Mattingley to Bramley & Mapledurwell 30 miles

The full Monday team in attendance today but Daphne had no car. So we picked up L&D in Finchampstead and Dave drove himself to Mattingley Church.  It was sunny! But initially a little cool under the shady lanes of the first few miles towards Daneshill.

Route link

That pretty thatch on Bottle Lane, looking beautiful today in the sunshine at 10.20.

We dashed across the A33, then all nice and flat for many miles around Stratield Saye, where we crossed straight over at the Active Tots X Roads continuing to join Mortimer Lane. (passing Green Lane on our right). We ignored the left turn of Park Lane, and rode all the way to the main road to cross the railway line into Mortimer, then into another Mortimer Lane, to climb Nightingale Lane aka "Barking Dog Lane".  

And there it was. 😅. And a second one also appeared,
with a big deep bark. 

Leaving the barking dogs in peace, a down and up to turn left
towards Mortimer. 

I had cut through the back of Mortimer on my Friday ride, and dropped down Turks Lane.... for the first time every.... and we dropped down Turks Lane again today, with its cheeky climb up to the farm in the last few yards. Undulations now aka uphill to Silchester, and left to pass the Church. 

The view from the "comfort stop" at Silchester. 

Views from behind the hedge at Silchester church. 

Pulling over for a car near the bottom on Church Lane.
These tiny white daisies are like Oxide (OXEYE  Daphne!). I have been spelling
this wrong in recent blogs! Proves that someone reads them.😉😂

We turned left onto Bramley Road, which twists and turns, passing the  end of Clappers Farm Road. Not sure L&D quite recognised where they were, until our right turn just before the railway bridge, and into Minchens Lane into Bramley. (I know where we are now, they said!)

We were heading to the new Barn Cafe, which recently opened just next to the end of Vyne Road. John and Dave were there on Friday! 

Barn Cafe. Hot now. 

Very pleasant. They are awaiting a "Bistro Licence" from the council
before they are able to offer cooked food but plan to do breakfasts/lunches.

Run by a pleasant Turkish couple. 

It's also a Farm shop.

Backtracking just a few yards, we enjoyed the run down Cufaude Lane all the way into  Chineham, where we joined the cyclepath system through to Pyotts Hill. 

Pyotts House, where we drop downhill into Old Basing. 

Since we weren't going to the bakery we continued to the end,  to join The Street.
(at the junction with Newnam Road). Then into the pretty
Milkingpen Lane, passing this Thatch cottage. 

It's quite a few years since I had ridden this next section (when Breeze used to go a garden centre off the A30).  We rode a long downhill on Hatch Lane, then another dash over the A30, to join a cycletrack, crossing the Lyde River, and around the back of an area to then join the Greywell Road, over the M3. We could have carried on here, but just to confuse us, John had added  loop through Mapledurwell, before rejoining Greywell Road. 😂

We arrived into Mapledurwell facing this pretty "Maple Cottage"
(I have often passed it dropping down from Tunworth Rd)

Mapledurwell. The lanes today were a combination of very bright and deep shade. 

And at the junction with Frog Lane, we arrived facing the stream on Down Lane. 

Mapledurwell X Roads with Down Lane/Frog Lane/ Tunworth Road.

We spotted a "church"sign, and since we have never passed the church, initially went UP DOWN Lane 😕. Only to find no Church. Dave had opted out of this exploration, and Linda joined him as we then tried another lane (not uphill this time), which was a dead end and we found the church. 

St Mary's Church Mapledurwell. 

Just 3 bikes. The other 2 opted to have a rest by the stream. 

Soft light on the kneeling pads

View beyond the graveyard

A very simple doorway. No Lychgate or  Porch.

Resting up. But now we need to get them moving. A hill to come. 

Down Frog Lane, to join the Greywell Road, just a hundred yards from where we left it, and now continued in the direction of Up Nately, but turing left into Blackstocks Lane, passing Miillars Ark Animal Farm, for another dash across the A30.

Bit of climb now up to Newnham x Roads, and soon into the ground of Tylney Hall. 

Tylney Hall Giant Redwoods. looking magnificent in the sun today. 

And finally, through Rotherwick to Mattingley. Nice route, wiggling around familiar lanes, with just a handful of not so often used ones to ring the changes.... and confuse one of two riders. 😏😛

No Monday ride next week, as we will be in Croatia, and Daphne also away on yet another holiday. It's a hard life.