WLCG The Lookout via Warfield - 23 miles

on

I am beginning to question the commitment of some of the ladies in this group. Some pathetic excuses today included...

"It's my birthday and my husband wants to spend the day with me". Martina

"I'm in Barbados, in 30 degrees and a breeze" Gill

"I just booked a holiday last night, so I'm off in the morning" . Jeanette whom I am sure said she wasn't doing any more Friday to Friday holidays not two weeks ago! 

"I'm walking with a friend" Louise. (that's ok actually, since she does this quite often on Fridays)

So just Lynne and me today, and I suggested a 10.30 start with hot lunch somewhere since it was forecast to be bloomin' freezing at 9 o'clock this morning. There was also a strong N/E wind. Brrr.

Lynne put together this route to do a fair bit of tracks and cycle paths on a sort of round Bracknell route. I had done much of this before in my early days with Breeze, but some was new, and also some new to Lynne. Well done Lynne. We only went wrong once.

Route 

I took this whilst waiting for Lynne at Emmbrook. Kind of summed up the
weather I thought. Can you see the tree blowing!

Binfield Road, and really easy to photograph these daffs which are at eye level.

We cut through Monks Alley, which was perfectly dry, and made our way on the usual route to Moss End, and then passed Warfield Church. At the junction with Malt Hill, where we often turn left to head to Cranboure direction, we turned right today, and then straight over the B3022 Bracknell Road into Hayley Green.  This is just the side of a triangle which links to Forest Road.

After just a couple of hundred yards, we turned left into a pathway called Edmunds Lane, which is Westmorland Park. A good surface and this lake on our left.

Edmunds Lane, Westmorlands Park

We continued straight on, mostly leafy pathway,  crossing a couple of roads, and eventually emerged to skirt around the back of Tesco on Harvest Ride, Warfield. We now followed a route through the  back of Shakespeare Way,  Anthony Wall, Horatia Avenue to Julius Hill. I did this years ago, thinking it was really tough. Granted its up hill, but hardly difficult!  Crossing over Bullbrook Road, Bracknell, we emerged on Lily Hill Road, where we cut through Lily Hill Park.

Entering Lily Hill Park, and this lovely white Cherry Blossom.

Its all  downhill for the next section, through Lilyhill Park, then a bit of cyclepath on the A329 Ascot Road, to cross at traffic lights into another good traffic free pathway through Martin's Heron Estate.

Allsmoor Pond, Martins Heron. 

At Alsmoor Pond, our path continues to Savernake Park and eventually to 
the pedestrian bridge to cross the A322 Bagshot Road

Just past Coral Reef we cross here into The Lookout Centre.

Mid day, so time for some lunch. Red Pepper Soup, which 
was very nice. 

Passing the Mountain Bike Tracks at the Lookout at Swinley Forest.

I'll stick to this terrain, thankyou!

You could easily get lost through here. Thankfully our route maps behaved themselves. 
Right hand fork and just keep going on the Devil's Highway,  to Crowthorne.

We both got off to walk down the very steep bit with loose gravel, but did  manage to climb the steep slope up again to the other side. Passing Broadmoor on our left, we continued to the roundabout of othe B3348 in Crowthorne, at Old Wokingham Road. 

This was the point when the wind went MAD! We battled into it, as it started to snow. Turning left into Hatch Ride, didn't make much difference, but thankfully the flurry passed quite quickly. Where Hatch ride runs out, we continued straight on a track to emerge at Nine Mile Ride, then diagonally straight across (still called Hatch Ride), and then through Gorrick Woods to Luckley Road.  A little muddy in places, but plenty of dry bits too. 

Snowstorm passed, and blue sky once more as we leave Luckley Woods behind. 

Lynne's route was to finished by coming up Blagrove Lane, but since I seem to do that twice a week, I suggested Molly Millars Lane, then through the back of Woosehill to Morrisons. 

Back at Morrisons, the sky once more looking like it could snow. Finished just in time. 

Thanks for your company and great navigation Lynne. I bet the other ladies who missed today are kicking themselves with their pathetic excuses.😂 Hope to see a few of you next week, before the Easter Break.