Langholm to Northwich

 

Having the heating on for most of the night in my room had solved the problem of wet clothes but trying to sleep in a sauna is not conducive for a peaceful nights rest. The route out of Langholm seemed to be mostly uphill. Once I reached the plateau I made good progress and was looking forward to crossing from Scotland into England. Passport control was not going to be a bother and I was anticipating the large signs informing me that I was leaving Scotland and entering the land of my birth..So it came as somewhat of a disappointment that as I flashed down a hill and crossed a bridge, I caught a glimpse of a dirty white sign that read, WELCOME TO CUMBRIA. Deflated , I pushed on to the walled city of Carlisle, its castle dominating the skyline. Weaving my way through the city I soon was on NCR7 but after a couple of kilometres my way was blocked by gas pipes being laid so a detour was necessary. 

A short refuelling stop in Raughtonhead and I was soon string in Penrith to be welcomed at the Wayfarers Hostel in a leafy suburb of the town. The hostel was very comfortable and had the added bonus of being very close to a Booths supermarket. 

For those readers not familiar with the shops north of Watford Gap, Booths is posh version of Waitrose and can be found in such delightful small towns such as Ilkley and Penrith! 

I spent the evening in the kitchen talking to Anita and Denise. Denise was visiting a friend and was about to set off on a cafe crawl with said friend. It’s a bit like a pub crawl though I suspect there’s more coffee and cake involved. Anita was a German teacher who was cycling around the north of England and Scotland and was taking 3 months off her job. We swapped tales of derring do and our own adventures until my eyelids started to droop… time to retire to my en suite room…and avoid the snoring from the mixed dorm above me! 

Penrith to Morecambe Saturday 

The sun was shining for what was to be one of the best days of cycling so far. The destination was Morecambe a mere 50 miles away. The first dilemma was where to have breakfast so I opted for Booths Cafe. In hindsight, leaving my rucksack in the cafe was a schoolboy error, which could have been worse had I packed it with essential things like my credit cards. It wasn’t until I’d reached Kendal where I’d decided to stop to take in the view that I realised that the it was missing. The upshot was I phoned the store , spoke to the manager and , yes they had found it and would send it to my home address, free of charge! So a big shout out to BOOTHS of Penrith. I did suggest to the Manager that it wasn’t necessary to send back the banana that was in the 

The ride was fantastic, great views climbing up from Penrith to Shap and a roller coaster descent into Kendal. Onward along through Carnforth and the views over Morecambe bay to the fells of the Lake District, all made for wonderful day’s cycling. 

Sipping my well earned pint in the Best Western Hotel overlooking the bay I was looking forward to an early night and the Eurovision Song Contest!

Morecambe to Northwich Sunday

This was the longest day so far. I was heading for Northwich to stay with friends Mike & Tina. I was keen to get most of this section of JOGLE done quickly as most of the guide books I’d read suggested that the North West of England is not the most scenic of rides! 

I made an early start as I was keen to avoid traffic as the route I’d planned was mostly on roads. The first section was along the Cycleway that links Morecambe and Lancaster.  My route took me right through the middle of the town and out passed the University halls of residence, where I glimpsed a few bleary eyed students making their way home , obviously they’d been celebrating Sweden’s success in Eurovision. From Lancaster it was mainly cycling on the A6 which runs parallel for large parts of the M6, so if the noise of the traffic on the motorway wasn’t deafening you, the roar of motorbikes on the A6 would get you! I stopped in Garstang for a healthy fry up and then headed for Preston, again cycling right through the middle of the town where I witnessed one of my favourite jokes… a guy standing on a street corner wearing a Stetson singing a Dolly Parton cover version… he was that #### from Preston. After Preston came Leyland, Chorley and Wigan and I crossed the River Mersey and the Manchester ship canal at Warrington. The roads were busy and generally  the motorists were careful and courteous to those of us out on bikes.

By the time I reached Mike & Tina’s house my legs were flagging and my knees were sore so a welcome glass of something thirst quenching in their garden overlooking the canal was most welcome. 

Tomorrow is a rest day and a chance to catch up with M&T and do some washing and clean the trusty steed.