I had noted in my diary a few weeks ago, that a garden in Rotherwick was open for NGS this afternoon from 2-5pm. Since Mondays have a more limited choice of open cafes, this was ideal for a Breeze ride. As it turned out, we were very naughty and had TWO teastops😊.
The forecast was not great, so hanging on as long as possible, I made the call mid morning to run the ride and hope that the rain would hold off until we got home. We were not heading straight to Rotherwick, but doing a loop to Beech Hill and around Stratfield Saye. It was a 25 mile loop from FBC.
Route
Lovely to welcome my friend Jeanette to her very first Breeze Ride, so I met her at Woosehill, then met the others at FBC. A couple of late cancellations, but we were still a group of 6. We headed out through California Park to Nine Mile Ride, then cut through Hogwood Industrial Park to cut through to Sheerlands Road. (I was told by a couple of riders that Part Lane is closed off completely and not even bikes can get through, so would need to give some thought to our planned returned route... another mystery tour!) (As it turned out John came back that way today and used the little path running behind Nine Mile Ride. But said it was pretty messy).
Over Farley Hill staying on Church Lane, right at the top and left at the Xroads to enjoy the freewheeling downhill to join Swallowfield Road. Into The Street, Trowes Lane and Charlton Lane, we crossed to Barge Lane, and up the hill to join Beech Hill Road.
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photo stop at the gates of Stratfield Saye.
Jeanette, Louise, Rachael, Julie, Sue. |
At this point, the question was raised "will there be a toilet at the open garden?". I suspected not, so we agreed that we would stop at The Coffee Shop, Sherfield on Loddon... but not for cake... just tea and toilet. Cake would have to wait until we had done our next climb through Lyde Green to Rotherwick.😉
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| Selfie at The Coffee Shop, Sherfield on Loddon |
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Paying our £3 entry fee to the garden. It has opened for 36 years!
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Originally the grandparents of the current owner opened their garden, then the mother, and now the grand daughter.
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| Roses around the windows at Wogsbarne Cottage. |
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| Fun at the garden shed window |
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| now it's getting silly! |
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| Hydrangea Annabelle looking lovely |
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| Open views to the fields beyond. Sky looking a bit worrying! |
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| Hebe in flower |
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| Scented Rose |
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| Ordering our tea and cake. |
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| 2nd cuppa.... and cakes too this time. |
A very relaxing time in the garden, and we set off on our route home at about 4.40. We crossed at Mattingley, and headed to Bramshill crossing at the Shoulder of Mutton. Since Part Lane was closed, we did not head for Eversley ford, but instead rode on the Bramshill Road, which actually had very little traffic going our direction.... more in the opposite direction. The to Eversley, which was a bit busier with traffic, and climbed up to The Greyhound Pub. Cutting through Church Lane, Rachael nipped in her back gate, and once down White Horse Lane, Sue left us too. Retracing our route, we delivered Julie to FBC to her car, and the last of us headed to Blagrove Lane.
Home at 6pm, and John was thinking of raising the search party! Rain finally came at 7pm.
Thanks for your good company ladies, and interesting topics of conversation... say no more! See you all again soon.
