My online art teacher Jean Haines, currently has an exhibition of paintings at The Frame Gallery, in Odiham, so that was our plan for today. It's a bit too far from home at this time of year, so we drove to meet up with Gill at Riseley to start our ride. Andrea, recovering from a nasty virus opted out today, but did well on her gentle Breeze ride yesterday, so hopes to join us again next time. Louise busy today, so we were 5.
The forecast was to be sunshine from 9am, but only to reach 8 or 9 degrees all day, so a cold start, especially as we headed initially downhill on Part Lane to ride around the edges of Wellington Country Park, before our little climb up to Heckfield.
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| Although there was no sunshine, the Beechtrees were a gorgeous rich orange colour on this lane skirting the edge of Wellington Country Park. |
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| Same spot, and the ferns also a beautiful colour. |
From Heckfield we dropped down Laundry Lane, which was mostly dry, but with a flood at the bottom end. Where has that come from? We've had no rain for weeks! A dogleg over the B3349 into the quiet Bar Lane, and all very easy going (flat) for several miles as we headed back across the B3349 at Chandlers Green, and soon passed Dipley Mill. I suggested we don't need to stop there for a photo today... but a request from Gill that she always likes to stop for a look, so a photo then HAD to be taken of course.
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| Dipley Mill House |
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| The huge Gunnera plan still holding up. |
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| The requested stop at Dipley Mill. Pretty house ahead on the bend too. |
My original idea had been to ride around the back of West Green Gardens on Borough Court Road, to emerge to cross the A30 at Murrell Green, and over the railway to join the Odiham Road not too far from Odiham.
But John was out that way on Wednesday, and I thought he said that the road was closed. So, I changed the route to ignore that lane, and instead ride past WG Gardens to emerge at Phoenix Green X roads. We were almost at the WG Garden entrance, when a couple of walkers waved us down advising "road closed ahead". Unbelievably it was a lady that Gill knows from her stitching group.😊 They had just come through the road, but the workers had since turned back a group cyclists. Ahhh. So, we need another detour.
(It turns out that John was talking about THIS road being closed and NOT Borough court Road )
Never mind, we turned around and detoured again, infact used a road that I dont believe I had ever used before, called Grange Road, which emerges just short of the Phoenix Green X Roads. Back on course now, we used the shared cyclepath on the B3016 Odiham Road, which delivered us safely to the junction of Station Road, Winchfield.
Gill mentioned that Jeanette had requested a loo stop, so we pulled up the station building, where there was a very nice, enormous loo. (Turns out Jeanette was happy to wait till Odiham, but having stopped, we all went in! 😂)
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| Pit stop at Winchfield Station. |
Passing the station, an easy few miles now followed into the pretty tree lined Bagwell Lane, which passed Winchfield Church.
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| Bagwell Lane, Winchfield |
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| Basingstoke Canal at Odiham. Where is the promised sunshine?😌 |
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| Some very nice paintings and also ceramics and gifts at The Frame. |
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| 3 of my Art tutors paintings. |
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| Another 2. There were also quite a few in the window display. |
About 4 miles further now to our coffee stop at Penncroft Winery in Crondall , and apart from one initial climb out of Odiham, an easy downhill run into Crondall. Most of the ladies not been here before and enjoyed it. The fire was on!
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| We passed this farm between Odiham and Crondall, on the narrow lanes. |
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| Roaring fire in the far corner. |
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| Martina and I shared a very tasty Cheese and Chorizo Toasty.... and also a slice of delicious Toffee Apple Cake.  |
Gill and Jeanette had an enormous Egg sandwich each, and were defeated. The only disappointment was they had sold out of soup, and also the breakfast menu finished at 11.30, so our choice was a bit limited.
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| When we first arrived at the winery, we had put our bikes against a stack of crates. We decided to move then just incase our bikes got in the way. By the time we left, this forklift truck was moving the LAST crate to the other side of the yard! So, that could have been quite interesting! 😂 |
A ride now through the very pretty village of Crondall, and eventually joined this track leading to cross the A287 Farnham Road.
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| Leaving Crondall. |
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| Once through Crookham, we enjoyed the lanes to Dogmersfield, and Winchfield Green. |
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| This was as bright as the sky got ALL day. Disappointing |
A long downhill on Ford Lane back to Riseley. By the time we got back to Wokingham the sun came out. How irritating is that!
Well done ladies, a late return home after 3pm, but nice to see the Art exhibition, and at least we had lunch out too.
