Since we have several grandkids staying over the next two weeks, and therefore will not be free, I offered to lead a bit of an "away day" today, just incase summer weather suddenly came to an abrupt end. Rose was free to assist, so we took 6 riders, meeting up at Silchester car park. John came along for the lift, but left us after our first teastop to cycle home. ( he did 42 miles)
Amanda T was due to ride today, but a late change of plan meant that she needed to be home promptly, so had to cancel. So Amanda O took her space. I am sure I will repeat this sometime.
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Silchester car park. Taken by John.
Rose, Diane, Louise, Kim, Daphne, Amy, Me and Amanda O. |
Route link screen shot at end.
Leaving Silchester, we headed through Aldermaston Soke, then took the quiet Raghill to join Red Lane into Aldermaston. We had split into 2 groups and pulled over at the view opposite the church.
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Leaving Wasing Park behind us, we now joined Station Road
all the way to Midgham, crossing the Kennet and Avon Canal. |
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John was ahead of us and took these photos.
The Rowbarge pub next to the canal. |
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Waiting at Midgham Station.
First proper climb of the day next as we doglegged over the A4, and into Woolhampton Hill. Ive only done this on my ebike before! It peaks at 12% gradient, but then levels out sooner than I remember, thankfully! Everyone did really well. |
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Nearing the top of the first section of Woolhampton Hill
(photo by John) |
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| Well done Daphne |
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| Rose leading the second group to the top. |
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| Catching our breath, ready for the next section. |
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| And look who is last! 😉😂. The camera never lies!! |
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| We arrive at the junction, with Douai Abbey facing. |
Douai Abbey is a Roman Catholic monastery of monks of the English Benedictine Congregation, under the patronage of Saint Edmund, King and Martyr. Founded in Paris in 1615, and uprooted from there by the Revolution, we settled in Douai in Flanders before finally returning to England in 1903, settling at Woolhampton.
Lots more information online of course.
I thought it was now a college, but that is incorrect. It is purely for Monks as far as I can tell.
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| We spent a few minutes inside the impressive Church Building. |
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| Photo by Daphne |
A bit more climbing now to Chapel Row, where at 9 miles I had planned our loo/teastop. There are tables inside too, but we sat outside in the sunshine.
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| Photo by Daphne |
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Oops, not the best photo of Kim! With only 5 miles to go
to our lunch stop, most of us resisted the cakes! Not easy!!
photo by Rose, at Blackbird Cafe, Chapel Row.
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Chapel Row is "a village within a village" apparently,
and is part of Bucklebury, which is 1.5 miles away, and where we head to next. |
John left us now, to cycle home visa Stanford Dingley. A massive drop downhill now to Bucklebury, and through the village.
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| Crossing Bucklebury Ford. |
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| photo by Daphne |
A nice flat section followed, before a right hand turn to climb our 2nd big climb of the ride, towards Frilsham. Another 10% + hill. Louise was enjoying her new bike as she caught up with me easily.
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| Pulling for another breather in Frilsham. |
A section of woodland shady area through Frilsham woods, and at the bottom of a downhill, a left turn to ride over the M4 into Yattendon. Around 12.15, and time for lunch.
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Ordering indoors, but again we sat out. The cafe was full inside
by the time we left. |
A couple of ladies had Coronation Chicken Baps, whilst the others opted for the warm Quiche was a selection of salads. We all agreed delicious, tasty lunch.
Taken by our waitress on Rose's phone.
We certainly got our 5 a day. All very colourful.
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| Amy's bike was camouflaged among the blue chairs! |
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| The garden is full of herbs, not just flowers. |
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| And timeless cottages across the road. |
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| During or lunch, I was asked to photograph these on the roof opposite |
A leisurely lunch, and some even had dessert, before we enjoyed an easy section now, all downhill as we left Yattendon, with lots more downhill through the empty Scratchface Lane, which take us back over the M4.
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| The leafy and empty Scratchface Lane, over a mile downhill. Bliss! |
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| Scratchface Lane |
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| Scratchface Lane |
At the bottom, on a bend, postman Pat fortunately heard us coming as we squeezed past his van, and then we turned right along Back Lane towards Stanford Dingley.
My bike had intermittently been making a horrible noise with the brake held on today, which of course meant resistance. I pulled over and spun the wheel a few times, which seemed to help, since I was a bit worried about getting up the next big climb, with the front brake on.😖
We passed through the pretty Stanford Dingley without stopping today, and straight into the climb. Amanda was ahead and Daphne. I stopped for a "view from the climb" part way up.
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| Part way up the cheeky climb out of Stanford Dingley |
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| Daphne ahead on the hill |
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Well done Diane! Top of another tough climb. The news that Kim
had a problem, but she soon appeared with Amy. Her chain had come off. |
There is a more direct way to get to Beenham, where we headed next, but it's up a HORRIBLE hill via Tutts Clump. (Just incase anyone looking at the map wonders why we went via Stanford Dingley.... it's because I was giving you the least worst option. 😇😂)
A bit more climbing to Beenham, which is not the prettiest of village compared to where else we were today. We stayed high on Webbs Lane, before another massive downhill to cross the A4..
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Amy and Diane about to go "over the top" to start the steep downhill
of Lambdens Hill, to cross the A4. |
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| photo by Daphne, who was first across the A4. |
Into Ufton Lane, and a climb over the railway, and the K& A again, and soon we veered of to the right, for yet another climb, near Ufton Nervet. It was not steep, but went on a bit. The last few miles on familiar road to Mortimer West End, with our favourite climb up to Silchester. We had a VERY kind and patient lorry driver who left a good gap as he follow us up the hill, and who gave us a thumbs up as I said my final thankyou!
Well done ladies. A tough ride in places, but with some fun downhills too. My top speed was 24.7mph, which was probably nothing compared to Amanda ! She is a dare devil.😃
