Tell me more, tell me more, tell me more …
Trevor Faulkner has kindly provided a map and notes about some of our Thursday routes we ran during summertime. You may have seen it in an email from Paul recently. It’s captured now here on the website ..Over to you Trevor:
Dear all
Whilst we are all under partial house arrest, it is probably important that we retain the ability to go out and run 8 miles. However, I am concerned that this might be withering away, because I never seem to see any of you running around Wilmslow.
Those of us who live near Wilmslow or Alderley Edge are extremely fortunate to have so many wonderful off-road runs to use in the summer. Please see the map below, which I have scanned from page 3 of the WRC Newsletter of July 1996. It shows the routes of six summer Thursday club runs. You can probably adapt these to start and finish from home if you live locally, or the present law still allows you to park outside the Rugby Club and run from there, as long as you run separately. If you are unfamiliar with some of the routes, you can also consult the southern parts of the 1:50,000 map OS Landranger 109 and 1:25,000 OS Pathfinder 741 and the northern parts of Landranger 118 and Pathfinder 759. No doubt some of the details have changed from 1996, but all the runs are still viable with only short diversions.
Please note that the route of the Bog Run is out on the lower path to Styal Mill and then follow the path through the woods to the ‘Moat House’ hotel (not going via the side of the runway). This route can also be followed to extend the Graveyard run. Both these routes are delightful at the moment, with bluebells and wild garlic in the woods. My favourite used to be the Graveyard run, because of the lovely running along the bank of the Bollin after the Moat House, to Blakeley Lane. You then take the fourth right (just after meeting the HM course) to reach the track past the Graveyard. This run has a one mile alternative here, via Mobberley golf course, which used to avoid a barking dog and some horses.
A good new, but fairly complex, route, pioneered by Simon, is to go straight across Styal Road from Twinnies Bridge. Follow the path under the railway viaduct to Stanneylands Road and take its footpath beside the road to the left. A few fields, roads and tracks then goes across Styal Golf Course to emerge past Styal station. There is then a choice of short or longer routes back to the Rugby Club.
Another good idea is to run the splendid Christmas Handicap route from home. This makes a 10.5 mile run from my house, for example. A shorter version is to run to the new loop in the woods where we train on Tuesdays, but return up the steep path shown us by Nick that crosses a deep valley and then go via Styal Church back to the Mill. That makes a 7 mile run for me.
Longer runs that I used to do were to follow the Bollin to Macclesfield (18.5 miles). This is still viable, but you must run on the south side of the Bollin from Mill Lane to Mottram Hall golf course and then cross the narrow concrete bridge and run on the north side of the Bollin via Prestbury. (If I turned there, it made a 12 mile run). The River Run can also be extended by following the above route to Mottram Hall golf course, where you turn right to get to the Bulls Head and Priest Lane. At Alderley Road you can either follow the normal River Run route to Alderley Edge, or turn left at the field we sometimes use in the summer and make your way up several hills to Stormy Point, using part of the Wizard race route. Another delightful run from there along narrow paths leads down to Squirrel’s Jump, Moss Lane and then the Bypass roundabout via the Golf Course Run route. The beauty of this route for me is that I can then return home via the old A34 (12 miles) or continue along the Golf Course Run via the Rugby Club to home (16 miles) or include the Bog Run backwards via Styal Woods (18.5 miles).
Here is hoping everyone is keeping well and sane. Keep on running: the weather is great and there are not many people about, or any at all on the golf courses.
Keep safe everyone
Trevor