Wokingham to Hurley - 32 miles

The lockdown rules atm, state that we can only meet up with one other person at a time, during the next few weeks. It is actually turning out to be a good thing. Cathy and I are both Breeze champs, so we rarely get the chance to ride together, as we are both leading groups. Since Breeze is on hold during the lockdown, it was very nice to not only ride together, but have a conversation and finish a sentence.

We met at Woosehill where Andrea and Gill were also meeting up, so after a brief chat with them, we went off in our different directions. 

Route

We headed initially to Winnersh and into the Hurst Lanes taking us to Shurlock Row. The house opposite the pond was looking particularly nice with a bit of dappled light.

Shurlock Row

Now heading for White Waltham, into Butchers Lane to connect to the Route 4 cycle path. The cut through to Littlewick Green and beyond, I thought would probably be rather messy now, so we bypassed that and used Westacott Way to take us to cross the A4 into Burchetts Green Lane. 

Route 4 views to White Waltham. Bit gloomy today

Passing the pretty house near Burchetts Green.
Silver Birches looking lovely too.

Having started a climb towards Burchetts Green, we continue a tougher climb towards the Dew Drop Inn, where the woodlands were still looking very pretty.

Dropping down a bit and here comes Cathy
(she was actually ahead of me but let me pass to take this photo!).

With the climbing done, we can now enjoy the big downhill to cross the A4130 into Hurley. Wheeee.

and now we drop down to Hurley

Is the sun going to break through?

We stopped briefly at the village shop in Hurley to enquire about tea, but it is from a machine, so we decided not to bother. 

Hurley, where we go left now

We sat on a  bench by the river for our snack. It was a pleasant temperature today, even if gloomy much of the time. We now need to walk a short stretch passing some houses on the riverside. 

Looking back on the riverside path.

Now at river level, the inevitable uphill. The sun broke through just as we started up Rose Lane, so I stopped for a couple of photos. Its a beautiful view from here. 

Daneshill shining white in the distance, looking back.

Rose Lane, looking back

Rose Lane, with the climb ahead. A tiny blue dot in the middle is Cathy.

At Crazies Hill now, we decide which way to go back home. We decided to drop down into Wargrave to get a cuppa tea at the new cafe on the corner of the Crossroads. I had taken a plastic bag planning to carry the tea cups in the bag over my  handlebars to the church. I realised in the first two seconds, that the tea was spilling out the little hole in the top, so we decided to each carry the cardboard tea cups in our drinks holders.  The tea arrived successfully at the church bench, then mine fell over and I lost the lot! I was sooooo looking forward to it. 😞 Cathy offered to share her tea (with milk), so I declined. 

View from the bench we sat on at the church in Wargrave

We watched this man throwing a stick for his dog. Sometimes the dog didn't
let go of the stick, and the man swung the dog round in midair!

We returned via Braybrooke Road which is in a very bad state, BUT we used a little cut through I spotted on the map, and it avoided the worst part of Braybrooke Road, so that was useful to know about. It was a bit messy and uphill, but doable. Now, up the hill from Wargrave to the A4 at Harehatch Nurseries, and home via Ruscombe and the Straight Mile into Wokingham.

It just started to rain as Cathy left me at Diamond Jubilee Way, so I raced home using my power button which I had not used today other than to catch Cathy up on Rose Hill after I stopped for photos. I was going to use my Trek Hybrid today, but when blowing up the tyres, our pump was taking out more air that it was putting in. Turned out to be a fault in the pump, so this afternoon John been to get a new one. 

Well done Cathy. A few new hills under your belt today. Nice to have your company.