On Tuesday 17th May, the Matrix Fitness and Pearl Izumi Tour Series Cycle Races were held in Motherwell town centre. This was the second year the town had held these events. I took the day off work to savour the action and also catch a glimpse of the preparation required before a large cycle race. Photographs of the race can be seenhere. Behind the Scenes The backroom staff were hard at work during the day getting the riders ready for the race. The bikes are checked out and worn parts replaced. They are then washed ready for the riders to start their race.
JLT Condor
The JLT Condor bikes were being prepared. I had a close look at the and the frame was made from carbon fibre with Campagnolo components. The saddle was a Fizik Arione which is a fairly narrow saddle.
Madison Genesis
Warm-up
Raleigh GAC
North Lanarkshire Pipe Band was also in attendance and entertained the crowds with some lovely music.
Nikki Juniper of Team Ford Ecoboost
North Lanarkshire Pipe Band
Ladies Matrix Fitness Race There was action in the afternoon with races organised by Scottish Cycling. The Ladies Matrix Fitness race started at 17.30 and was won by Eileen Roe of Lares-Waowdeals. Near the end of the race, there was a terrible crash with one of the riders falling so badly she had to be taken to hospital.
Pearl Izumi Tour Series Cycle Race The men’s race started at 19.30. The dark skies suggested rain would fall during the day but thankfully it stayed off until about 15 minutes before the men’s race finish. The winner of this race was Jon Mould of JLT Condor. Second was Albert Torres of Raleigh GAC, with Ed Clancy of JLC Condor third.
The crowds were out in force and everyone was having a great time. This was the second year the event has been held and it was well organised. Hopefully there will be more events like this in the town. Further Information: Tour Series North Lanarkshire Council
The weather has been a touch warmer than of late and much more pleasant for cycling. One of my favourite rides is to Craignethan Castle near Crossford in Lanarkshire. I like it because the roads leading to the castle are very quiet and also I have friends who live near it. I started the ride from the town of Larkhall. Larkhall is a former mining town and has some lovely stone-built houses and cottages, as well as more modern houses. I usually take the back route through Larkhall (B7019) as it avoids the busy main street and is much quieter. It also passes the small 9 hole golf course which is popular with beginners and those using motorised golf buggies, as it is reasonably flat.
Arriving at the village of Ashgill, the local church comes into view. The church was built in 1889 and refurbished in 1912. It is called after Dr William Peebles Rorison was one minister to Dalserf Parish Church. He was educated for the ministry in Glasgow and was inducted to Dalserf on 1st May, 1851, where he spent 56 years. The Hon. James Hozier, son of Lord Newlands of Mauldslie, gifted a substantial proportion of the cost for the refurbishment in 1912 and suggested it be renamed the Rorison Memorial.
Rorison Memorial Church (Dalserf)
At Ashgill I met some friends who were accompanying me on the ride. The road passed some pleasant countryside with only a few cars passing us on the road. In the photograph below can be seen Tinto Hill in the top right. This is a popular hill walk for those looking for a test of their fitness.
Countryside
Tillietudlem
Just before arriving at Craignethan Castle, we pass the hamlet of Tillietudlem. Tillietudlem is a fictional castle in Sir Walter Scott’s 1816 novel Old Mortality. In the Autumn of 1799 the novelist made a brief visit to Craignethan Castle. His novel ‘Old Mortality’ which was published in 1816, was set in South Lanarkshire during the late 17th century conflicts between Royalists and Covenanters.
The plot largely takes place in and around the fictional Tillietudlem Castle. It is thought that the name Tillietudlem was taken from the ravine under the old castle of Lanark called Gillytudlem. The Ordnance Survey of 1859 names the gorge “Gullie-tudlem”.
Tillietudlum
Tillietudlum
Craignethan Castle Just after passing Tillietudlem hamlet is the entrance to the castle. There is a short drive up to it with a short walk from the car park.
Craignethan Castle
The above photograph shows the castle from the hill above. There is a steep walk from the car park to the castle entrance is quite steep and those with mobility problems are allowed to park just outside the castle gates.
The Keep
The Keep
The castle has an inner and outer courtyard separated by a deep ditch. The largest building is the keep which in very good condition considering its age. The attic and roof are gone, but the walls still have many decorative corbels which supported a parapet walk. Walking through the main entrance there are stairs to the left leading to the upper floors and on the right, the stairs lead to vaulted cellars which contain four rooms, a prison, and a well.
Ground floor of the keep
Underground cellars showing the well
Exterior view of the cellars
Caponier In the ditch is a caponier. This was a fortified structure which allowed defenders to use hand-guns to ward off attackers. If attackers managed to gain entry to it, they could be picked off by the soldiers in the caponier. This is a rare structure in Scottish castles.
Caponier
Caponier interior
The photograph gives some indication of how deep the ditch is.
At the corner of the outer courtyard are some towers.
Corner and main entrance
In the photograph above a steep hill can be seen in the background. At the top of the hill is the location of the car park.
For the history of the castle, please see here. An excellent video of a tour of the castle can be seen below.
After visiting the castle we made our way to Crossford and the Dobbies Sandyholm garden centre for some refreshments. The road from Craignethan castle is very steep. Just after leaving the castle there is a very steep descent. A car had recently overshot the bend and the fence was broken.
Steep hill.
At the bottom of the road it flattens before the road climbs steeply and then follows is a steep descent into Crossford. My disk brakes were working overtime at this point. At Lanark Road it was a short cycle up to Sandyholm. After some refreshments there we cycled back home. It had been another pleasant day out. Further Information Craignethan Castle – Historic Environment Scotland
When I was golfing last weekend I noticed some bluebells growing in the woodland adjacent to the course. As it was not very considerate to start taking photographs during a round of golf, I decided to go back at a later time to capture these lovely woodland flowers.
Bluebells are an indication of ancient woodland and are commonly found in many areas of the UK. They are protected in the UK under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.
Below are some photographs of these lovely flowers. More images can be seen here.
White bluebell
Close-up of a bluebell
Wild Garlic
Bluebells
Bluebells
Some bluebells lack the blue pigment and are white in colour as can be seen above. There only a few of the white ones in the wood.
The white flowers above are Wild garlic. This has a strong odour but is a lovely flower and it can also be used in cooking. I have not tried it but some of my friends who love cooking tell me it adds flavour to many dishes.
Unexpected Visitors on the Golf Course
On my way back I walked through the golf course and was surprised to meet two women dressed all in black with niqab headwear walking on the fairway. I got a bit of a shock as it was quite an unexpected occurrence to see Muslim women on a golf course.
They told me they were looking for the River Clyde and Strathclyde Park. I had to escort them off the course as they were in danger of being hit by golf balls and take them to the path which led to the river. They were very friendly and told me they had recently moved from Bangladesh.
I gave then some information about the area and pointed out some areas of interest before leaving them to enjoy the River Clyde and Strathclyde Park.
Jane's Log 