A ride today with Daphne, Ida and Linda R, which was originally going to be to The Dock at Caversham Lakes. Having checked their website this morning they are now not open until 5pm😔. So that's it till next spring I expect. So a late change of plan, and being Monday not a huge choice of course of places to go. The weather this morning was awful with really strong winds too, so we delayed our start until mid -day. I met up with them all at Dinton. With lots of recent rain, I planned a route which was to stick to good road surfaces.
route
We aimed for Twyford via Sandford Lane, and then came through Twyford on the main road, straight through the crossroads, and then turned right to Ruscombe. From here over to Waltham St Lawrence, where I often stop at Milley Bridge. The trees looking nice today, and a great sky too.
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The Yew tree at Waltham St Lawrence church. Planted in 1635!
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Linda by the Lychgate
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From the church we went around the little back lane, where the sheep were in the field with Shottesbrooke Manor in the distance.
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Shottesbrooke Manor
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Visiting Shottesbrooke was not on the planned route, but Linda had never been, so we sneaked in through the "Private" entrance, as a car was going through. (I hadnt realised that it would also lock behind us 😏. Ida showed me a pathway through a brick archway. But the ground was very muddy, and I decided to leave it for another time to investigate that route which would go back to Waltham St Lawrence.
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| views at Foxes Den |
Linda, who lives in Bracknell, left us here, whilst the rest of us cut through Murrel Hill Lane, to use the A329 cycle path back into Wokingham. At which point, I got a puncture. Rather than waste time, I suggested the others carry on, whilst I phoned John to come and collect me. I was rather pleased that I was able to fix the puncture quite easily when I got home. There was a rather large whole the tube!
