Bury, Owd Betts, Rawtenstall

We set off at 9.00 (big hand on 12, little hand on 9!) and immediately get a nasty climb to the top of Belthorn village before we briefly join the Grane Road before turning right down Broadhead Road to Egerton, From here we go to Greenmount and join the NCN route 5, traffic free and tarmacked, down through Tottington into Bury Onwards onto the Rochdale Old Road before we turn left through Ashwaorth fr the long climb up to Owd Betts, a wayside pub with commanding views over the South Pennines and the wind farm of Scout Morr (subject to weather). A cup of tea and an ice cream and we start the long decent into Edenfield and thence to rawtenstall where we stop at the world famous Mr Fitzpatricks Temperance Bar for a glass of Sarsaparilla or Blood Tonic (other brews available) Suitably refreshed, we start the long and lungbusting climb up Haslingden Old Road, passing the ski rossendale resort. Then it is a straight forward downward ride via Haslingden into Accrington. From here we cycle through Oswaldtwistle back to our start point. 40 miles, 930 metres of climbing, 3 big climbs: Belthorn (2 miles), Owd Betts (20 miles) and rawtenstall (28 miles) but nothing we can't learn to love. All are welcome