With the heatwave ongoing, it seemed like a riverside location for our stop was perfect today, so I led a ride to the Marina in Wargrave. The cafe recently reopened under the ownership of Velolife. I tried to get a little creative today with our outward route to Wargrave, so not the most direct route by any means, but that was the whole point! A few little off road trails thrown in too for some extra shade, and variety.
This is blog number 659, and Monday's Breeze ride of 48 hours ago, has been read by 83 people. I have no idea who my readers are, but I hope that my route guidance on these blogs give you some inspiration for your own cycle rides. I only really write the blogs for me, but it's nice that they are enjoyed by others too. So, onto today's news.
The rider list chopped and changed a bit in the last 24 hours, so Rose was delighted to be able to get a spot and one rider, who had cancelled due to Covid, was able to rebook her place after testing negative this morning, since someone else cancelled. 😊 I was joined today by Gill, Rose, Sandra, Sue C and Amanda T.
We set off from Woosehill, hoping to use the brand new path which links from the back of Morrisons to Kingfisher Bridge at Arthur Road. The tarmac is being laid TODAY, and so it should all be open in the coming days. (A useful link on what has been until a VERY muddy route in winter.)
We wiggled through to Oxford Road, and over the pedestrian railway bridge into St Paul's Churchyard. Down hill passed The Holt School, then over the mini roundabout to enter Cantley Cycle path (No dropped kerb, which is very annoying as you come over the mini roundabout here.) But a good path now to link to the newly opened road off Bell Foundry Lane. We almost missed the little cut through to the roundabout since the wildflowers were waist height!
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| Wild flowers abound on the edge of Cantley/Bell Foundry Lane. |
We rode now on cyclpaths all the way to Jock's Lane. Bracknell, dropping downhill under cool leafy shade, and rode through Jock's Lane recreation ground car park, to pick up a track to emerge at the Stag and Hounds at Binfield.
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| Emerging opposite the Stag and Hounds, Binfield. |
Right here, over the bridge at the traffic lights, and almost immediately left into Hazelwood Lane, to join Ryehurst Lane.
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| The Himalayan Balsam (Weed) offers a pretty splash of pink. |
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| Himalayan Balsam |
Gill lead now along Ryehurt Lane and a loop to Westley Mill, and then we joined Howe Lane, only as far as the roundabout, where we turned left heading towards Shurlock Row, where we stopped for a few minutes in the shade by the pond.
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| 5 min break at Shurlock Row Pond (no water visible, but still a pond.) |
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| Road block on Mire Lane, but we managed through. |
A dog leg left/right took us into the offroad Nut Lane, to emerge part way through Waltham St Lawrence, back onto tarmac and over Milley Bridge, to Hare Hatch to cross the A4 into Tag Lane. Mostly downhill now on School Road Wargrave and to the Marina.
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| Velolife interior, Wargrave Marina. All very smart, but coffee machine broken today.😕 |
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| Gill, me, Amanda, Rose, Sandra and Sue C. |
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| Lovely views along the Thames. |
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| Ruscombe crop fields |
At the exit at the end, into the next field, which emerges next to the pond on Castle End Road. Again, nice and dry at the moment for an off road alternative to New Road. We whizzed down passed the vineyard, and Dophin School, then right into the Hurst Lanes continuing to the Castle Inn. Gill left us soon after, as we continued through the Hurst Lanes and over the motorway at Dinton. Finally, a bit more of the newly opened cycle tracks back to Emmbrook.
My Garmin died at this point, since it started off not fully charged today. Sue was relieve that her e-bike also got her home, since it was also not fully charge today (Both user errors 😂)
Thanks for joining me today ladies. Thankfully not quite so hot as the last few days, and cloud cover made it an ideal morning for cycling. A few of you off on holidays now... some for quite some time.... Have a great summer.