On Sunday, the kids and I set out on a sunset ride up to my favourite place in the whole world. \u00a0Our outward journey was the usual\u00a0Rochdale\u00a0Canal towpath trawl out to wards The Waterside Restaurant, then up Lake Road to Hollingworth Lake. \u00a0Halfway around the lake we stopped to watch a beautiful sunset as a group of dinghies finished their afternoon’s races.<\/p>\n
As the sun dipped below the horizon, we supped our hot drinks (chocolate for Em, cappuccino for Ben and tea for me<\/em>) and pulled up our buffs as the temperature dropped. \u00a0Steeled against the cold, we set off home.<\/p>\n For quite some time (around 200 years I think<\/em>), it’s been possible to get onto the Rochdale Canal towpath at Clegg Hall by using a flight of steps or a steep, rutted short path. \u00a0In their wisdom, British Waterways and the National Cycle Network guys at Sustrans have replaced the terrible path with a properly-laid, gravel covered slip road which connects the bridge over the canal from Clegg Hall with the towpath. \u00a0It’s absolutely ideal for cyclists.<\/p>\n Having spotted the new slip road on recent rides, we travelled back from the lake via Wildhouse Lane (using the traffic-free cycle lane alongside the main road<\/em>) then turned right down Branch Road and rode past Clegg Hall before joining the towpath for the last mile home.<\/p>\n\n\t\tNew Towpath Access = New Choices<\/h2>\n