Monday ride today with the full team of 5 regulars. But after yesterday's sunshine, when summer was meant to have arrived, it was back to gloom today. So a ride of grey skies, but lots of bright green foliage everywhere.
We headed to Silchester via Park Lane Mortimer, where I had to succumb to a nose blow stop, still full of gunk after a week since a cold started. Linda had problems with sinus pain today, down to heyfever, and Daphne was unwell yesterday with earache and sinus pain. What a team we were today!
Route link screenshot at end
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| Heading downhill on Park Lane, Mortimer |
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| Waiting for others at Silchester Church. We more often turn right around Silchester |
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| here they all come. |
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Church Lane, Silchester, which can get really icy in winter, but
all good today, although one patch quite messy with water and mud. |
Right at the end of Church Lane, a dogleg into Ash Lane, then right into Frog Lane to drop down through Little London. We crossed the Aldermaston Road ( near Roses Coffee shop) and passing the Priory School arrived in Charter Alley after about the 8 mile point. There is a village shop here, and I had called in over a year ago, to asked about if they do teas etc, which they do. Open every day!
A group of five elderely gentlemen sitting inside, and by the time we left, several more people had arrived. I am told the coffee was very good, the tea comes in teapots with china cup and saucer, so also very good. Very friendly couple who run the shop, Shi Lankan I think. There are not many cafes in this area, so certainly one we will use again.
We continued through the village, and passing Ramsdell Church, over the Xroads into Ewehurst Road, which is always lovely, and atm has full crop fields.
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| Dave and me... getting there! |
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| And catching up with Daphne at the top. And now all downhill . |
I was hoping for some nice views on the long downhill into Wooton St Lawrence, but the hedgerows are too tall and dense, so no views this time of year.
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| Wooton St Lawrence |
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| Wooton St Lawrence |
A left turn in WSLawrence, onto Ibworth Road. At this point, Garmin advises staight on for 5.2 miles. All nice and flat, and straight across on the A339 again, into the downhill run in Rooksdown Lane, which peters out into a track though the woods, but there is tarmac if you can find it!
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| Rooksdown Lane. A good surface..... somewhere. |
Straight over into Elm Road, through Sherborne St John, and finally after a long downhill run, a couple of climbs as we pass NT The Vine. Finally we emerge in Bramley, and follow familiar lanes back around Stratfield Saye back to Riseley. The boys, opted to climb Barge Lane/Bull Lane, and the girls used Welsh Lane. Much quicker, and cleaner. 😉
As we were loading up the van, Dave lost his codpiece. Just saying. 😂
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| Today, Garmin awarded a badge. |
