Poor Andrea has been taking it easy this week with no exercise other than pilates, in the hope that a slight knee injury will sort itself out with rest. So, with that in mind, I thought a good chance to push the others a bit today, with a few Chiltern hills. As always, half of them were downhill.😉
(Louise had a time constraint today, going to see Dr Hook in concert later, so was disappointed not to come. We were going to our first WLCG visit to The Cheese Shed in Nettlebed. Martina and Lynne had no idea who Dr Hook is. OH to be young!)
Jeanette picked me up, Lynne took Martina, and we met with Gill at Shiplake Memorial Hall car park. The car park was covered in acorns! Lynne, with 2 bikes on top of the car, couldn't get under the height barrier, so parked on the roadside.
I have done a route very similar to this before, and previously dropped downhill to Lower Shiplake to climb back up through Harpsden woods to Harpsden, but today we started uphill from the car park, taking a right turn into a lane I have not used before, called Kiln Lane. I had used the little yellow man on google street view to check out the lane last night, and the google van had driven down it. I checked a few bits of road, and it looked like a good tarmac surface.... WRONG!😅
Route
The lane was tree lined with lovely views at the first corner, where we stopped to pull over for a white van. What is he doing down here?
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| Kiln Lane, Shiplake.. so far so good! |
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We stopped on the first corner for a van to pass.
Was not expecting any traffic here! |
The tarmac surface changed to a very potholed gravely, muddy road, passing Kiln Farm. It was doable, but not one for winter weather, with some puddles already there. Thankfully it returned to a good surface near the end, with a few properties either side. We now joined the familiar road leading to the Bottle and Glass pub at Binfield Heath, and dropped down all the way into Harpsden passed the golf course, on Chalk Hill. (There were an annoying amount of cars passing on this tiny lane, so pulled over a few times to get them out of our way.)
Time for some climbing now on Gillett Lane, where we continue to Rotherfield Greys, stopping for a moment at St Nicholas Church. I wanted to make sure everyone knew about our next right turn, which is on a blind bend.
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| St Nicholas church, Rotherfield Greys. Its almost 10.30. |
We dipped down, then had to put in a bit of effort to climb past Greys Court on our left. Martina literally shot passed me on this hill! So fast, that she didn't even notice Greys Court. 😅 We turned left, into an unnamed road, and waited for the others to catch up, opposite the only house on this little road.
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The Sumach, or Stags Horn shrub, looking very colourful,
just after our left turn passed Greys court. |
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| the other catch us up. |
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Into the woods now, to emerge at Bix Manor to cross
the A4130 above Henley. |
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We kept left of Bix Church, to drop down a very steep
descent, on a very pot holed section of road, Rectory Lane. |
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Stunning views part way down the steep descent from Bix into Middle Assendon
on Rectory Lane |
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I waited for Jeanette to come down... she was some time!
It is a bit scary further back up this lane.
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| Jeanette back with us, on our way down into Middle Assendon |
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| Views to the right near the bottom of the hill |
At the bottom, a left turn into the Stonor Valley Road, all easy going and pretty quiet today. I stopped for a photo of the lovely old farm buildings, shortly before our left turn out of the valley, on Park Lane.
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| Stonor Farm |
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| Opposite the farm, a colorful tree, the others just ahead of me. |
As we started or ascent on the narrow Park Lane, I told them all that I had never managed this hill in one go, so would stop for a breather at some point, before riding the steepest section at the top. Well, it turned out that I didn't stop today😇. I was feeling a bit guilty about not stopping, since they would all be thinking. "Crickey, there must be a lot more still to come, since she hasnt stopped yet". I think Lynne said she stopped for a short break, but everyone else dug in and made it up in one. Well done!!
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Gill looking forward to her favourite food!
(she has the Rhubarb slice) |
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| Meeting up again at Witheridge Hill |
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We continued passing this house to drop down steeply,
then a steady climb uphill into Stoke Row.
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| They are all smiling, but they havent yet seen the next hill!😂 |
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I love these woods, whatever season, as we climb from
Highmoor to Stoke Row. |
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| Levelled out at last at Stoke Row. Well, almost. |
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| The little sheep still there on the green at Stoke Row |
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And now the downhill run through Kingswood to Sonning Common.
Just one final hill as we climbed from Sonning Common up to Binfield Heath, where we finished on a downhill back to the car park at Shiplake. I took my cycle helmet off, then decided to put it on again whilst we loaded the bikes onto Jeanette's car. So may acorns falling in the winds, and I was a bit worried about branches too.
Last Friday, Martina gave Gill some colourful fabric which she had kept for years, not knowing what to do with it. Gill cut up and produced some of her pretty bags, useful for all sorts of things. I also requested a few more of her pears, to make a pear and ginger cheesecake later today for friends who are coming for dinner tomorrow. (always tastes better the day after.) |
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Thank you Gill!
Well done everyone. Quite a lot of climbing today, but a great day for it, to enjoy the wonderful views in the Chilterns. And glad you enjoyed the new tea stop too.No pain, no gain! |
