ROWSLEY BAR

ROWSLEY

Turn off the A6 into Rowsley and take the first right turn up Chesterfield Lane to begin the climb of Rowsley Bar. Hard from the start, this road’s rough surface is dotted with drainage grilles in the gutter and climbs past farm buildings before bending right. The gradient eases as you approach a cottage on your left, after which the climb gets much harder. But here there is a rather fortunate feature to note, as at some point roadworks have left a 30-centimetre-wide strip of super-silky tarmac running the remaining length of the climb. Unwittingly, this provides the optimum and smoothest route to the summit of this otherwise horribly abrasive climb. Two hairpins – 1-in-4 at the apex, first left and then right – are followed very shortly by another very steep left. Your smooth line eventually veers into the centre of the road as you approach the top, forcing you to leave it and complete the last few metres unaided.