It's half term, so Lynne cycled with Harvey today on their new tandem to Noah's Ark, Andwell. News just in.... 34 mile round trip. Well done! Martina was with family in Margate. Jeanette was heading north to start another adventure cycling from Wells-next-the -Sea to Greenwich with other girlfriends on Cycle Route 1.
Gill took her parents to Wisley, so Andrea, Louise and myself were a select team of 3 today. Since there has been no rain for ages, I thought that we must do a few bits off road to vary our route, as we headed to Fernygrove Farm Shop at Hawthorn Hill. I've not been there for ages.
(John was out on his first led ride with WCC with a woman he has never met before! I hope he is safe!!😍)
We left via the Northern cycle paths, where the Oxide Daisies were looking beautiful.
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| Oxide Daisy time as we left Wokingham on the new cyclepaths |
We climbed over Carters Hill, dropped down Billingbear Road, then straight over into the track which joins Hill Farm Road, passing the Archery club, and joins Stubbs Hill (next the Binfield football club).
All nice and dry, so when we got to Ryehurst Lane, we opted to use Cabbage Hill Road to join the next track, Hazelwood Lane. Unfortunately all the Hawthorne are now finished flowering, but still a pretty route.
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| Hazelwood Lane. Andrea leading and calling out "keep left, keep right" , as we avoided any obstacles. Mostly horses hooves marks were the worst, since now bone dry. |
Around the back of Moss End, and on Wellers Lane, almost to the end, but we used the short track called Penfurzen Lane, which emerges opposite the farmshop.
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| Packed inside today, because it was cool and windy. But very noisy inside, so we opted to brave the weather outdoors. Louise looking windswept and interesting. 😃 |
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| The farmshop view, which includes Cliveden somewhere out there! |
Plenty of chat over tea discussing current topics of conversation. 😉
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| We then used the track alongside the Ascot Road and a couple of ponies approaching. The dappled one is an Appleachee breed we were told. |
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| All downhill on our next track to Westley Mill, where I commented that the last twice I had been here a horse has come through. And then this appeared! We waited for the cyclist to clear the bridge, but he was waiting for us to clear his way, since he was the horse's groom. |
From Westley Mill Road, another cut through crossing over Howe Lane to emerge on Spinning Wheel Lane. This type of Queen Ann's Lace looking lovely.
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| I think this is a form of Amni, and I am trying to grow some seeds in my garden which are currently about 1" high 😒 (Sarah Raven Seeds) |
My plan now was to go into Shurlock Row, and straight on to Waltham St Lawrence, stopping at Waltham Farm (near the haystack) to visit the new Highland Coo calves I saw a few weeks ago. The farmer had said they would be in a field next to a footpath.
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| Red poppies at the pond Shurlock Row. |
At Waltham Farm, we struggled to get our bikes through a gate, parked them up and walked the few yards to the field. But the baby coos were in a field beyond the field, so barely visable. 😞
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| If you squint.... a tiny Ginger coloured on the left, and two blonde ones on the right. |
We struggled back out the gate once more. What a waste of time! Through Waltham St Lawrence, which had some pretty cottages with climbing roses, and once through the village we rode a track which the others hadn't used before. It's called Nut Lane, just a dirt track, and then a dog left at the end into Mire Lane, which they also had not used before. Mire Lane passes "My Little Pony club", but no ponies in the fields today.
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| Junction of Brooke Lane. The buttercups looking very pretty everywhere. |
Back on tarmac we wiggled through the lanes of West End to eventually join The Straight Mile, and back through Hurst Lanes and over the motorways. Andrea's saddle had been slipping on the ride so her knees were now up to her chin..... well almost. We had earlier had a good laugh when she had lifted up her Mudguard which was now rubbing..... to a rather erect position which was amusing. 😂 (you had to be there 😏😅
Home, and I had invited Gill to come over with her parents for a cuppa in the garden if they had time. (But when I had asked them I didn't know that they were going to Wisley this morning! A bit different to my garden!!)
But they seemed to enjoy looking around. We had a lovely time enjoying our Magnum ice creams in the garden, and looking at a few Gardening Magazines which our garden had featured in about 15 years ago.
They are off back home tomorrow. I have met them 3 times in the last week. Very nice to see you both again. Safe journey home, and I am sure you will back on the seafront on Sunday for your walk.
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| Pat and John in our garden. Photo taken by Gill. |
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| Today's route was a strange shape, but who cares? |