It was busy as usual at Kingsway cafe, as we slowly filled the place, and several new faces who had come along following the Wirral contribution to Cycling UK's Festival of Women last month.
I have to select the X-Large picture now to get us all on! 30 :-) Can you spot the new Chester CTC tops among the throng? |
We gently headed towards Duddon, then climbed to Willington Corner. After a short break, where we decided we were actually quite warm after all, we continued. This road gently climbs and contours to Willington Hall Hotel, where we turn left up to the top of the Sandstone Trail. Then we really do contour, with lovely views across Chester and the Lower Dee Valley, and to the Welsh hills (and any weather heading our way, in this case we could see rain showers)
I stopped the group to tell them about the Winged Wheel on The Swan Hotel, like the Trip advisor of the 1800's!
The cafe were as welcoming as promised, and offered to let us bring our bikes through the cafe to the garden at the back. We settled on the raised deck, and the other groups arrived shortly afterwards. Very speedy service, given that there were 30 of us; and although some items were forgotten - they did not forget or leave us until they were assured we all fully catered for. Including a spare chocolate which I had mislaid and was sure Welna had eaten! (I found it under my serviette after all that!)
Anne's photo of the FF group setting off home |
Most people set off back as usual, but two stayed back with me to explore the church. This is the essence of cycle touring; and as I was not leading a group I had the luxury of having a little look around.
Charles Hardy, proprietor at The Old Fire Station Chocolate Shop and Coffee Shop, has written a pamphlet: A Guide to Tarporley and History of Tarporley and Surrounding Areas. He gave me a copy last week (they are free), and it had inspired me to check out St Helens Parish Church.
However, it is missing information about the Winged Wheel, so I shall send him the link!
Within St Helens, we saw the following:
The chancel screen has Italian gates, which were made in the 16th century, and brought from Siena by the Countess of Haddington in 1889 |
The altar tomb in the chancel to Jane Done, who died in 1662, Mary Crewe who died in 1690, and her granddaughter Mary Knightley who died as a child in 1674 |
A monument to Sir John Crewe who died in 1711, with his semi-recumbent effigy in a flowing robe and weeping cherubs at his head and feet. |
However, the main thing I wanted to see was the Civil War armour, purported to be on display in the church. We walked all round, whist the organist made his best efforts to play 'Mr Blue Sky' and other unusual songs, repeating himself but appearing to improve slightly. We could not see the armour. Luckily, Reverend Georgina appeared, as they were preparing for a wedding, and could direct us to the armour. Look up, she said, and sure enough, there they were. There is another helmet in a darker corner.
Satisfied now that I had proved there was indeed armour there, we set off again. The little old fire engine was not available to see (in the newest fire station as you leave Tarporley at Birch Heath), so we just had to make do with the downhill 10 miles back to Chester.
30 riders, 34 miles (for me) and 3 pieces of armour.