Early Lunch with the Geese of Grange - Mike Codd’s Ride 20 May 2020

7:15 on a bright sunny morning is a bit early for some, but I’ve always been an early riser.

Breakfasted on porridge,half a grapefruit,  a scrambled egg, spinach, a bacon sarnie and black coffee (spinach!?), I set out from Scotforth, down the A6 to cross Millennium Bridge and take the usual route to Nether Kellet. Going through Priest Hutton to Burton, I cut down Station Lane to Holme, Ackenthwaite and then Heversham. Spotting a nice bench just a smidgeon up School Lane in Leasgill, I stopped for coffee and a marmalade sandwich in the mottled sunshine. I think it was about 8:30.

The A6 was quiet, but just past Levens Hall were some road works and traffic lights. I’d just got through them and was accelerating when I was passed by a fit young whippersnapper (on a bike) so I decided to try to catch him and keep up (it wasn’t difficult to socially distance as I kept falling back). Crossing the A590 at a slightly different point than him, I beat him into Gilpin Bridge but he was no longer behind, so I guess he went north while I went west towards Witherslack. That was a relief.

I overtook more leisurely cyclists before the Derby Arms and I turned right to go through Witherslack and past Halecat. Eschewing the ascent of Tow Top, I turned south to Lindale and went up School Hill to meet the top road, whooshing me down to Grange over Sands.  I sat by the duckpond, serenaded by the honks of some kind of exotic geese(?) on a tiny wooded island and I greeted other old people as they passed by with a cheery “Good Morning”.

It was now 10 am and I texted Jan to say I’d just had lunch.

I had intended to join the prom path on the other side of the railway, but found myself on the same side as the railway, so I passed the front of the station and, seeing little traffic, headed up the road to turn off for Meathop. Clearly, the golf club was open, because two golfers were having a chat, on opposite sides of the road (one coming and the other going?). I could have got past but they were sitting in their respective big  stationary cars; they soon moved off.

Passing a couple on bikes, I passed through Meathop and, just on the last bend I was waved to stop by a lady who said some sheep were coming. I said I’d stop when I got to them and carried on and at the left turn (towards Matt’s traffic lights at Witherslack) I encountered 3 cyclists waiting by a young woman who said the sheep would soon be arriving. A flock of about a hundred sheep thronged the narrow lane, followed by a slow moving Landrover and two rather lethargic sheepdogs. Nipping the heels of those at the back was not a message getting through to the ones at the front, who were happily munching the luxuriant grass verges. It was all very sociable and bucolic!

We set off again and, pleading an appointment with lunch in Lancaster, I left the others to enjoy their day.

I took the usual route from the Derby Arms, but seeing light traffic, I decided to join the mighty A590 as far as the Levens turn, I kept on the A6 through Milnthorpe and Beetham as far as the junction from Yealand Redmaine. Then turned off past  Cinderbarrow to join the main road from Burton, turning off at Longlands and returning home via Kellet Lane and Halton Road.

A thoroughly enjoyable morning; I was rather surprised to find I’d done 62 miles and about 3700 feet.

Mike Codd