I've never been to Henley Arts Trail, partly because we usually avoid Bank Holiday traffic. But having picked up a leaflet recently, John and I decided we fancied riding to a house called Pheasants, not far from Hambleden Weir, which looked really interesting. Grand Designs style glass and concrete house, and where several artists were displaying their work..... and they were also offering a tea/cake stop. 😉
Since it's Monday, I was also due to ride with Daphne and Linda, but Linda had to be home by 2pm, so unfortunately that may have been too much of a tight deadline. I also mentioned to Gill, who fancied coming along too, so we were 4 today. Gill and I are attending a watercolour class atm, and our tutor Elizabeth Baldin, was displaying her work at a different venue, so we took that in enroute.
Daphne drove to leave her car at our house, and we headed to Sandford Lane to meet up with Gill. Then on Beggarshill Road and to Sonning to climb Dunsden Hill. John was on his roadbike today and was first to the top well ahead of me.
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| ME catching up with John at Dunsden Green.... |
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| Gill and Daphne not far behind. |
I kept going, and stopped at the top of the climb for a couple of landscape shots. A slightly hazy day with no sign of any sunshine. BUT no wind! At last!!
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| How disappointing. |
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A good chance for Daphne to remove a layer.She was feeling too hot
after climbing the hill. (But we are about to go down now 😂) |
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| Bottle and Glass pub, with the barn behind. |
Now we headed along Harpsden Road and stopped a short way along with a beautiful display of blubells to our right.
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| Harpsden Road. We also saw a deer, but it didn't hang around |
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| John also taking photos. |
We followed this lane (which was annoyingly busy today with traffic Were they all head to the Arts Trail?!), At the split in the road at the thatched cottage, we continued ahead on Chalk Hill, dropping steeply downhill past the golf course.
A little climb, then dropped down once more into Henley cutting through the housing streets of Vicarage Road. We were now heading for the Chocolate Cafe, so a wiggle to the river until we hit the one way system, then just a few yards to the shop.
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| A busy day for the Chocolate Cafe. |
We could almost see The Eyot Centre from here, our first stop on the Arts Trail, but had to cross the river, then turn into the Wargrave Road. I've never done this before, since hate the idea of cycling on that road, but it was just a couple of hundred yards. The traffic was queuing along the Wargrave Road, and also coming down White Hill... typical Bank Holiday traffic. This is why we dont drive here on weekends or bank holidays. The bike was perfect.
The exhibition was of a very high standard. We chatted with our tutor, Elizabeth, for a few minutes, before having a look around. (We also got a sneeky peak at the COWS we will be painting this week. Looks like fun.😊)
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Elizabeth Baldin (in yellow sweater)
https://www.elizabethbaldin.co.uk/
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We also chatted with Clare Buchta, who is an artist from Woodley. Beautiful work.
https://www.artweb.com/artists/17166_clarebuchta |
Next we headed along Remenham Lane, passing the Church, which Daphne said she didn't recognise. Really? We have passed here loads of times! Just before The Flower Pot, we turned left to head down to the river. There were millions and millions of Dandelions, more seedheads than flowers.
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| The 3 others ahead and heading to cross the river. |
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| Quite busy across the weir today so had to walk. |
Once at the main road, it was only a couple of hundred yards to turn into Ferry Lane at Mill End, but then along a long lane to get the property.
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| WOW. And that's just the studio! |
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| We went into the studio first, then around the pond to the main house. |
More art work in the main house, and it continued with sculpture in the garden behind the house, down to the riverside.
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| Rear elevation |
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| Tea vessels. No homemade cakes, but the cake was nice anyway. |
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| Fish out of water. |
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Looking across the river, and where the smaller boat is, is Ferry Lane, Aston
as opposed to Ferry Lane, Mill End, where we were. Obviously the two used to link by boat.
Just visible, are hundreds of May flies just above the surface of the water. |
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| Sorry not in focus annoyingly. I liked this piece. |
We had spotted Debbie McGee (Paul Daniel's widow), and I got chatting to her just asking her if she tempted to buy anything? Then I asked her if she knew anymore about The Cwytch Cafe reopening, since she lives just near it. She said, no signs of anything happening, but it still could of course.
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| Debbie McGee walking out next to Gill. |
It's now about 2ish, so after a visit to the loo (which meant going against the one way system in the house.. we got away with it!), we were ready to leave.
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| About to leave for the return journey. |
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| Views to Hambleden hillside from the drive exit. |
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| The fab four. |
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| Cormorant at the weir. Beautiful markings which you don't see from a distance. May flies included, which look like spots on the lens. |
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| Waiting at Hambledon lock, since the bridge was opened for the approaching boat. |
And then the climb up Aston Lane, aka Flower Pot Hill, and to Crazies Hill. We crossed to Ruscombe, going around the church, and once more Daphne wasn't entirely sure where she was (how can this be possible?!). Down through Broadhinton to Hurst, where I suggested we use the riverside track back to Sandford Lane since John had never done this. The ground was hard, so his road bike was fine.
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Loddon Lily. Leucojum aestivum, aka Summer Snoflake.
Google tells me that it was first discoverd in the Hampshire area along the River Loddon
but is all over the world these days.
https://www.brickfieldspark.org/data/loddonlily.htm |
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| Alongside the River Loddon heading to Sandford Lane. |
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Gill, who lives very close by, told us that this bridge was once used for the gravel extraction
purposes, and which may be used once more to allow access to a new nature reserve. |
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| Think this is the Emmbrook coming off of the Loddon, next to Lavell's Lake. |
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| Views to Gill's neighbours, at Sandford Mill House. |
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| And also views to the brick bridge next to the Millhouse. |
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Sorry, also not in focus. This is a white form of Comfrey or
Symphytom to give it's correct name. |
We said goodbye to Gill, and returned to our house via Little Hill Road, then a final off road stretch into Saddlers End to cut through to Woosehill. It was 3 o'clock when we got back. Time for a late lunch.
A grand day out with good friends, seeing lovely art work, and enjoying the countryside. Thanks for your good company... and John too. x
