Linda is still overseas and Dave had a deadline today. John planned this more challenging route most of which we have done before.....mostly on ebike rides. Daphne has done some of it with us before. After wearing shorts and teeshirt just a few days ago, it was back to long trousers, and full gloves today. Except for John who stubbornly wore his shorts.
John and I took our road bikes today, and picked up Daphne from home to park at Avington Park. (1hr away) There were runners in the road for the last few miles of our journey, and when we parked up in our usual spot, a van with loud music and a snack stop for the runners!
Route link
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| Bank Holiday Monday and a marathon was passing through Avington Park. |
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Off we go, with runners sharing the normally empty road today
through Avington Park. |
We have previously always continued all the way through to the chocolate box village of Easton on this quiet road, to then join the B3047. But looking at the map, John had factored in an off road path through some fields, and over the River Itchen. (wish he had told me this when I decided to take my road bike today!)
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Looking back to the "path" which started our as deep gravel
and we had to walk. |
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| River Itchen quite wide at this point. |
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| Daphne crossing The Itchen. |
The route soon left the dirt track to join Church Lane, a steep uphill to St Swithun's Church.
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| Looking back to the cheeky up hill on Church Lane. |
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| A very pretty church. |
We now joined the B3047 for about half a mile, to Itchen Abbas, to climb out on Northington Road. All up hill, but not steep, and soon some lovely views. The clouds today gave some beautiful light and shade at times.
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| Northington Road out of Itchen Abbas |
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| Views to our left from Northington Road |
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| Catching our breath at the top as it flattens out. |
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| All the lanes today were bursting full of Cowparsley. Beautiful. |
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Still on Northington Road.
(seen Flax here before) |
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| Wheat looking lovely and was blowing in the wind! |
We turned right here to head towards Abbotstone in the direction of Old Alresford, where were aiming for a cuppa after about 10 miles.
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| Peeling off a layer. Now a fast downhill to Abbotstone. Whee. |
We came into Alresford and were faced with a Bank Holiday market and loads of people! But the worst was that the Watercress Line station cafe, was also full of people! There was a 20-30 min wait for a seat inside. So we left, and missed out a little loop heading straight for Long Barn Garden Centre cafe which we have used a couple of times before. Unfortunately, since its a bank holiday, it was also busy!
A bit more on the fairly busy B3047 now to Bishop Sutton, and where as soon as we turned off left, another church also on the Pilgrim's Way.
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| St Nicholas Church, Bishop's Sutton |
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Looking back to the junction where had turned off into
Church Lane. (4 parked cars removed with AI!)
I took this shot to show the HUGE Chestnut Tree. We saw loads today. |
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Daphne just disappearing at the bend. Church Road now
changes name to Bighton Lane. |
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Just around the bend from the church,
on Bighton Lane. |
We did a kind of figure of 8 next climbing to Gundleton Hamlet and then back to Old Alresford, but leaving it again to head to Bighton.
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| Somewhere on our figure of 8 loop. |
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We had had a bit of rain, but now stopped, and everyone's
jackets off again after a climb up here.
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Also next to where we stopped, this more glaucous colour crop which
I think is Barley. Loved this tree. |
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| Charley the Shire Horse at Bighton X Roads |
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| 4 year old Shire Horse. |
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| Photo from Daphne. |
Now a bit of uphill, quite a bit actually, and under a lot of tree canopy, as we climbed to cross the Watercress Railway Line at Ropley.
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| Missed it by seconds, as it came under the bridge! |
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| A train photographer took this one for us on the railbridge at Ropley. |
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Views ahead from Ropley railbridge. We now drop down steeply to cross
the A31 and head up hill over there into the distance. |
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Top of the climb on Berry Hill to climb away from A31. We now continued into
and out of Ropley and picked up Park Lane. |
Park Lane has steep drop down to cross Old Park Road, where there is a farm building and distinctive "white gravelly junction", leading into Cheriton Lane. It's horrible, so I always ride around it, then straight into a climb, which peaks at 14%. It's a tough one, and I wasn't sure I'd make it today without the big cogs on my gravel bike.... but I did. 😇
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The worst of the climb over after 14% gradient on Cheriton Lane.
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John of course up ahead of me.
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Phew! Made it!!
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Well done Daphne. A short walk then back on.
Next time! |
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Further along Cheriton lane I stopped at a gate to this field which
at first glance I thought might be poppies.
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But wrong colour, and too big.
We decided they were Tulips... which was a bit weird. |
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When I zoomed in when I got home, I saw the flowers were not smooth,
so not Tulips. |
I used to grow a plant called Trifolium Rubens. (clover family) So looked that up. I was right. Its a green manure which will be ploughed into the soil. There was whole field of it on the other side of the lane too.
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Stopped to read about the Battle of Cheriton.
Man with musket made of wood.. |
A couple more miles and we soon come to the River Itchen valley again, heading to Tichbourne, and were we fancied having lunch at a pub we used before.
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| The high side valley road into Tichborne. |
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| Yeah! The pub and its 2.30.. time for lumch! |
It was full with no more capacity. 250 people already having lunch!!!
We headed back to our snack bars left in the van, but.... look..... another pub !!
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| Bush Inn, Ovington. |
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They had one table left for lunch.
Whilst we had lunch, it rained, so our bikes a little wet as we left. Daphne carefully wrapped up a few bits of batter to take home for her garden "fox". Then after a isit to the loo before we left, the table was cleared included her carefully double wrapped take away. 😂
Just 2 miles to go, and some DARK skies threatening, but we made it.
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| It's raining somewhere close by! |
Lovely ride, which John and I have done 3 times on a BH Monday....why? Must try to plan that better next time.
