Out with Daphne today. A 1pm start, due to commitments and passing rain, and only just home at 4.20pm.... and it's still light! Hurray!! Even just a couple of weeks ago, it seemed too dark by about 2.30, so not worth going out in the afternoon.
We met at Ludgrove/Easthampstead Road junction with no particular plan, other than head North and avoid Holyport since we have both been there this week. I had hoped to cross at Sonning, but the road is closed with The Thames having burst it banks. It's also flooded in Reading, Marlow and roads closed at Remenham and Shiplake too.
I stopped for a couple of photos crossing Ludgrove as I often do. Some great moody skies this afternoon.
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| Ludrove |
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| Ludgrove |
We left Wokingham on the Binfield Road and passing the Jack O' Newbury, turned left at the church, up the hill to the Howe Lane junction, but continued round the bend to Shurlock Row. At the pond, a right turn, and I stopped for another photo, this time of the crops. I have also photographed this in the last couple of weeks, but its still interesting and unusual to see golden crops in February.... and a great sky today.
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| Shurlock Row crops |
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| Beenham Heath, where Daphne stopped to talk to the cows.... safely behind the fence! |
Now down Butchers Lane, and Bottle Lane White Waltham, and a climb up to Velolife at Warren Row. We had a drink here and also Daphne asked them to take a look at her bike which was making a horrible creaking noise. They worked out that it was a peddle, which seemed to be quieter after a fiddle, so it would be ok to get her home....we hoped. We chatted just off the car park (cant stop on the cafe forecourt atm) with a youngish couple, both of whom are professional hockey players. This was their day off from hockey training, so cycling instead. Daphne also got chatted up by an old guy on an ebike😉.
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| The path behind the Flower Pot, Aston. We turned back here. |
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| About turn. End of the road, and now back up Aston Lane. |
Daphne was ahead of me up Aston Lane, a result of her recent weight loss, which MUST be making a difference to her fitness. Well done! Now we returned on the road to Crazies Hill, passing through a flood for the second time, and then to Wargrave via Crazies Hill Road (This road had been closed due to flooding, but now reopened, and no puddles at all today.
Dropping down to Wargrave on School Road to the crossroads, we used the cyclepath towards Twyford crossing the A4. At the crossroads in Twyford, a left turn then right to Ruscombe. From here passing the Vineyard, and the Green Man Pub , we returned to Wokingham via Hurst Lanes and over to Cantley. We parted company here, and Daphne reported that her ride was 37 miles by the time she got home. Well done.
It drizzled a bit off and on, but a mild day and as ever, good to be out. I got home at 4.20 to find that John still not back from a recce he was doing Swallowfield direction to Stratfield Saye. Good to know that no flooding now that way, so guess where I will be going on Friday!