'Where's the Brew Stop? The off-road cycle touring website'. About off- road cycle touring routes, cyclist’s cafes, off-road cycle touring, local group events and good photos. For cyclists who love off-road leisure cycling in Northern England
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2021 Photo Galleries
4th July 2021 ride to Melling (Page two)
The view looking across the fields Moss House Farm from the Public byway.
A bee above flower at side of the Public byway between Melling.
Flower buds of Meadowsweet at side of the public byway between Hill Top and Melling.
Meadow Vetchling flowering at side of the Public byway.
Foxglove flowering at side of the public byway.
Grass seedheads at side of the public byway.
Two photos of the same view looking across the field towards Lodge Lane from the public byway.
Copyright 2004 to 2021 D. Simeon Orme
Copyright 2004 to 2021 D. Simeon Orme
Copyright 2004 to 2021 D. Simeon Orme
Copyright 2004 to 2021 D. Simeon Orme
Copyright 2004 to 2021 D. Simeon Orme
Copyright 2004 to 2021 D. Simeon Orme
Copyright 2004 to 2021 D. Simeon Orme
Copyright 2004 to 2021 D. Simeon Orme
Ride report by Simeon Orme The roads were a bit quieter was it some thing to do with England wining the football match on the Saturday evening in Rome and a lot folk recovering sore heads and handovers from many victory party which happen after the match. I don’t have any real interest in football and only found out the result from watching BBC Breakfast TV show and must admit to have ‘England’ in draw at work. I did think we would get many folk out on this ride, due to those of you recovering sore heads, not very good weather forecast for the afternoon and tech problem with the software program, I use write these ride reports for this website where I had rewrite six pages on the Saturday evening, which meant I did not send out the weekly e-mail newsletter un till late on Saturday evening to remind you that there was a ride on. I t does not bother me anymore if no one turn up at start of ride, it just gives me more time stop and enjoy my other hobby of photography a bit more on ride which I hope show in the photos that taken over last eighteen months. I followed my usual route out of Halton up to Wray. Heading out of Halton on Low Road, then turning on to cycle path at the Crook O’Lune which followed to end of it just pass Bull Beck Bridge, then on to the A683, I know a lot cyclist’s get put off from using this section of the A683 due to speed of the motor traffic but if more of you bite the bullet and pluck up some courage, you may enjoy looking landscape at both sides of road which are in the Forest of Bowland AONB but its case if more cyclist’s use this road, has way of getting to Yorkshire Dales National Park traffic will slow down and maybe in another year or so like smoking, using the car at weekend may come socially unacceptable but likely hood of this happen now is like seeing pigs flying over Hornby Castle but in last eighteen months a lot motorist are starting to think before passing cyclists this may be down to more folk are going cycling. Once you turn on to A683 its fairly fast ride up to junction of the B 6480 which followed into Wray, then I headed through Wray Village for coffee and cake at the Bridge House Farm Tearooms. Unlike other sports the more miles you do in cycling each week the fitter you going to get and if miss a week you will notice it when you go out next time on your bike, so when we get a bad weather day forecast at the weekend I tend to ride out to cafe for brew and see how the day going to pan out, if you lucky you a few hours of dry weather before the rain starts falling from the rain clouds. Destinations for cycle clubs rides can be pipe dreams which was case for today’s ride, as likely hood for dream was around 2pm and for next few hours. So while I was enjoy my cake and coffee, I was sort out in my mind where I was going to go and where I could take some good photos. After my coffee break, I only manage a few hundred yards of cycling before spotting Common Spotted Orchid flowering in some uncut grassland on edge Tearoom car park. It was surprising to see the number different wild flowers that were flowering in this small area of grassland when you take time to look, you do sometimes get some strange looks from folk passing me by when I setting up to take some photos of wild flowers and one of reasons that carry a tripod strap on to back of saddlebag. Once I get the tripod into right position, I get out the camera which is Pentax K-70 body with Tamron 90mm macro lens on it and I found its useful to use a ring flash when taking photos of wild flowers, the extra few seconds of light from the ring flash does improve the image of the flower in the photo. After I set every thing up, then it case focusing len up to get clean image of the flower and waiting for the right moment when the plant is not moving to take that photo. I find that you can only stop few times on ride to take macro photos shoots, has can limit the distance of the ride you doing but does show folk looking at the photos on the website after the ride what to look out for on there rides. Once I finished messing about taking photos, I followed the tarmac up the Hindburn to Mill Houses. Then from Mill Houses, I head up Russells Lane and along the Old Moor Road before dropping down to Wennington. There were quite few cyclist’s out trying a few miles in before the promise afternoon rain. From Wennington there was short section on the B 6480 before heading along Spout Lane through Moss House and then turn on to public byway near Hill Top on the map. From Hill Top, I was going to followed the track into Melling, I did stop a few times to take photos and was surprise at the number of folk out walking along the track. Once I got into Melling, the rain clouds started to darken, has headed down the Lune Valley on the A683 towards Hornby. Once turn off the A 683, cross over the River Lune via the Lyon Bridge, I felt the first few rain drops has I headed up Fleet Lane and after climbing out Lune Valley through Eskrigge on Lea. I finally had to stop on Aughton Road to get rain cape out of the saddlebag, yes it may be old fashion but its made by firm call Vaude and yes it did keep me dry has I head back to Halton along Aughton Road and Kirkby Lonsdale. I did get strange look from another cyclist going other way looking at the cape which I bought on Amazon which I hope is last me a few years, For those of you not come across rain capes before they easy store in saddlebag and you stand better chance staying dry using a cape than other waterproofs when its day of showers You can click here download the 21.68 mile route from Halton Station or click here to download 9.35 mile route from Wray or you can checkout the What’s New Page to see what’s new on the site.