It's Sunday, and that usually means a ride with John, often starting somewhere other than home to ring the changes. But with rain forecast for around midday, it wasn't worth driving further afield, wasting "dry" time. At 9ish, we set off heading towards Hawthorne Hill direction, with no set plan in mind.
Because we weren't following a route, I hadn't bothered checking my Garmin, and so hadn't realised that it had died before we even left Wokingham. So this link is to John's. (which others probably cant see anyway)
I've just signed up for a Watercolour painting class, so am also now on the look out for scenery to paint on my travels! This first one taken on Binfield Road.
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| A painting subject? Foreground interest, Fence, Trees, clouds, sheep. What could possibly go wrong?😊 Dropping down passed the Jack O'Newbury, we joined Ryehurst Lane, then over to Moss End, turning right to climb Malt Hill, and to Cranbourne on our usual route. Down Drift Road, and to Fifield, where I spotted this little group of Daffs on Coningsby Lane. |
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| Fifield Daffs as we cut through Coningsby Lane. |
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| Gays Lane to link to Holyport |
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| View to the right of Gays Lane |
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| Tea stop at the Holyport Cafe. Just one table indoors. That was fine for us. |
We left the cafe and decided to backtrack a little on Langworthy Lane, and just after we passed the Gays Lane turning, I noticed some gates to a smart garden "Gays House". A quick search online and I now know that this Grade 11 listed property belonged to John Gay (A playwrite and poet who wrote The Beggars Opera). The house had 20acres, sold to the most recent Swiss owners, for just short of £6M. Gays House
We were battling against gusty winds today, so stuck the power on for much of the return journey through Paley Street, continuing straight on all the way to turn right into Halls Lane, around the edge of Shottesbrooke Park to Waltham St Lawrence.
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| Halls Lane, and a very neat layered hedge |
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| Barns on Halls Lane, WSLawrence. |
Through W.S.Lawrence, passed the primary school, into Brook Lane, then to Darvils Lane to join the Straight Mile. Broadcommon Road next, and the first spots of rain, and the wind had really picked up too. I suggested we not come into Wokingham over the two motorway bridge, which would be very exposed, so we came back via Winnersh instead. We got soaked, but at least it was just the last few miles.