Longer ride to a new cafe

...new to us, that is.  Fire Station at Malpas, no chocolates (not to be confused with Tarporley Fire Station and chocolate shop!).

Usual gathering at Kingsway, although the cafe is shut through Saturdays this summer due to no staff, my daughter was able to open up for us.


We sent the faster group off first with Alex, and the slower group with Linda.  This led too many for one group, so Gill led the second half but keeping us in sight so as not to get lost.

looks like a grey day...

...but some shadows here!

Out along the Canal,and Caldy Valley nature park, along to Saighton (new road layout still not finished by Rake and Pikel)

Bruera

Past the Carden Arms at Tilston.
New Years Day meet up location.

we took a fairly direct route to Maplas, after Tilston there are sandstone cut lanes, Overton Scar and the circular contour following climb up to Malpas.  We were quite warm by this point, as the weather was warm and dry if not very sunny.

inside....

...outside!

On arrival at the cafe - called Oakwood - we met the faster group who had taken the outside table, so we took over inside.  Four tables later, we were waited on and had a variety of lunches (that bit further and it is really lunchtime by now).










Our return journeys offered a selection of directly back, direct with variation via Holt to North Wales; or a scenic direct back with me.


One lady left early to get back,only to suffer a puncture and be rescued by the 'direct-to-Chester' group, who helped her out.

I had a little plan to drop to No Mans Heath (on the A41), where we crossed to Larkton, but immediately left along a smashing little lane.  This brought usto cross the A41 (again) to go through Edge - I love the name,and the hall and tiny hamlet are so cute, really old thatched cottages and almost a secret location.  Then we crossed the A41 (but sssshhhh! I was hoping no-one would notice!)  and came up the back of Bolesworth castle, along another deep sandstone cutting.

This then brought us to Tattenhall, and straight back through the usual lanes.