when we were home safely.
