TWO DAYS' 'CYCLE RIDE THROUGH CHESHIRE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XV, Issue XXI, 23 November 1895, Page 663

TWO DAYS' 'CYCLE RIDE THROUGH CHESHIRE.

I have received the following interesting letter from a very distant cousin, Newell L. Nicholson, Seaforth, Liverpool. It is so long that I must give it in detachments, as it would swallow up a whole page or perhaps more, if put in at once. Many thanks. Cousin Newell. Dear Cousin Kate —The other day I received the New Zealand Graphic from my uncle who lives in Te Kuiti, near Auckland, and was much interested in the letters you receive from your numerous cousins. Some time ago, my cousin, Edith Tanner, related in the Graphic her experiences of a Bush Ride, so I made up my mind to write and tell my New Zealand cousins of the interesting bicycle ride I had through Cheshire. It was Saturday, 24th of August, when Dr. Braime and myself examined our machines, and finding them in excellent condition for a hard day’s work,

started on our journey. It was nine o’clock in the morning when we left our little village of Seaforth, which is situated on the banks of the river Mersey, and five miles north of Liverpool. We struck directly inland over the Canal, which divides Seaforth from Lithesland. The latter place has a commanding view of the mouth of the Mersey, the Irish Sea and the Welsh Mountains. From Lithesland we take the main road, which leads us to Runcorn Bridge, where we cross to get to Cheshire. We are in Lancashire now, so we make our machines go a little faster, as we have a good many miles to go before we reach home to-night. On our right we pass Aintree race course, where the Grand National is run -one of England's greatest races. We soon leave this far behind us, but the grandstand can be seen for miles off. Our next village was West Derby, and a short distance from this place is the Everton football ground, where last year at one of their matches they had more people in the enclosure than there are in the whole of New Zealand. At West Derby we dismounted, and the doctor pulled the cycling map out of his pocket, laid it gently on a bread and cheese hedge properly called a thorn hedge (most of the fields in England are divided by this kind of hedge) He ran his little fingers along the map, and then exclaimed that we were only eighteen miles from Runcorn Bridge, and that we ought to do it in seventy-five minutes, so we mounted and rode at the rate of one mile in four minutes. An hour’s riding brought us to the dirty smoky town of Widnes, which is noted for its soap making and tanneries. In some parts of the town we have to hold our hands to our noses as the stench is something frightful. We ask our way to Runcorn Bridge from one of the natives, and pointing with bis grimy hand, he says, * Dost thou see that there street? Well, you mun turn up to yeleift and ye cannot ’elp but see it.’ We follow his directions, and turning to the left, we come to a footpath leading up on to the bridge. It is an enormous bridge, built of iron and stone, and is supported by enormous pillars which rise from the bed of the River Mersey. The bridge connects Lancashire and Cheshire. We wheeled our machines up this narrow footpath, which brings us to the toll gate, where we had to pay threepence for each machine and one penny for each of ourselves before we could get across. On the bridge itself there is only one narrow path for pedestrians. The other part of the bridge is used for the London trains. An express passed over as we were on the bridge, and it shook it like a leaf. The wind it made nearly blew our hats off. The bridge commands a view of the ship canal, which has just been cut from Eastum to Manchester. It is about thirty miles long, and some of the largest ships can go up it, principally cotton loaded ships for the great spinners of Manchester. When we got to the other end we bad about one hundred steps to go down. Our ’cycles being light, we shouldered them and ran down the steps into one of the main streets of Rnncorn. Runcorn is not a large place, bnt aveiy old one. It is known to have existed in the year 913, when EthelHeda, sister of King Edward the Elder, and widow of Ethelred, Earl of Mercia, built a town and Castle on a huge rock projecting out into the river, but the water has so gained upon the land that now the Castle is nowhere to be seen ; not a stone is visible of it. There is a very interesting old church in Runcorn. We were told that it was built before the Norman Conquest. It has been altered and improved since, but the old windows and pillars are the same, and the old style of carving is most interesting. The church was closed in the year 1846 by an appropriate sermon from the vicar. His text was, * Arise, let us go hence,’ and all the people arose and went. It was not opened again for three years. We were unable to spend any more time at this interesting old church because we had many more miles to go yet, and so it was advisable for ns not to linger longer than we could possibly help, although we were loth to leave it.

Some distance before us, standing majestically on a high hill, is Halton Castle. We asked a woman who was on her way to market what castle it was, She told us it was Bulton Courtts, and that Holiver Cromwell had something to do with it, but that was all we could get out of her. It was really built soon after the Norman Conquest, and Oliver Cromwell stormed it. Finally it was used as a prison for debtors, but the road that led up to it was too steep for us to ride, so we were obliged to dismount and walk. A lot of blackberries grew on either side of this road, which we picked and ate as we walked along. At last we reached the top, and the doctor espied an old inn, where he very soon made his way in and brought out a jug of shandy gaff that is. beer and ginger beer mixed—which makes a very cooling drink. We did not have anything to eat, as it is not a good thing to ride directly after eating. Besides, we wanted to reach a place called Antrobns before one o’clock, as we had, a day or two previously, ordered lunch. Before we left Halton we had a look at the old castle which Cromwell destroyed with fire and sword. From its battlements the views are most beautiful. To the north is again seen the Mersey pursuing its course through fertile plains ; to the west are the Welsh hills sloping down to the wooded dales of Cheshire. I think I could have stood on these battlements for hours, looking at the beautiful scenery which spread as far as the eye could see, but we could not stay any longer, as the doctor was anxious about the time. He wanted to reach home again that night, as he expected a letter of some importance, so we made our way out on to the main road, where we enquired of some labourers which was the way to Antrobus. One said one was, another said another, but as we had no time to lose we rode on, leaving them to argue who was right or who was wrong. The road led us to the brink of a hill, at the bottom of which was a narrow valley, and then the ground rose again on the opposite side. We could see the white road which we would have to go along winding its way in and out of the small roads and up the next hill until it was lost from sight over the brow of the hill. Riding down hill on a bicycle is very different from riding up bill. Riding down yon have merely to take your feet off the treadle, and away you go at the rate of sixty miles an honr; but going up hill you have to put your feet very much on the treadle, and you go at the rate of a mile in sixty hours (more or less). It is very easy going down hill, and comparatively safe if the road is straight, and you can see the ending of it, but if it is not so, I advise you to come down gently. We were just about going down hill, when I shouted to the Doctor, * I'll go first, Doctor,* so he said * All right,’ and away I went. It was not very steep at first, but halfway down it became so steep I could not see the bottom of the road, because it turned to the left. I

was going at an enormous rate. 1 never experienced such a rate before, and I never wish to again. The air nearly took my breath away. At last I saw the turn of the road, but it was a very narrow and short one. However, bracing myself well up to it, I leaned well over to the left so as to keep my machine straight. I should have got around the bend quite safely but for a narrow path which ran at the side of the road, and was made very slippery by the drippings from the overhanging branches of some trees which grew on the banks above. My wheels got on this path, and the slant which my bicycle was sure to have in turning so sharp a corner, slipped clean from underneath me, and I found myself lying on my back, with my head on this path, which was the cause of all this upset, and my feet in the ditch. All st once I thought of the doctor. If he is coming down with his feet off the treadle,he will certainly be killed,for he is a man of fourteen stone. I shouted to him at the top of my voice to put his brake on and back treadle. He soon came in sight riding as gently as possible down the hill. He saw me shoot forward suddenly, and he thought that the hill must drop near the bottom. He blamed me very much for not going down gently until I saw the bottom of the bill. I have not had the experience that he has had, as this was my first long ride, but I shall know what to do in the future. I was afraid of looking at my machine for fear of seeing it smashed up, bnt on examining it I found that the steel rod that holds the treadles was com pletely twisted, and that was the only damage it had sustained, whilst I came off with less, not even a mark. Of course I was very much shaken. Biding with a twisted rod was anything but comfortable, as my toe would turn from one side to another. To go fast was absolutely impossible. The only thing that could be done was to look out for the nearest smithy. By this time we had mounted the opposite hill, and were just about to descend another, equally steep, when I beard the sound of a smith’s hammer beating something on his anvil. We listened again, but there was no mistake, for down a narrow lane on our left was the smithy. We were very fortunate in catching two men working there, for in another half hour they would have been gone, as they only work half a diy on Saturday. I took my lame horse in and requested them to do their best at it which they did, and made a very good job of it indeed. It only took them a quarter of an hour, so we did not waste much time. They told us that last year a man was killed at the very same place where I fell, so I certainly had a very narrow escape. ( To be continued.)