Monday again, and Linda, Daphne and Dave all free today to join me and John. Daphne made her own way to Riseley since a big faff to collect Linda atm with the NMRide roadworks.
It's almost a year since we visited Englefield Gardens (only open Mondays), and Dave and Daphne had not been last time, so that was today's plan... with a twist. I reversed the whole route. 😉
Route link
3/4 trousers out today for me and Linda, and John in shorts, with the promise of 16 degrees. Not from the outset though, as we shot down chilly Welsh Lane. For the first time in months, for me at least, we turned left at the first X roads, to skirt around Stratfield Saye to Green Lane. THE flood, that I hate, had completely gone at last. Daphne mentioned she has been this way quite a lot recently but at least eventually it would look different.
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| Peeking over the hedge along Green Lane, West End Green. |
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While I had stopped John took the chance to adjust
his mirror. Seems he couldn't quite see to admire himself. 😅 |
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| Looking back towards West End Green. |
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| Next down Park Lane |
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Views to the right of Park Lane.
Beautiful perfume in the air today from the crops. |
Left turn and the climb to Silchester, where at the end of Wall Lane, we dropped DOWN then UP passing the Red Lion Pub on Church Lane, Mortimer West End. I had never done this direction before until last week, and now here I am again. Last week though, I turned right to Mortimer, whereas today, we turned left and through to Burghfield Road, turning off towards Upton Nervet on the quiet Island Farm Road.
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Team selfie from a gatepost on Island Farm Road.
(pretty blossom behind the barn was the real interest!) |
At Sulhampstead Abbots X Roads, we turned left to drop down White Hill.
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| The start of our drop down White Hill, with this white house on our right.... |
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... and also a glimpse of Sulhampstead Abbot Church.
(we would ride past this from a different direction later) |
It was FUN to drop downhill to Sulhampstead rather than slog uphill, and a right turn at the bottom into Bottom Lane. A big group of cyclists passed us in the opposite direction. Bit messy on this lane with some puddles still, and the lower fields were underwater.
Over Theale railway bridge, and Garmin had suggested a cut through on the left, which, just for variety, we took today. It wiggles through a not very exciting residential area, but avoids doing there and back via North Street. It emereges on Englefield Road, where soon straight ahead is the main gate to Englefield House, which we don't normally see on this route. The gate was open with a GARDEN OPEN signboard. John shot across the junction to join the main road, before I got the chance to suggest we ride in via the main gate today. Another time.
Priority was toilet and tea/cake before our visit to the garden.
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Ginger cake was very moist. Yum. Thank you Linda for treating me today.
The table was reserved for Gemma for noon, but it was 11.15, so plenty of time, |
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I've been here a few times now, but Daphne's first visit.
The decoration is interesting with customised wallpaper. |
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| photo by Daphne |
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| photobombed.... by John. |
The problem now is that to get to the big house its up a steep incline! Phew. We parked our bikes up behind a shed in the carpark. Entry is free to RHS members, or £5 donation in an honesty box. John noticed this morning that our RHS cards expired in January. (Woops!). I phoned them when I got home, and they confirm that our membership IS live, and they will send new cards in the next few days.
Lots of photos now of our trip including a few phone photos from Daphne and Linda. Linda described this as more like a "photography outing" than a bike ride. 😂📷📷📷
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| inside of the house. |
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| Erythronum White Beauty. (Dogstooth Violets.) |
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| John was fascinated by the Skunk cabbage leaves. |
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| photo by Linda |
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Flattens out as we reach Sulhampstead Abbots church.
Here come Linda and Dave. |
Not so scenic as we pass through the edge of Burghfield, but soon pretty once more as we drop down steeply to cross the Lockram Brook, and UP towards Mortimer, but we turn off left into Nightingale Lane. A bit of undulation as we pass the "Barking dog house". I've also only done this in the opposite direction.... until a week ago. At the bottom, today we turned right emerging at Strafield Mortimer near the station. (last week I went left here)
Along the main road to Beech Hill next, where Daphne and I stopped for this photo as we crossed over the railway. I like the rusty track colour again the rape colour.
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| Rusty rails at Strafield Mortimer. |
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| Horses beside the railway. |
We dropped down from Beech Hill to join Chequers Lane, and just for a change from climbing up Welsh Lane (which Dave did on his own), the rest of us decided to return to cars via Barge Lane. Its been flooded for months, so an investigative trip to see how it was now..... assuming dry. WRONG!!!
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| Barge Lane. |
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no way Jose!
So we turned back, and climbed Bull Lane instead. |
Back at the car park, Dave patiently waiting.
Think it was about 2.15 by this tine, and 3 by the time we got home..... for lunch. But a lovely day out with buddies, and I think we all enjoyed the "reversed" version of the route. Apart from the up hill bits of course.
