Lavender Barn, Dunham

We’re going to hit the canals and head to Lavender Barn in Dunham. Starting with the Ashton canal from the velodrome, we head west and down the locks towards Manchester City Centre. We will be on a portion of roads through to get past Piccadilly train station and into Castlefield, so be prepared for it to be busy at this point. We’ll soon be back on the canal though as we enter the Bridgewater canal towpath and our pootle south towards Oldfield Brow just west of Altrincham. A small section of country roads will take us to the very pretty Lavender Barn on a working lavender farm in Dunham Town. Expect beams and pretty crockery. Please note that we will still be abiding by COVID-19 safety regulations: social distancing and mask wearing at rest stops unless exempt

Bike Type: Hybrid, MTB – it’s 90/10% canal and road - there are cobbles on the locksides and several hump bridges to contend with. Surface: Tarmac, cobbles

Café stop: Lavender Barn tea rooms, Dunham Town.

Please ensure you wear a helmet as I won’t allow anyone to participate without one. Bring cash/card for the Café, bike lock and puncture repair kit, and weather appropriate clothing – it is Manchester after all, so we could be turning into ducks, snowmen or cooking on the ride. It is unknown exactly how long we’ll be out for as it depends on who’s with us and how long we spend munching, so any end time on here is a pure guess!

We never leave anyone behind