5 of us got back from our "art holiday" at Gill's fabulous house in Woolacombe at 7pm last night, but were ready to get on our bikes... well, a couple of ladies didn't commit until this morning.😉. Louise was missing, since she is off again today on her next adventure, cycling the Cantii Way, with her husband. It was forecast wet to start with, so we delayed meeting until 10am.
I suggested a southern route today for a change, and we headed to the Yateley Golf club.
Route
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| Ludgrove Cattle |
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| Ludgrove. |
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| Ludrgrove views in the other direction, with a misty, autumnal feel. |
We crossed the ford at Redlake Lane, then a left and rode on Honey Hill to Crowthorne, where we crossed straight over the roundabout onto New Wokingham Road, then first right into Merryman Drive. At the end of the housing, there is a pathway to cut though onto the golf course, and then on Ravenswood Avenue to emerge near Crowthorne Station.
Left here, then right turn through the grounds of Wellington College, and we used the cycle path/footpath undulating past Eagle House School to Little Sandhurst. I wanted to avoid the main road called Longdown Road, but it turned out the Garmin route was a bit of a disaster, since there were 3 flights of steps to climb! Sorry ladies!!
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| Andrea catching us up at the end of the stepped section. Sorry! |
But now at the top, with good views of nothing very grand, we whizzed down Church Road, Little Sandhurst, joining the main Wokingham Road for a couple of hundred yards, then a right turn into Lower Church Road. "I know where we are now", said Gill.
Almost at coffee stop, as we rode on Mill Lane and Chandlers Lane to the Sean Deveraux Golf club.
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| Think we took over the gold trolley parking area 😄 |
Very reasonably priced cuppas and plenty of chat before we were off again. Our stop was just 10 miles into the ride this morning, so not even half way round.
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| Threatening skies as we were leaving. |
Wiggling our way through a couple of tracks in Yateley, which I have not used for ages, we then joined Firgrove Road, towards Eversley. A bit of main road to link to Warbrooke Lane, then rather than cross Eversley Ford, we turned into the Bramshill Forest track, through to Wellhouse Lane to cross at Thatchers Ford instead.
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Bramshill track, where we turned right just in the near distance. Even after
last nights rain, the tracks were not a problem (apart from dirty bike) |
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Through the gate to the field at Thacher's ford.
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Group selfie once we had lifted our bikes over the barriers on the
pedestrian bridge over Long River. |
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A couple of weeks ago the grass all look parched, but very
lush again now. |
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| A bit of effort required to climb to Farley Hill after crossed the ford. |
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| Catching our breath. Well done ladies. |
And at the top, we now crossed Farley Hill on Castle Road, enjoying the big downhill to join Swallowfield Road. Next, across the new Observer Way, and into Greensward Lane, before another cross over into Church Lane, Arborfield to cycle through the University Farm track.
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Our final gate of the day through the University land, which had
quite a pungent farmyard smell today 😧 |
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Had we gone right here, we would have crossed yet another ford,
but today, went straight on, using the cleaner concrete path to Sindlesham. |
We left Gill at Sindlesham and returned via Bearwood Road and Sadlers End to Woosehill. After lunch, I cleaned by bike. It was filthy. Turned out a lovely day.
Next week's ride is already planned as those are free are going to cycle to Cookham, to support the Macmillan Coffee morning hosted by one of the Cookham Breeze leaders, Sarah.
