Beautiful sunny Sunday, starting in 5 degrees at Odiham and finishing close to 10 degrees. A couple of challenging hills, so took the ebikes, although have previously done this route with Linda B on our normal bikes. (but doing a ride again tomorrow, so saving our energy today.😉)
Route link
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As we leave Greywell behind, heading now downhill to Up Natley, then
left into Frog Lane to Mapledurwell. |
Climbing away from Mapledurwell, we followed the lane, then at the junction of Tunworth Road and Down Farm Lane, we went right at the junction. (This is where I normally turn left heading to Tunworth and Upton Grey.)
Couldn't remember much about the next couple of miles on Dickens Lane, but we came to this arch, of a disused railway line, so took a photo as an aid memoir.
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| Dropping downhill fast to cross the A339,and alongside the M3 |
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| John just disappearing as I stop and get my camera out. |
Eventually we dropped to a T junction at the A339, and dogleg into a filter lane, (with care!) to join Farleigh Road, B3046. This is a noisy section that runs alongside the M3. Eventually we move away from the M3 slightly, as we come into Cliddesden...... which I remember nothing about, until we come to the pond on our left.
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| Cliddesden Pond, where we turn left. |
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| I always enjoy this next couple of miles, with it's raised verges, and open views. |
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The only problem is getting up that hill, which peaks at 12%.
(but with ebikes who cares?) Linda and I puffed up here and made it. |
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We ignored the Ellisfield signs, and headed on Grammersham Lane
heading towards Farleigh Wallop. |
(Not far after the farm I photographed, is the BIG down and up, where John photographed Linda and I with a big truck coming towards us.) Then through Farleigh Wallop on The Avenue. At a T junction, we once more join the B3046, for half a mile or so, then a right turn into Farleigh Lane. A pretty lane, and where I stopped to photograph this bank of snowdrops at The White House gate. We saw loads of snowdrops today on the grass verges.
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| Farleigh Lane, nr Dummer |
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| Farleigh Lane, nr Dummer |
We came to the junction with "Down Street" to the right, and "Up Street" to the right, next to Dummer Church, where a box with Sunday papers was once more in the Lychgate. A lovely downhill followed on Dummer Down Lane, to the Duxford Road, with the Honesty cafe almost opposite.
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Orange cake for me. Chocolate cake for John.
(I paid today.😇) |
We were the only cyclists to start with, then about 6 from Fleet cycling club arrived. We set off now on Duxford Road, towards Axford. I couldn't rememeber anything about this section, but is was an easy flat valley road. I stopped to photograph this little scene on our right as we approached Axford.
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The sheep were chasing each other around this tree. It was hilarious.😅
College Lane, Ellisfield. |
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| Watching the sheep playing on College Lane. |
Shortly after the sheep interlude, we turned right to join Bell Lane, Ellisfield, and rejoined our planned route, as we headed fast downhill again to join Bagmore Lane. Then straight across the A339 to climb to Herriad. All downhill for a couple of miles now to Upton Grey, arriving with the pond on our left. Finally our usual route back to Odiham via Greywell, using power on any kind of incline, since we have loads of battery left. 😉
A lovely ride, in sunshine, and lovely to see snowdrops, and Viburnums in flower.
