Ebike Sunday again, and with plenty of blue skies forecast and no wind, we drove to Odiham to re ride a route we have done a handful of times, to The Yard at Preston Candover. A great cafe stop, but only open Friday - Sundays. The route not so familiar as some we have done, so at times "ah... we're here" moments. 😉
Route
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| Blue skies overhead as we parked at Odiham Canal |
The first section from Odiham Canal to The Fox and Goose at Greywell is all very familiar, but not long after the pub, we turned left, downhll, signposted to Upton Grey. The downhill doesn't last, and it's a steady uphill all the way to the village, along a lane with highish hedges, but with occasional views, and lovely tree canopy too.
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| Views along Upton Grey Road. |
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| Upton Grey Road |
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| Upton Grey Road |
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| Upton Grey Road |
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| Upton Grey Road |
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Arriving at this junction, we dropped down to pass the village pond.
I saw the halloween scarecrows last year too. A few more in the village
and a crocodile in the pond. |
A right turn at the pond, onto Weston Road, heading to Weston Patrick, eventually arriving at the edge of Herriad Village.
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Straight ahead past this sign for Herriad Village.
(most the village is off to the left) |
Straight across the A339 into Bagmore Lane, and I could picture us turning right off of this road to get to the village with the house with a hole in the garden wall. (Ellisfield). Except that it was a bit further then I remembered, and after our right turn, the road climbed a bit for much of the way, with a second right turn which I forgotten about, followed by a left turn into Church Lane.
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Church Lane, Ellisfield, and the garden wall coming up on the left, with the hole in the wall.
The pond in the garden had no water in it today! |
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| We always stop for a moment at Ellisfield church. |
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As I was taking a couple of church photos, this gate automatically opened.
I thought I must have triggered it, but the owner appeared round the corner
in his car a few second later. 😅 |
A bit of a climb out of Ellisfield to the junction at the top where we turned left, opposite these houses.
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John said that if we turned right then left here, we would come to Farliegh Wallop
(a different ride) |
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Dropping down the long hill into a different part of Ellisfield,
several MGs at the pub. |
We continued downhill for ages, passing the woods where there is a toy airplane hanging, and straight over at the junction, to start our climb up again, through an area called Moundsmere. I remembered most of this section too, which after undulating, drops down to a Tjunction where we turned right, onto an unnamed road leading to a T junction in Preston Candover.
We peddled as far the cafe, which is through the village and out the other side, almost as far as Chilton Candover.
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| The Yard, Preston Candover |
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| Busy day for cyclists. |
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| very cute. |
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| I don't usually opt for chocolate cake when cycling, but this appealed today. |
Retracing our route back as far as Preston Candover church, a right turn to climb away from the village, heading uphill to Lower Wield....which always amuses me. I supposed its lower then Upper Wield.
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| The lane to Lower Wield |
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| now a left to Bentworth |
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| catching me up.... |
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.... the left turn to Bentworth.
(where John says last time a cyclist heading the other way came off on the gravel) |
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In Bentworth we take a right turn here, although it's easy to make
the mistake of going left to the church behind.
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A whizz downhill soon, to cross back over the A339, with an immediately climb up again towards Lasham, where we arrive at a cross roads. This miserable thatch cottage ahead. I have photographed this as a reference point before and recognised it once we got there. (but had forgotten... John remembered it was coming up.)
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| Lasham crossroads, and now straight over to pass the airfield on our left. |
The road to pass the airfield undulates a bit, but easy with ebikes. I did spot one glider briefly. The airfield junction is at The Avenue, the fast road which we ride all the way to The "Golden Pot" crossroads. Straight over here on the gradual climb on Froyle Road, along the long tree lined avenue, which always has lots of shade. A left turn eventually, up the steep incline to "the horse field". And today, it had a horse in it. 😊
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| "the horse field" near Froyle, and near the rear entrance to Lord Waldworth College |
All very familiar on the last stretch as we drop into Long Sutton, and dogleg left / right into Wood Hill Lane all the way to the RAF Odiham landing lights, and back into Odiham.
Lovely area, with quite a lot of climbing, but no problem with ebikes. (John's still playing up occassinally, dropping power for a few seconds occasionally despite new battery. Need to get sorted. )
