Our ride today is a repeat of one which John and I did last year, but today we took along Daphne and Dave. Daphne had requested an
interesting ride since it will be her last for a few weeks. (Linda being the dutiful wife is atm shielding from Covid , so was not able to join us.)
We drove to Ewelme and parked at the village car park.
Route
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| With sunshine forecast, Dave and John brought out their legs today! |
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| A quick visit to the loo at Ewelme Almshouses before we set off..... at 10. |
We left Ewelme, passing the thatch cottage which burned down almost 3 weeks ago now, and there was still a smell of smoke as we rode past.
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The chimney stack left standing, but much of the rest of the cottage burned down.
10 fire engines attended. |
Then we headed to Chalgrove, undulating up and down passing pig city. In Chalgrove we took a left turn, merging into the B480 for a few hundred yards, then a right turn into a quiet lane. (Had we continued straight, we would have come into Stadhampton). Another right turn, and we joined the very unusual road which looks like an estate road, passing through Little Haseley.
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| Little Haseley |
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Next we came into Great Haseley, with this impressive house partly screen by the hedging.
(I stood on the bank opposite to get this view.) |
In the middle of the village, we turned left, passing some lovely cottages. The road swings around on a big right hand bend, then drops downhill to a junction to join the A329. (the same road that goes through Wokingham). Just before the junction, we spot Great Haseley Windmill on the right.
A quick dash along the A329 for just a couple of hundred yards, and into Great Milton, with Le Manoir on our right.
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| Le Manoir, Great Milton |
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| Great Milton |
We get a good speed up as we leave Great Milton on Sworford Lane, and join London Road for a mile or so into Wheatley, but turn off into Old London Road, before we reach the town centre. We now see Waterperry signposted on a right turn, and follow the road, passing under the A40 and over the M40. We reach the garden with our average speed of 13.5. That was a bit quick! But it has been easy so far.
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| Scones and cakes at Waterperry Gardens cafe. |
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And now a stroll around the gardens. £9.50 entry fee to see the gardens.
Its a lovely garden, and the structure still makes it interesting for this time
of year but of course much more dramatic as the seasons progress. |
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Not in focus! But we saw a few Snakes Head Fritillaria near the stream.
There was also an area sectioned off which was the Fritillaria meadow. Should be
lovely in April. |
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| There was lots of blue patches of Chionodoxa bulbs. |
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| Magnolia Stellata |
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| Photo by John of me photographing the chairs below.... |
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| A thorn between two roses. 😅 |
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| Daphne livening things up as ever.😎 |
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John was first up Ladder Hill and took this shot.
(on his road bike today) |
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| pulling to catch our breath.😤and get shot of the cars. |
The road flattens out, and before the next rise, we turn left into Wheatley Road, soon passing Ripon College, Cuddesdon.
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| Ripon College, Cuddesdon. |
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shortly after the college, the road splits and we take the right turn towards Denton.
Wheeee..... downhill, then a short climb to get onto the ridge. |
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| On the ridge at Denton, looking back towards Cuddesdon |
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| I'll catch them up. I am not quite at the top when I stopped for photos. |
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| The view on the other side of the ridge, looks towards Great Milton |
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Daphne decided time to remove a layer at the top of the ridge.
Dave got ahead, and then turned back to find us. |
The next few miles were on a busier road, the B480. ( no avoiding this unless you back the same way). Much of the first bit to Stadhampton, passing The Crazy Bear, and crossing the River Thame (not Thames), is downhill. But after Stadhampton there were some distinct "undulations" through Newington.
Then on a bend, we kept left and we were back on much quieter lanes once more into Berrick Prior/Berrick Salome. Daphne and I stopped for a quick nosy around the village centre at the pub, and didn't see the boys again until Ewelme.
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| Berrick Prior |
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Interesting sign on the gate.
"Any person who omits to shut and fasten this gate
is liable to a penalty not exceeding forty shillings. " |
Continuing straight, we arrived in Brook Street Benson, and we follow the little brook on a slight uphill back to Ewelme. It's busy since the school is now coming out. It's 3 o'clock! A grand day out in beautiful weather and good company. Home at 4.
