Day Eleven - Hatchmere to Preston

Mick had put his foot down about the tour of the Wirral and the Liverpool option.  He felt it would be time wasted which would be much better spent touring Scotland later in the tour and on reflection I agreed.  I have realised that what seems like a smallish detour on a road atlas is in fact quite a different prospect when one has already cycled 500 miles and have another 500 to go. Even a five mile detour is subject to much debate and usually discarded as too far out of the way.  So instead we decided to make a run for it through Runcorn and Warrington and up to Preston.  Runcorn is a dump. Our guidebook advised looking for signs to “Shopping City” and then Old Town.  We got lost almost immediately in a council housing estate, one of those with alleyways and pathways which never seem to go anywhere.Finally we found a cycle sign for the Old Town, and with several more pauses to ask directions, we finally came in sight of the Runcorn bridge.  We were by now going against the traffic on a fast road, using a very narrow pavement next to the railings.  Suddenly in front of us were two walkers, with large rucksacks, a guitar and a camera.  Our enquiry confirmed our suspicions, they were indeed also headed for John O’ Groats.  We promised to get the beers in at the John O’Groats Hotel.  Suddenly I was very glad that I was doing this by bicycle and not on foot. 





Things got better when we and crossed the Bridge and entered Widnes.  We immediately picked up the Sankey canal and a path which went all the way to Warrington and on to Newton-Le-Willows.  The first part, past the power station was grim but it then turned into a very pleasant greenway, some of which was navigable, some not. 



It was still raining.  We had a stop for a cup of tea (on the house when we told them what we were doing) at a chuck wagon and had a chat to the guy behind the counter.  A double amputee, he had opened for business only the week before with his partner.   Business was a little slow but they were hoping it would pick up when the weather improved.  Give him a try if you find yourself on the Sankey Canal at Fiddlers Ferry Yacht Station.  Eventually we started to pull out of the conurbation onto more rural roads, and the rest of the day passed uneventfully as we plodded from town to town  - Haydock, Garswood, past Wigan, Eccleston (a quick pint here), Leyland and finally, at last Preston.  In Preston we once again got lost and found ourselves on a major through route.  It was also getting late and we had no idea where we were going to stay.  Eventually on the way out on the horrendously busy A6 we spotted a budget hotel and we booked in, ate the bread, cheese and olives we had bought earlier and with relief settled down in front of the telly. 

Stats:
Miles: 53
Pints Drunk: 1 (!!!!)

Route here