Monday has come round again! Linda just back from skiing. Tired, aching, but keen to do a not too demanding ride, but poor Daphers is laid up with a chest infection. 😓 We missed you.
I peddled to Finch to meet Linda. It was a damp kind of day, but not actually raining. We set off with no particular route in mind, but with the general idea of heading to Robyns Nest Cafe, Shinfield. Neither of us had been before. Along the Greenway, then through Arborfield. I couldn't quite remember how to get through to Observer way, but had a vague recollection once having gone left at the horse statues, around a green, then cut through on the right. Linda talked me out of that, and we went the other way round, taking the left almost at the end of Biggs Lane, into Baird Road. Have done that before too.
(Linda, FYI. If we had turned left at the horse statues, then followed a path keeping on the RHS of the road, all the way around a big green space, we could have turned right into Whitehall Drive, which eventually joins Baird Road close to the muddy path to Observer Way.)
 |
Loved this hedge, and Willow tree behind,
part way down the Swallowfield Road. |
Route
There were some
horrendous potholes on the main Church Road into Swallowfield! They need sorted out asap. Part Lane, Trowes Lane, and Charlton Lane next, to cross over to Barge Lane and our climb up to Lambs Lane. I had considered a loop around to Grazeley, but decided to just head for Shinfield instead. We worked our way through the back of Spencers Wood, turning left into Appletree Lane. I do this different every time, but we found our way, using good surfaces, other than the one little messy bit to connect from Hyde End Lane to the new walking/cycling paths of the Ryeish Green housing development. (Why don't they just finish it properly!)
Following my nose in the Shinfield Direction, we took a right eventually in the new housing estate, following the bend of Bolton Drive, which emerges on Church Lane (near L'Ortalon). I see from the map now that if we had taken a right turn before the main bend, into Beke Avenue, we would have arrived directly at the cafe. But once on Church Lane, I spotted a path with a blue signage, a pedestrian through, which also took us directly to the cafe. Just a slightly longer way round.
We parked up, leaving our bikes locked to a fence. Whilst we were there, we spotted Cathy with her U3A group arrive, and they headed for some cycle racks which we hadn't noticed. 😐
 |
| Cathy with her group on the left. |
 |
| Linda as we were leaving. |
Our return trip was via Cutbush Lane, over the M4 bridge to Lower Earley. We had to remember to turn right off of Gypsy Lane at some point, and fortunately, I remembered where! So easy to keep going straight on at this point, since Gypsy Lane cycle path continues.
 |
Jolly daff display where we turned right off Gyspy Lane,
to head to Mill Lane. |
Finally, we used the cyclepaths alongside Hatchfarm Way, back to Winnersh, and Woosehill. Linda continued home doing the first part of my route from this morning to hers, so would do the same milage. All done in the dry, and home mid day. (John got home at 1.20ish as the heavens opened at 1.15)
