Ebike day, and a bit of exploring, for me at least, on lanes crossing the A4 at Woolhampton, and crossing back again at Ufton Green. These are useful links to the Bucklebury area, but involve a climb up to Chapel Row, passing Douai Abbey.
The car park at Silchester church is small and as we arrived, cars were already parking on the grass verges along the lane. Our van does not fit in the main Silchester car park, so we rely on fitting in the one at the church. Never a problem mid week, but guess the church service was soon to start. We managed to invent a space, and squeezed in.
The first part of this route familiar to me as we left via Wall Lane, then turned left, and ignoring Little London Road, continued to a junction where we turned right, and immediately right again. (Missed this turn last time and had to double back.) This is Soke Road, a very quiet lane, which comes to a roundabout where we cross over the Reading Road. Then, very soon a right turn into Raghill, and at a Xroads, left into Spring Lane. I did this part of the route with Cathy and Daphne a few months ago, and pass Aldermaston church, with the views (below) opposite the church.
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| Views opposite Aldermaston Church |
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| Church Road, Aldermaston, as it now drops down quite steeply in the village. |
We follow the road on a sweeping right bend as we come into Aldermaston, at a triangle shape junction, then very soon at a mini roundabout, turn left into Wasing Lane. This is a lovely flat lane, and goes all the way to Wasing Park at the end. On my previous ride, I turned left here, heading to Baughurst direction, but today new territory for me, as we turned right, in the direction of Woolhampton, crossing a little bridge over the River Enbourne.
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| Wasing Park entrance, where we now turn right heading to Woolhampton |
We pass a couple of lakes on our left, which may be private, and a after while cross the K&A Canal at the Rowbarge Pub. We have been here a few times by car, along the A4, to see the travelling barge theatre group. (Mikron).
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| crossing the K&A Canal next to the Rowbarge, Woolhampton. |
John gives me a warning of a steep hill ahead immediately after we cross the A4, funnily enough called Woolhampton Hill.😉 And it was a hill. I would have managed a good bit of it on my gravel bike, but would definitely had to stop for a breather. But its soon over with, and we pass this impressive building on our left, called Elstree School, and a matter of yards further along, a pretty church too.
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| Elstree School. Which costs £££££ per term . |
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| Woolhampton Hill as it flattens out at Elstree School and the church |
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| Woolhampton St Peters church |
Not far past the church we arrive at a junction with another impressive building facing us, and we turn left. This is Douai Abbey.
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| Douai Abbey... and a skip! |
We did a little nosing around here through the grounds.
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| Douai Abbey, where according to wiki. there are 23 monks. |
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| Douai Abbey |
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| the spire of the modern building ahead, and where we leave by the main gate. |
A right turn soon into Hatch Lane, with some undulations , and emerges next to the Blackbird Cafe at Chapel Row. A nice cafe, but closed Sunday/Monday (which John knew). We have been here a couple times after playing with the grandchildren at Bucklebury Ford.
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| Almost at the bottom as we ride down to Bucklebury. This road has no name. We passed several cyclists heading uphill. |
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| We passed this barn on our right, which is also a useful landmark, and soon the church on our right too. |
Right at the church, and through the village. We continue passing a road our right, (which goes to Stanford Dingley. Bucklebury Road). We keep left, with the cheeky little climb to pass the Equestrian Centre. There is one other road on our right before we reach the ford, and I couldn't picture where it goes. John reminded me that it is goes passed a nice house on a bend, with a pond, up to Frilsham. (I had forgotten how to get to that house, so I now know.... until I forget again.😂)
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| 3 Horses now past us near the pig farm on Brocks Lane |
Brocks Lane runs almost parallel to Marleston School, where I normally go when crossing the ford, turning right after the big school into Wellhouse Lane. At a junction now, with Wellhouse Lane to our left, we turn right which is a pretty steep climb on School Lane into Frilsham. (When I rode here recently with the WLCGroup, we turned left at the bottom Xroads, and took the next right on Hatchets Lane. Also a challenging hill, and which joins the top of School Lane.)
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| Yattendon Shop. I had the Almond and Pistacho cake. Delicious. Busy inside today, and we sat in the garden. |
We retraced our route back as far as Yattendon church, and continued on the road. A bit of a cool breeze now. Right into Scratchface Lane, at Burnt Hill. I've only come down this lane twice. Its a lovely lane, and seamlessly passes over the M4 before dropping down to Back Lane, nr Bradfield, not far from where we normally park.
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| Scratchface Lane, Burnt Hill. Its about to head downhill. |
We emerge at the bottom on Back Lane, and it feels strange to turn right (since we normally park near here turning left). We do almost a dog leg into Mariners Lane, and I know I have only come down this way before...... and its steep. Gentle to start with, then we face a junction, where highland cattle are in a field, and avoid the uphill for a bit longer as our route turns right at this junction.
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| Rotten Row. This is usually bad news! Highland Cattle in that field where we now turn right. |
Blimey! Red power and granny gear to get up to the top to Tutts Clump. Think John's Garmin recorded 17% hill. I would NOT be able to do this on my other bike. But it doesn't last too long. At the top, we join Cock Lane, where at a bend we turn left (Stanford Dingley back down a steep hill to the right on this bend). We join South End Road, which is the main road from Bradfield to Chapel Row, but after just a few hundred yards, take a left turn into a narrow lane, another Back Lane. I've not been on this lane before, but the profile warns me that it drops down, over the Bourne river, and therefore it must go up again. Oh joy.
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| Bottom of Lambdens Hill, a large puddle in the field. |
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| same puddle. |
As we cross the A4, I recognise the road now, since I have done a ride where the WLCG came along the K&A path and joined this road. So, kind of familiar now as we keep right at a V junction and eventually join Camp Road, nr Padworth.
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| Camp Road, and the gorse is in full flower |
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| Brief photo stop on Camp Road |
As we joined the busier Burghfield Road, I mentioned to John that I had previously spotted a path off of this road, which might be a more pleasant way to link to Church Road at West End. So we continued, but then at the "other end" did stop to check out the path. Would be fine on our gravel bikes, so one to try in future. It comes out directly opposite Church Lane, Mortimer West End, and then just the drop downhill. passing the Red Lion pub, and UP to Silchester, and we're back.
A lovely ride, and useful connections to ring the changes to other more familiar routes.