With Jeanette away and Andrea not free today, we had hoped to be 5, but Gill tested positive for Covid a few days ago, and Martina too at 9 o'clock this morning..... so we were 3. It's ages since I've been to the Blue Tin farm shop, so with a great forecast, that was our plan today. There are endless ways to get there, but today I opted for this route.
Route
I very successfully got us through Woodley without getting lost (😉), and then to Sonning, where I stopped for a photo at the river.
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| Thames at Sonning looking very spring like today. |
Rather than climb to Dunsden, I noticed that there is a cycle path alongside Caversham Park Road, so we went that way for a change. It's slightly awkward to join on the right hand turn, so in future, will cross to it at the second set of lights, just a few yards passed the main ones. Was it any easier than the other way? Not really.... still all uphill, but at least no traffic to worry about. Lynne had come down this way before, not up. The path ends at the parade of shops in Emmer Green, directly opposite Kidmore End Road, which is where we were heading.
Going down Kidmore End Road, I noticed that the road on the right hand side was wet and then I realised why. The cars had obviously come through water. We screeched to a halt, and decided we didnt want to risk it. (Gill would have gone through I bet 😅)
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| Low point in Kidmore End Road..hmmm. Dont fancy it. |
We climbed back up the hill we had just enjoyed coming down, and then made our way to join Kiln Road, with a left turn then at the XRoads, all downhill to the Bird in Hand Pub. Over now into Kennylands Road, then Kidmore Lane to arrive with the pond on our left. The pond looked different today, much clearer, then I realised that the shrubs which are normally blocking the view have been hard pruned, so a chance for a decent photo of this pretty house, and it's reflection.
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We arrived with the church facing us. The original plan was to arrive with the
church on our left, but the flooding at Emmer Green meant we had to detour. |
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| A clear view until the hard pruned shrubs grow back. |
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A few moments at Kidmore End, whilst I removed my extra sleeve layer. It's hotting up!
Louise even removed her ear coverings. It MUST be warm. |
We normally dogleg over to Wyfold Road, but a different route today was to turn left, then right just before the A4074 junction, into Park Lane. Pretty lane, which other than one car was empty.
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| Park Lane, Cane End. A little further along we saw Guinea Fowl. |
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| Park Lane woods. This will all look very different in the next couple of weeks. |
We turned left into the Quiet Lane heading to Exlade Street, but were stopped in our tracks by another substantial flood. Oh no! The detour would have added another couple of miles AND has a nasty uphill too. So, we opted to push our bikes through the hedge, and hoped that we could walk along the higher ground and find a way out after the flood.
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| The flooded corner on Quiet Lane to Exlade Street. |
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| Desperate measures |
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| I climbed over first, and the others passed the bikes to me. What a mess. |
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| Our escape route. |
As we climbed out of Exlade Street, I asked Louise if she had seen the skeleton sculptures? So thought not, so a right turn to Checkendon, and 100 yards on our left, there they were. The building behind looking much worse than a few years ago when the skeletons were first placed there. They are called "Nuba Survival", depicting the atrocities in Sudan. More here
Nuba Survival Sculpture
Yesterday on FBook, a photography friend published a photograph he had taken in Infra Red, posing a question "do we know where it was?" I knew approx, but not exactly. But as we then crossed back over to A4074, into this lane, I screeched to a halt, recognising the fence posts exactly! How sad is that!! 😂
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| The place that my friend took his Infra Red photo yesterday. |
Left at the end of this lane at Brazier Park and we saw a sign for Sweat Lodge, which amused Louise. I have seen some new age kind of people camping here occasionally. This is was its all about .
Sweat Lodge.
A right turn, following the Blue Tin Farm Shop sign, and soon our climb will begin up Garsons Hill. All easy going to start with, but no getting away from the fact that a fair bit of effort is required to reach the top. I have managed it twice before, and was pleased that I did it again today, thanks to Jeanette's "I am H.A.P.P.Y. rhythm that she swears by. Louise up not long after me. Lynne, after a quick breather, also managed. Both of them have heavier bikes than me, so I am well impressed. Well done ladies.
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| Louise arriving at the top of Garsons Hill. |
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| Soup for Louise |
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| Guiness cake for Lynne and me too. It was absolutely delicious. |
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| A busy day at the Blue Tin Farm Shop, and lovely sitting out in the sunshine. |
We are the top of our second phase, so it's almost all downhill now to get back... she says. Well, just the odd "rise", which with cake legs seems hard work until we get going again. But soon we were in Checkendon, and whizzing down Emmens Lane, where there are plenty of signs of bluebell foliage. (A return trip next month to see them at their peak).
We stayed on Wyfold and back to Kidmore End church to retrace our steps to Kennylands Road, and the then to Dundsden Green. Back via Sonning of course, but through Charvil.
The planned route had been 37 miles but ended up as 42. Thanks for joining me ladies. We certainly earned our cake today.
