A sunny Sunday ride, at least most of the way, and another chance to enjoy the Beechwoods which are stunning this year.
Route link screen shot at end.
We set off from Sonning Common, and via Kidmore End to Wyfold Road.
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I always admire the roofline of this red tiled house, but it's a
difficult one to photograph.
Today, I held my camera above my head to see over the hedge. |
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| Wyfold Road. |
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Wyfold Road. Great advert for woods for sale!
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| The Wyfold X Roads. |
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| Almost into Stoke Row. The carpet of leaves as beautiful as the trees. |
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| "Last man standing". All the other trees were bare. |
From Stoke Row, we climbed steadily to Christmas Common, via Nuffield and Huntercombe End, then dropped down Watlington Hill...... brakes on.
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| Very clear views today, part way down Watlington Hill. |
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| Fiery Smoke Bush at Spire and Spoke. |
We chatted with a couple also sitting indoors at the cafe, who live in Watlington. He was Australian, and until he lived here had never seen anything like the Autumn colours we have here. Had to chase up our drinks today... think they forgot about us. That has happened before. Note to self. Get the drink at the counter when we order!
We were heading to Pyrton Lane, but had a quick stop at St Leonard's Church, just off Pytron Lane. The light and tree is what drew our attention to it. (This is the church which the Watlington Spire was supposed to make it look as it it had a tall spire on top, when viewed from further back.)
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| Acer Grisium, or Cinnamon Bark Maple. |
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| 2 photographers! 😆 |
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| The autumn leaf colour is a perfect match for the bark. |
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| Clock was wrong. It was now 12.30ish. |
It's a while since we turned right at the top. But since I had been merrily using my power to climb to Christmas Common, I then suggested not go toooo far before we turn back. Still had some hills to get back up. So we did no more than half a mile to see the open views near Clare.
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| Views near Clare (road has no name) |
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A glimpse of Stoke Talmage....
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| A closer look at Stoke Talmage. |
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| And across the road. This log framed the copse nicely. |
Back on ourselves now, and along the exposed road to Easington, always windy up here, and soon passing through Cuxham, and Brightwell Baldin.
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| Quick stop and drink as we passed through Brightwell Baldin. |
A few miles now to Ewelme, where there has at last been some progress on the thatched house which burned down a couple of years ago. A roof now on. Up, out of Ewelme and a decision as to which hill to climb up as we crossed to Ipsden. Since we were on ebikes, John suggested Berins Hill. It's ages since I've been up it. It's tough even with ebikes, and peaked at 18% gradient. You definitely need to keep peddling or you're in trouble. Made it. 😌
Finally to Checkendon, by which time we had lost the sun, as we dropped down Emmens Lane, to Wyfold to retrace our route back.
