Breeze Riseley to Pamber End - 27 miles

on

 A Breezy Breeze ride today, for blog number 750.  One of those "what to wear" days?.  The N/E wind holding down the temperatures. 

I gave a lift to 3 ladies and we met the others at Risley Village Hall. We initially shot down Welsh Drive, then turned left skirting Stratfield Saye, continuing on Great Drover St. We did a bit of a loop, going straight over at the 5 way "Active Tots" junction, all the way to West End Green (end of Green Lane), where at the top of the rise, pulled over to allow a car to pass, and where I took this photo.

Beautiful day, apart from a blustry wind. 
Linda, Gill, Louise, Kim and Clare S.

Then a left turn to enjoy the downhill on Park Lane and over the railway bridge.  The fields ahead were showing first signs of rape crop. 

Heading downhill on Park Lane, on our way to Silchester.

Views from Park Lane

Left now to climb on Clappers Farm Road to Silchester.

Once around Wall Lane, we followed the route to Pamber Heath, turning left into the pretty Church Road, up to Tadley Church. 
Time to remove a layer. at St Peter's Church, Tadley

Group Selfie
(testing my new Stolen Goat jacket today. Certainly wind proof)

Lovely lanes followed through West Heath and Charter Alley, with pretty Thatch cottages, and finally passing the Priory School on Pamber Road. We used the footpath for the short section on the  A340 to get to the garden centre, and the teashop.

There's a nice outdoor space, but a bit chilly, so we sat indoors, and upstairs.

Downstairs. 

Upstairs. The waitress took this out of focus shot!
(people cant use cameras these days.)

After our break, we headed uphill through Little London, and right into Frog Lane / Ash Lane and Clappers Farm Road to cross the ford. Its never very deep, but was flowing quite fast. We used the raised path anyway. 

Ash Lane, Nr Silchester

Ash Lane

Clappers Farm Ford

We now headed to Stratfield Mortimer on Pitfield Road. I've not ridden this lane for a while, and usually in the opposite direction. A few uphills to keep us warm.😉

Views of Stratfield Mortimer Church from Pitfield Lane
 
Over the railway bridge and on Beech Hill Road next, eventually dropping down Park Lane to join Chequers Lane. We stopped near Barge Lane for a quick detour, on foot,  to check if the field of Fritillaria were in flower?

Detour on foot. River Loddon.

Photo by Kim 

Where on earth are we going?

Snakeshead Fritillaria


They are not very obvious until you get amongst them. 



A rare sighting of a Fritillarie Fairy (from 2016)

Heading back to the bikes.

Our final mile now uphill on Welsh Drive, then back under the roadway on Bull Lane. 

Louise and Kim, who had got a lift there with me, decided to ride home from Riseley. Well done ladies. They let me know they got safely home.  Glad you all enjoyed todays route. New for some, and not too familiar to others.