You see the dish long before you arrive. The Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank rises out of the flat Cheshire farmland like something from a science fiction film, a white steel bowl seventy six metres across, tilting slowly to follow its targets across the sky. When it was completed in 1957 it was the largest steerable radio telescope in the world, and one of its first tasks was tracking the rocket that carried Sputnik into orbit. The observatory, founded by Bernard Lovell after the Second World War, has been at the forefront of radio astronomy ever since, and it was listed by UNESCO in 2019 for its role in the development of the science.
The visitor centre explains the work of the observatory and offers a close view of the telescope, as well as gardens, an arboretum and a cafe. It is a fascinating place, even for those with only a passing interest in astronomy, and the sheer scale of the telescope is impressive up close. Visitors are asked to switch off mobile phones near the dish because they can interfere with the sensitive instruments.
The riding around Jodrell Bank is gentle and pleasant, with quiet lanes winding through the Cheshire countryside, past farms, woods and small villages. The roads are generally good but narrow, with hedges on both sides and occasional mud from farm vehicles. Traffic can be heavy on the main roads, especially around the towns and the motorway junctions. The landscape is flat to gently rolling, with the hills of the Peak District rising to the east, and they offer more challenging and dramatic riding if you want to extend the day. The Cat and Fiddle road, running from Macclesfield towards Buxton, is famous among riders, though it is heavily policed and has average speed cameras.
Holmes Chapel, about five kilometres away, is the nearest town of any size, with fuel, shops and pubs, while Goostrey and Chelford are smaller villages with basic services. The weather in this part of England is mild but often damp, and the flat land is exposed to the wind. Clear nights are rarer than you would hope, but on the right evening the stars are surprisingly bright here, and it is easy to understand why the scientists chose this spot, far from city lights and radio noise.