Chorlton to Daisy Nook & back

Moulton North West Ride report 23rd October 2011 – Chorlton to Daisy Nook & back On a pleasant morning 6 of us gathered for the ride at Chorlton Water Park, with one member in distress as on his way to the start his front wheel shed a large percentage of it’s rim! Thanks to his family he was back on the route with his Speed 6, we caught him up on the Fallowfield loop, an ex-rail line, now tarmaced. Now all seven of us rode to the eastern end of the loop, by Fairfield station. Then we dropped onto the Ashton canal towpath for a short distance, passed a mountain of bricks that was the Robertson jam factory and into the Moravian settlement. This is a complete group of buildings, designed and built by the original inhabitants from 1785 and included a church, school and accommodation – it’s still a vibrant community over 200 years later. Frequently used as a period film set with its cobbled streets and quaint looks. Back on the road and up to Daisy Nook Country Park, a short comfort break, the area was built around an old multi-level canal interchange, we had to cycle up 3 filled in canal locks and out onto the main road. This was a better option than dropping down about 80 feet to the river below and back up! We rode into Woodhouses, for lunch at the Woodhouse Gardens pub. After appropriate food & drink we left the pub and headed down the valley towards Manchester, about an 80-foot decent. After crossing a main road we went into Clayton Vale, riding on smooth tarmaced paths as we followed the river down stream. We emerged near the National Cycling Centre, passed in front of the building to pick up the Ashton canal again (a mile or so from the previous section we were on earlier in the day), a little more of an industrial landscape this time. Up 3 locks and then we turned off along what was the old Stockport branch canal (now filled in and converted to a cycle/footpath) to re-joined the loop heading west back to Chorlton. This old railway line is in a cutting so we escaped the worst of the wind until we emerged onto the streets again on the way to the car park where we had started. We all made it back to the start without the need for tools, pump or waterproofs, all in all a good day out.