The Coronavirus regulations allow you exercise every day, but mean that now you can only cycle alone or with someone from your household. So, out again with John today. I am very lucky to have him for company on my bike. So many of my Breeze cycling buddies don't have a partner to ride with at the moment.
We aim to do this every other day as long as the weather allows it, and we just hope that there will not be further restrictions to stop up going out. If people can just be sensible about applying the social distancing rules when they are out walking/running/cycling, there seems no reason why we should not be allowed to continue, so it's down to the common sense of the rest of the population. We are doing everything right.
route
It was a gorgeous day. We drove and parked at Highfield Road, Upper Wargrave and headed across Hambleden Weir, then took the right turn up to Rotten Row. Difficult climb, but power assisted, it was fine.
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| Deer in the field alongside Aston Lane. Never seen them before. Is it because there is no traffic? |
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| Blissful Isolation. Photo by John |
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The stream running across the field of Hambleden Estate, as we turn up to Rotten Row.
It's been dry for the last couple of years. |
We continued uphill to Rockwell End where the views open up.
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| Isolation from all the concerns over the virus. |
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| Looking back. The road here is a mess, and need to pick your way through the potholes. |
Next a left towards Little Frieth, with views across towards Fingest, and join the hill at the Prince Albert Pub.
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| Views from Little Frieth. Don't come this way so often. |
At the bottom of the hill down from Frieth, a field full of lambs. So cute. Stopped at the gate for a few minutes to take in the ambient sounds of bleating lambs.
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| Photo by John |
Now down towards Turville, where the sails are missing from the Windmill😔, blown off in a recent storm. Hopefully one day they will be reinstated.
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| Turville Windmill, without its sails. |
Now up Dolesden Lane, and then left to Southend, and down the hill passed the Vineyard.
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| Views to Frieth where we had been before, now dropping down into Hambleden Valley |
We passed through Hambleden, delighted to find the Village Store still open, but only for one customer at time. There were only 2 others waiting outside to go in, with at least 2 mtres apart, so I waiting to ask if they were still offering tea/cake. Yes!! But only as takeaway, so we sat on a bench next to the church in the sunshine.
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| Takeaway Tea and Cake at Hambleden |
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| Lady Hambleden's Cottage. She was out for a stroll around the village when we were there. |
Back across the weir and round Highfield Lane to the van.
Life has become very different suddenly, and we both feel so lucky to have this amazing countryside just a few minutes drive from home. There seemed a few more vans than normal in Hambleden today, near the little garage, and we thought probably tradesmen taking the chance to get repairs/MOTs etc done, who are no longer allowed to work.
