Meet at Chester Railway Station at 1000am.
Strava: https://strava.app.link/8HoOT0VKupb
The route follows the National Cycle Route 45 (with a few tweaks) from Chester to Whitchurch and back. It starts outside Chester Station
The route is 53 miles long and there are a few hills to encounter at Burwardsley and Harthill. The route is on roads, except the short spell on the canal tow path between Chester and Christleton.
Leaving Chester, it follows the NR 45 along the canal to Christleton, then continues on the NR 45 to Waverton, Hargrave, Tattenhall, Burwardsley and Harthill, before crossing over the A534 and heading for Cholmondley Castle. Then along the same road, crossing over the A49 (past the Cholmondley pub) and picking up the NR 45 again to Wrenbury. Crossing over the (Llangollen) canal and taking the first right and heading to Whitchurch. On the way, we pass a statue of an Anglo Saxon warrior – showing we are on the “Mercian Way”.
The lunch stop is at a Café in Whitchurch. Provisionally we will stop at Café Eleven or maybe Sainsbury’s café.
After lunch, the route returns past St Alkmund’s church, across the main road and heads north-east along Alport Road and Mile Bank Road to Marbury. Keeping straight on to Swanwick Green, crossing over the A49, and onto Bickley and back to Cholmondley Castle. Then re-tracing the route to Harthill, but keeping straight and cycling downhill (past Bolesworth Castle) to Tattenhall and back the way we came to Chester.
53 miles, Grade B
Created by Steve Whittaker