Another gusty Sunday bike ride! Gloomy and overcast so not the best day for photos either. John had planned a new route from Silchester to Overton with lots of new bits for me. It was nice but in different weather would be more enjoyable. So, will repeat in late spring.early summer.
Route
Starting at Silchester Church, we rode around Wall Lane, then to Pamber Heath and Tadley. This first section not the prettiest, but once through Tadley and onto Shaw Lane, much more countrified. As we turn left from Shaw Lane onto Baughurst Road, we pass The Wellington Arms. John was here recently and they served coffee/cake and he also bought some Sloe Gin, which I opened last night😀. Not open today, but useful to know of for another ride.
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The road drops down...think nr Axmansford or Wolverton
but that looks like a climb ahead! |
Now we cross the A339 (dogleg right /left) and immediately start our climb towards Hannington. This comes in a few stages. The first bit the steepest.
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| Views as we climb the first stage towards Plantation Farm |
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| A bit more of this, now more gradual uphill |
We climb to Plantation Farm, then it levels out, and a nice downhill to a Xroads where we turn right.
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| Looking back to the hill we just dropped down from Plantation Farm |
More gradual now, but with winds gusts at 30mph, and facing into it, it was hard work all the way up to Hannington. We arrive with this thatch on our left, and soon the village green and church on our right. (We have approached from different directions too in the past)
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| Hannington Thatch |
A lovely stretch of downhill now for a while, with 2 sectionions of uphill as we go down😄At times, in the exposed lanes, it was hard to stay upright with gusts from the side.
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| Views on the descent from Hannington |
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| John taking his shot of the lane and the gate |
We have ridden a bit further down this hill before when the red poppy fields were looking fabulous, but today we turned right just before we came into Ash Warren (where the poppies were|)
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| Turned right here today |
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| Our right turn. |
Another climb ahead and eventually over a railway bridge and then drop down to Overton, passing the station. A little detour into the village confirms that no cafes open today for takeaway (as we suspected). Instead, we had or own snack sitting next to this decorated phone box.
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| The lady who has made most of the decorations |
A climb now as we leave Overton, passing a "Buffalo crossing" sign on a gate. None today, but we saw some in a field to our right a couple of years ago. Some pretty lanes, as we wiggle our way through Steventon and to Oakley.
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Left at the pond toward Wooten St Lawrence
We turn right at the B3400, and first left toward Wooten St Lawrence, but there is a flood right on the corner, so we get off the bikes and walk on the raised bank for a few yards.
Downhill now, as we cross the A339, and head to Monk Sherborne. |
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| wild primula at eye level nr Monk Sherborne |
We soon pass a driveway to the Priory, which no doubt is the connection to "Monk Sherborne". Having ridden in this area on Breeze Rides I had seen signs for Little London, without ever going through it, so now we do. It's got a hill! This joins to Frog Lane, which is the next photo and where it meets Ash Lane (where there used to be Highland Cattle)
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Frog Lane, as we approach the junction with Ash Lane and turn left
(the pink thatch round the corner to the right) |
At the end of Ash Lane, a right turn, then a dogleg to Church Lane, bringing us back up the hill to Silchester Church . (this is the lane that was VERY icy a few weeks ago on our ride down the hill.
A nice ride, but for the pesky wind and lack of sunshine.
