Wargrave to Lane End - 30 miles 1600 feet

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I was considering not riding today, but John said we would just do a "short local ride" with ebikes.  We drove to Wargrave and I heard him mention that we were going to Lane End.  I assumed maybe up Rotten Row direction? Wrong. 

Route link screenshot at end

We started by dropping downhill, in the wrong direction, passing through Warren Row and into the Knowl Hill circuit to Little Wick Green, where a cricket match was under way. 


We climbed towards the Dew Drop in, but then downhill again to Hurley.  Over the gravel tracks and under the dark tunnel, and over the Thames into Marlow, where we stopped at MCafe for a cuppa, and shared a slice of  cake. It was really pretty hot by now, high 20s, and we were very glad that we found a  table under the shade of the Wisteria.

Busy morning at MCafe, Marlow.



I've only climbed out of Marlow on Oxford Road to Bovington Green, enroute to Freith.  But today, we left Marlow on the A4155, climbing up hill on a 10% gradient, to take a right turn into lane signposted Lower Woodend. (I don't fancy climbing on that main road without power, but it was ok with our ebikes.) 

I have been to Lower Woodend area before, from Rotten Row direction, but not approached from this way.  Dark Lanes!!  At  a triangle junction, we kept right and it leveled out here for a while. This is where trench warfare was practiced and clear signs of trenches still here. 

Lower Woodend.


Not long until we took a sharp left and a steep down and up, then up again on a sharp right hand bend. I remember this on a ride with L&D and we stopped at this gate.

A steep climb up at Lower Woodend. 

We came to a junction with the Freith Road and continued to the cross roads where we turned right, still climbing all the way to Lane End.   Several Reading Cycling club cyclists were coming the opposite direction, and over the next half mile were followed by more and more and more!   About 40-50 we recon. Ridiculous. 

We crossed the M40 and normally once we reach Wheeler End, we carry on down to West Wycombe. But today in Wheeler End, we took a gravel track.

gravel track in Wheeler End, to
join with Bolter End Lane to go under the M40.

Straight over now into a narrow lane called Fingest Lane. I don't remember being here before, but John tells me differently.  (I finally found it from a blog from 2016, when I did it on  my road bike. That's 9 years ago and the only time I've done this lane!!) 

We met a car with hazard lights on, and he was waiting for  a car reversing back up the hill with a tractor on its way up! Chaos. !

Road block on Fingest Lane. 

Nearing the bottom of Fingest Lane, looking in Fingest direction....

... and the view opposite. 

And a few yards further down. 
(As we turn the corner, we meet the road up to Freith x Roads, which
we could have come down a few miles ago! )

Along the Hambleden Valley road now, and we crossed the weir on foot since lots of walkers out today. And lot of Geese too!

a lora lora Geese at Hamblden Lock

I love climbing Aston Lane with power on. 😂 And back to the start.  

A small lunch since at 4pm we were meeting Jamie for a birthday meal, at The Plough at Shiplake. A nice meal, sitting in their beautiful garden in 28 degrees, with plenty of tree shade.