| 1. Duration: 2 hrs (give yourself 3 hrs though)
Startng at the Mow Inn on Mow Cop Road, head along Congleton Road towards Mow lane (approx 1.2 miles, descent)..preserve energy, you WILL need it later). Turn right at Mow Lane and follow it down to Gillow heath (steep descent) then turn left at Well Lane and keep going right to the bottom till you come to a dirt track. Follow the dirt track down to a left turn (straight on takes you up a private track!), a gradule rocky climb leads to a rocky descent, at the end you will join onto the ncn route 55.
Turn left and follow route 55 all the way to the bottom (4 miles approx) you will know when it ends as a main road (Brook Street) stops you're progress. Pretty easy so far... do a complete u-turn and go all the way back up Route 55 (the way you came) but this time stay on route55 (gradual hill) for about 10 miles passing through Brown Lees until you get to Brindley Ford.
Exit the route and turn right onto Bull Lane which merges into Mellor Street (Short Climb). Then turn right onto Tunstall Road, go through NewTown & NewChapel then you are on High Street, take the 3rd left onto Pennyfields Road and keep going until you come to a roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Newchapel Road. Take the 3rd right onto High Street and get ready for HELL, you will be climbing all the way back to Mow Cop.
Keep on the same road and go through the Rookery(the road changes name to Alderhay Lane then to Dalesgreen Road). Turn right on to Mow Cop Road (fairly steep climb) past Castle Primary School & past the Ash Inn. Take the next left on to Chapel Bank past the Museum (Short Steep Climb) then take the next left at the old Post Office then left again onto Woodcock Lane (suck in air and rest on the descent, coz you will need it!!).
At the bottom turn right through the gate onto Halls Road (Basically a dirt track) and follow the track until Station Road. Turn right onto Station Road and you'll find one of the steepest climbs in the UK.. (home of the Killer mile)...make sure you are in you're granny ring prior to turning onto Station Road). When you make it to the top turn left back onto High Street past the Castle Car Park, at the end turn right onto Wood Street (short Steep Climb) for about 100 yards then left on to a dirt track (signposted saying gritstone trail), follow the track round(past the old man o mow).
When you get to the end you have a right turn (just past the house on the corner), ignore that and go straight on over the single track(keep the wall to you're left & you cant go wrong) take care as ther is quita a drop to the left!!!. At the end, carry you're bike ove the gate/turnstile and head right across and down the field (there maybe horses in the field but they are really nice).Keep going down the slope then you will see a dirt track that passes through trees, take care as the ground is very uneven & there maybe the odd tree trunk laying about...at the bottom you will see a gate.... you can either hop over the gate or turn up a steep muddy bank to the right of it and go that way. At the top of the muddy bank, follow the single track to the left till you get to another Turnstile.
Go through the turnstile and you are back on Congleton Road. Turn right and ride up the gradual climb and keep going till you are back at the Mow inn. OK, now for the last part of the ride, turn right at the Mow Inn onto Castle Road (very Steep Climb) and 2 thirds up you will see a grass path to you're left (signposted), head along there and you are right next to Mow Cop Castle.... look left and you will see a house, to the left of the house there is some steps....go down the steps and ride down the rocky path, follow the rocky path until you get to a gate...through the gate carry on for about 100 meters then turn left & left down a another rocky path....follow this path and it will lead yo to Mow Cop Road. Turn left and just keep going till you are back at the Mow Inn!!!! ENJOY YOUR PINT!!!! |