This building is the Bay Horse Inn. It has been called that since in was built around 1820/30. The owners have now decided to call it Jacks. I have no idea why people decide to do things like that. The adjacent bus stop is called the 'Bay Horse.'

There was a good weather forecast till at least mid afternoon so I headed of on the bike towards Lancaster. I was passing though Preston around 9am so the traffic was quite busy. Once clear of Preston the ride became enjoyable and after reaching Galgate I left the main A6 to follow minor lanes through Ellel, over the Blea Tarn Road and on to Caton. I joined the main A683 at Claughton and followed it to Farleton where I stopped briefly to photograph the road and old Toll Building which is the site of the first highway white line. It appeared in the early 1920s.
Along the B6480 I reached Wray and stopped briefly to enjoy the village.

Site of the first white line

Early photo of Wray

Wray today

1967 photo showing one of the results of the catastrophic flash flood on 8 August 1967

I continued east to join the road over Lyth Fell to the Cross of Greet summit. After the descent I was entering the village of Slaidburn when I heard a hissing. At first I thought it may have been a garden hose but unfortunately it was a puncture in my front tyre. With a new inner tube fitted my hands were now covered in black muck from the wheel. In Dunsop Bridge I stopped by the public toilets and was able wash the mud off my hands. The road surface condition was quite bad riding though Whitewell. Through Longridge and Ribchester I rode along Whalley Range in Blackburn to pick up some fresh chillies then home.

Plan of the route

Altitude profile of the route

Sunday evening 21 July 2013 was another very special moment in British Cycling.
The floodlit Champs Elysees in Paris was where Chris Froome became the overall winner of the 100th Tour de France and become the second British Rider to do so after Sir Bradley Wiggins last year.
This year Team Sky weren’t as dominant as they lost some impetus due to crashes and injury etc. That didn’t stop them pulling their tripes out to support Chris to victory.
The final linear group hug as they crossed the finishing line together is one of the memorable images in sporting history

Chris Froome

Team Sky, an amazing way to finish. The definition of 'Team Work'

Chris Froome - winner of the 100th Tour de France

Two views from Alance Bridge over the Yarrow Reservoir near Rivington.

The worn out Continental Touring Plus tyre
(should be Touring minus)

Replaced with a Schwalbe Marathon tyre

This space is for two bikes

Bike space too short

Afternoon out for bike ride via Standish and Eccleston. Road closed sign for Bannister Green at Woodart Bridge. It was only closed to vehicles and not pedestrians and cyclists. Woodart Bridge was being extensively repaired.
 

Woodart Bridge

Bought rail tickets for proposed journey next week with bike to Aberystwyth.
Because a cycle reservation needs two tickets for each leg I was issued with 17 tickets.

The journey has to go via Manchester because of major works on the West Coast Main Line. When I enquired about timetable alterations I was given a bar of chocolate as a sweet reminder.

Turton Tower

Humphrey Chetham (1580 – 1653) bought the Tower in 1628.
He also left money to form the Chetham's Library, which included money to pay for the books. More libraries were constructed later on from this money
 

Holcombe Hunt at Turton Tower 1905
 

Alexander Barlow (1556 1620)
I'm not sure what connection he has with Turton Tower

Preston Railway Station

I attended the Seventh Annual Conference of the Community Archives and Heritage Group with a theme of Industrial Heritage.
We were in the University College London, Roberts Building and Sir Ambrose Fleming Lecture Theatre.
 

At London Euston Rail Station is the statue of Robert Stephenson (1803 - 1859)

The Keynote speaker was Tristram Hunt MP

Sir Ambrose Fleming Lecture Theatre.

13:00 at Withnell Fold Sports and Social Club to join the club for a six and a half mile walk. We were blessed with a warm and sunny day for the walk which started by descending through Withnell Fold village to the Leeds and Liverpool canal towpath. Then we headed past Lady Hall farm to Marsh Lane and on to Denham Hill. Then it was through fields to the west of Huggart’s Farm and down to Martin House and under the two tunnels where the river Lostck passes under the old length of 210 year old Lancaster Canal and the then M61 motorway, which is a mere 44 years old.

Emerging from the River Lostock tunnel under the old abandoned (and filled in) canal.
 

Then back to Withnell Fold via the canal to Stony Flat Bridge (no 87), up through Brandwood Fold and back to the club pavilion by the cricket field for well earned refreshments. The bar was open but I preferred cups of tea. A glass of beer would have to wait till I got home.

Stony Flat bridge (no 87) over the Leeds and Liverpool canal.

Plan of the walk route

The altitude profile

Withnell Fold spectators in the sunshine

When we returned to the pavilion a cricket match was underway, with many spectators enjoying the warm sunshine.

With a warm sunny day forecast I thought it would be nice to take my old Merlin racing bike out for a spin. I headed off in the general direction of Burnley but leaving Accrington decided to ride along a minor lane at Childer's Green near Huncoat. It revealed a picturesque ford that I’d never seen before. Above Burnley I visited the Panopticon before descending to Rawtenstall then over the climb to Haslingden then Oswaldtwistle Moor, Darwen and home.

Art in Blackburn town centre. It's reminiscent of a scene from the 'Alien' film

Profile of the route

During the early evening I walked past the 'Top Lock' Pub on the Leeds and Liverpool canal.
The canal made a nice beer garden

Chorley Continental Stores on Steeley Lane, Chorley. As far as I know the only place you can buy fresh chillies in Chorley.

Fresh chillies in Chorley.
I picked up a handful but the the cost was so small the man at the counter didn't want any money for them. I put a donation in the charity box.

I visited Withnell Fold this afternoon and noticed the Litter and Dog Muck Bin that was fixed next to the Stocks a few weeks ago has now been moved. There was an article about people objecting to it in the Chorley Guardian recently. Chorley Council seems to have reconsidered.

The view last month

This morning is the 97th anniversary of the beginning of the Somme Offensive in World War 1 when many men of the Chorley Pals Battalion suffered terrible casualties. I visited the Chorley War memorial at 07:30. There was nobody else there.
The Chorley Pals website contains the following information:
At 7.30 a.m. 1 July 1916 Officers blew their whistles and the first two waves stood up and started walking towards the German positions at Serre. The Chorley Pals climbed out of their trenches, led by Lt. G.C. Williams. Waiting for them were the German machine gunners who cut down most of the men in W and X Companies. By 8.00 a.m. the attack had ground to a halt, having failed to reach the German positions in strength.

This morning's view of the
Chorley War memorial in Astley Park

The Chorley Pals (Y Company) had 31 men killed and three died within a month of their wounds received on that day. 21 have no known graves and their names are transcribed on the Thiepval memorial to the Missing on the Somme battlefield. A further 59 were wounded, making a total of 93 casualties out of approximately 175 men from Chorley who went over the top that morning.