I've always said to Gill that she is welcome to join my regular Monday ride, but it barely happens due to her busy life. She made it today! Sadly no Daphne, still recovering, but almost ready we hope to start riding again. Dave is waiting for his cortisone injection to work its magic on his wrist, so since John did not have his company today, John joined us ladies once more. We met Gill at Riseley car park.
A lady approached us at the car park, about to start a walk, and asked where we were heading? We then mentioned a few local coffee shops that we frequent and she knew them all too, as a cyclist. She looked very familiar, so I know I have spoken to her someone before. Forgot to ask her name.
We have been to our destination of Little Roses Coffee Shop a few times now on a Monday, since so many other places are not open, but never with Gill. Some of the route was therefore new to Gill today. John planned the route, and was aware of one potential road closer on our return loop, which was closed 2 weeks ago.
It was chilly as we whizzed down Welsh Lane, skirting Stratfield Saye, but soon we warmed up as we climbed the slight rise on Part Lane to join the main road towards Mortimer, then turned left into Mortimer Lane. John and Linda were leading, and as we stopped, I complained that the pace was too fast for me.😊 (Linda thought the same but was too polite to say to John, who was riding his very light road bike today! It goes a lot faster.)
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| Mortimer Church spire in the distance, from Mortimer Lane. |
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| Sunshine at last! What a difference to my ride yesterday in gloom |
We rode down the other Part Lane, over the railway line, with a few tell tale signs of recent flooding still there, but not covering the whole rode. The slog up to Silchester next. I was definitely not up to speed today. Phew. A few moments rest at the top in the sunshine, where a few daffs were poking through.
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| A brief stop at St Peter's Church Tadley, which was silhouetted against the sun. |
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| Lot of flowers towards the back of the graveyard, and across the road, where a gravedigger was chest deep digging a new grave. I thought they used mechanical diggers these days? |
Church Road wiggled about a bit, passing a lovely old property. The road conditions were not great, so we picked our way down, and at the point where Church Road continues on a right hand bend (where I have always gone previously), we took the left fork, called The Common.
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| The Common, West Heath |
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| The Common, West Heath, as John waits for me taking the photo above. |
A right turn at the end of Deans Lane, and a slight climb into Charter Alley. A left turn to join Pamber Road, to the junction where the Priory School is. I should have recognised this junction, but didn't, since always approach from a different direction. Soon we arrived at the main road, where the coffee stop is not far on the left.
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| It's nice enough indoors, but also good spot to sit out in warmer weather, overlooking the fields. |
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| Busy inside today, and some tables with lunchtime reservations too. |
Leaving the coffee shop, we turned left on the busy A340 Aldermaston road, but only for a couple of hundred yards, then into the much quieter Bramley Road, opposite where had come from pre-coffee. Had we continued on this road it would funnily enough, have gone to Bramley, but its certainly not traffic free, so we soon turned left into Silchester Road, where there is a traffic calming system through Little London. It goes uphill! As it flattens out, we turned right into Frog Lane, changing name to Ash Lane. I have cycled these roads so many times, but still rely on a route to follow!
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| Group shot, on Ash Lane. |
Because the roadworks were still in place, we turned right here, and then left to cross Clappers Ford, and stopped to see hello to the horses.
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| Clappers Farm Ford. We walked! |
We retraced our route up Park Lane over the railway, where there were a few vehicles parked and a number of people in shooting gear. Then at the top, a right this time on Mortimer Lane, to use Green Lane back around Stratfield Saye.