St Marybourne to Chilbolton

Sunday ride, but I wanted to ride my road bike today, and so John took his "old" roadbike too, instead of ebikes. We drove to park in our usual spot in St Marybourne, but the car park was full! Thats never happened before. (Kids cricket match on.) They had an overflow using the tennis courts, but a sign to say that the gates would be locked at 2pm.... we couldnt risk that. So we drove a mile or so further through the village and found somewhere to park, just beyond the railway arches.

I took my Go Pro today, so these are all screen grabs. Might make a short film later.

We rode our usual route through Hurstbourne Priors, a dog leg over the B3400, and to Long Parish, on the B3048.

Route (map at the end)

Just leaving Hurstbourne Priors.

In Longparish, we took the first left turn, passing the Mill House. Bit messy!
Not ideal for road bikes but it was only messy for a short section.

At the back of the Millhouse, alongside the River Test.

A loop back over the river Test again, on Mill Lane, to rejoin a short section of the main road, B3048.

As we leave Longparish, plenty of lambs in the field.

To get over the A303, we need to climb a bit, still on the B3048, then drop down again. We drop into Wherwell, where another cricket match was playing. Some lovely thatches just before we turn left, and over the river once more, Winchester Road, a quiet road, where I put my GoPro on "timewarp mode" for about 3 mins, but kept it going until we reached the village store for tea in Chilbonton . We have only been here once, and that was with Stacey last year.

Climbing to get over the A303.

Still climbing!

Arriving in Chilbolton, the shop further on and around the next corner.

The guy in the shop apologised that he was on his own today, so was serving customers in to collect newspapers etc, as well as making lots of coffee/tea. He coped! I offered to take the tea tray from him as he was squeezing through a gap between parked car to get to us, and he said "Cant do that.. health and safety" 😂

Back to the village green where we continue now towards Newton Stacey and Barton Stacey.

Typical empty lanes enroute to Barton Stacey

After Barton Stacey, a new route, since we previously headed back to Longparish on the ride with Stacey. Today our route continued to Bullington. Nice quiet lanes, going under the A34, then a dog leg across the A30, Now over the River Dever , and some more quiet lanes heading on Hunton Down Lane to Micheldever direction, but not going into the village.

Finally at the top, after quiet a long gradual climb.

Beech woods just greening up.

under the Beechwood canopy.

We also passed a long brick wall, very long, and some grand gates with the name "Roundwood". This is on the map as a "shooting ground". Shortly after those gates, we turned onto Laverstoke Road, where, had to continued straight, we would have come to the Gin Distillery and Freefolk. But we turned left and climbed a familiar road which we've ridden several times in both directions, in or out of Whitchurch. I stopped to look back.

Top of the gradual climb on Micheldever Road into Whitchurch

We enjoyed the long run down into Whitchurch, passing the Silk Mill on our left, knowing that at the roundabout ahead, we had a climb coming!

Bell Street starting our climb out of Whitchurch. The names changes to
Blosswood Lane, This road surface was horrible!
Any cars that passed sounded more like trains!

After the climb, a whizz down to a 4 way junction, where we carried straight over into a much narrower lane again, crossing Harroway.

4 way junction with Harrow Way, John about to turn into the road ahead,
where we climb again. to Egbury.

My Garmin said left turn here, although John's said straight on. Same course! We went left anyway, since a nice easy approach to St Marybourne, rather than one more hill to climb, had we gone straight one. I was feeling tired.😉 We arrived into St Marybourne next to the pub, so we had a drink, and shared some chips, and tempura prawns. 😋