11/1/24
Paradise Lost
I had it in mind to take a trip through the lanes to take a photo of the Linear with the road sign at Paradise Lane, which I’d passed many times at the point where the lane meets the B5074, but never by bicycle so far.
I already had my thermal underwear on as it’s been ‘orrible in the low temperatures and keen wind so far this week but today it’s felt relatively warmer, or less cold, at least. So on top of those I just wore the usual stuff I wear for cycling, and everything else, plus my summer motorcycling gloves as they have a hi viz panel on the back, useful for hand signals on this rather dull, cloudy day. I didn’t think I’d be needing them until next year as I put them away, singing, “farewell, my summer glove, farewell” in the style of Michael Jackson.
So, out through the back gate, climb on, make adjustments, and launch. The wind was not noticeably cold as I got going, making reasonable progress to Darnhall Bridge where I followed a car down the dip to the red traffic light which turned green letting me get up speed for the other side.
As I went up the hill a mountain biker appeared from a turning on the left. He wasn’t pedalling very fast but slowly pulled away from me until the road levelled when I matched his speed. I suspected that he was taking it easy on an ebike as he gradually disappeared as the road rose again slightly.
I trundled on steadily towards Wettenhall until I came to a dip, got up some momentum and up the other side then continued rolling until I came to a left turn onto Minshull Road. After another mile or so the turning to Woodgreen Lane appeared. Little traffic here, the lane continued dead straight into the distance. Eventually I came to a left turn at 90 degrees which went dead straight for some distance before turning right at 90 degrees and continuing in a straight line again.
“Another day in paradise” with Phil Collins played briefly in my head before “stranger in paradise” (various artists). I had the random thought that the tune was pinched from Borodin’s Polovotsian Dances in “Prince Igor”. I hummed along to it, though coming from me, it sounded more like a strangler in paradise. A quiet lane, lounging along in the garden chair on wheels, I was away with the fairies for a bit until a distant oncoming car brought me back down to earth.
I finally came to where the lane made a T junction with the B5074. I looked to the right where I expected to see the sign “Paradise Lane”. Mysteriously, it was no longer there. In the absence of a post to lean on I laid the bike down and walked about looking for clues. Had some motorist crashed into it? Had someone pinched it? There were a couple of displaced posts in the undergrowth by the hedge of a house at the junction but no sign of the sign. My original plan after photographing the sign and bike was to have turned right towards Church Minshull as on the long downhill before the village I might have got a good max speed as a target to improve on for this year. I would have then climbed the modest hill beyond the village and turned into the other end of Minshull Lane.
I picked up the bike and as I did so, someone on a bike with a laden trailer passed the end of the lane and I raised a hand. “Are you all right?” he called. “Fine thanks” I replied as I got going back down the lane. I hoped to find another sign on the way back. However, I had to content myself with a sign for Paradise Farm at the first right angle bend.
Further along someone with a literary bent had named their newish house Milton Lodge. At the next right angle bend was Paradise Green Farm. From this point according to the map it was Woodgreen Lane which was dead straight until it met Minshull Lane.
I turned right here back towards Wettenhall, left at a T junction, briefly into Cholmondeston then right into Calveley Green Lane. This was surprisingly hard going, gradually climbing to a junction with Calveley Hall Lane where I turned right and right again into Long Lane. According to Bikehike the highest point of the ride was about here. Certainly after a slight rise the road trended downhill and I pedalled gently in high gear or freewheeled until I had to get some speed up to get through the dip beyond St David’s Church. I stopped here to put my flashing lights on as the afternoon was becoming gloomy. Left onto Winsford Lane, rushing another dip and climb then steady progress into a light headwind that had sprung up.
Soon I was rolling downhill towards Darnhall bridge. A car overtook me and stopped at a red light then got going again. I rushed the dip then ground up the last few yards before gradually increasing speed over the summit. As I approached my back gate I noticed I was a little short of 19 miles so I carried on then turned round a little further on and returned to my gate. Only 19 miles but I felt as if I’d gone further. Perhaps the low temperature had taken its toll, though I didn’t feel cold when I went in.
Distance 19.15 miles Max Speed 24.6 miles. Average 8.1mph. According to Garmin.
Ascent 349 ft. According to Bikehike.
