Saturday, June 23 – Sunnyhurst Woods

This day is in two parts.  This afternoon is the clubrun to Sunnyhurst Woods (in Darwen) and there is no teaplace found there yet.  I volunteered to find one,  so at 9.15 I started via Astley Bridge to Belmont Road.  The mists over the hills were surprisingly thick and soon rain began to fall.  Beyond Belmont I was wet through.  Taking the old moorland Darwen road I plunged into a deep mist at 1000ft mark.  After some searching I found a suitable tea place and started back in a steady drizzle.  The sky cleared up when I reached Belmont and doing evens with the wind I met another Club member.  Together we proceeded home, arriving back at 11.30am.

The afternoon run.  I met the leader at 2pm in town and made all the arrangements for the run with him.  At the Three Pigeons Inn, the meeting place, 17 of us gathered.  Walking the steep hill we reached Belmont Road, and so on to Belmont.  The day was brightening wonderfully and held promise of that much delayed heatwave.  At a pottering pace we came through Withnell to Hoghton where we turned right downhill then up into Feniscowles.  Then someone had a puncture, and after a while we all proceeded on under the impression that it was repaired.  When we found we had dropped two we – two of us – turned back, but we found no signs of them and we were forced to return.

It took us two hours to have tea.  Leaving the bikes we walked over the moors to Sunnyhurst Woods, and lingered in the shady glen whilst the ‘Humourist’ got busy.  A merry laughing party returned via the tennis courts and golf links to the bikes.  we soon reached Belmont where we soon broke up, each going his or her own way.  On Belmont road the expected puncture arrived and while I repaired it my two friends had a chat over tyre efficiency.  Under a glorious sky we leisurely meandered homewards making plans for next week, for as all know it is to be our holidays.  [The Bolton Annual wakes week].   Next Friday night we shall be speeding away, leaving work and worry behind and finding peace and freedom in the glorious mountains and vales of Wales, my favourite holiday haunt.

Distance 45 miles, time 7 hours.

 

1 thought on “Saturday, June 23 – Sunnyhurst Woods

  1. Pingback: Finding a Café the Morning before the Run ! | Charlie Chadwick

Comments are closed.