Even though we started from Silchester last Monday, we were back today this time heading to Chapel Row. In other words uphill across the A4.😉
I have been warned by Dave not to write this the same as last weeks blog, so I will do my best to ring the changes. Not difficult since apart from the start, it's all different! 😂
Route (screenshot at end)
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| Just for Dave a different picture at the church car park, Silchester. Blue skies all the way. |
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| View from Raghill. I stopped whilst everyone else peddled on to join the road into Aldermaston. |
A gentle climb to Aldermaston, passing the church on our left, and then downhill to the V junction, where Dave, not far behind, missed the gap in the traffic. I could see that he wasn't following, so pulled over to wait, since we were about to take a left turn. Don't want to loose him!😂
All very flat on the road to pass Wasing Park, but unfortunately into a head wind from the north. A right turn at Wasing, over the bridge, and right again to head for Midgham and Woolhampton. (left here to Brimpton)
Officially, ROAD CLOSED, we guessed due to flooding, but carried on in the hope we could get through. The road was a mess in places, but thankfully any flooding had subsided so we could follow our planned route.
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| "The Clock House", just short of the railway line, Woolhampton, with barriers down and a train due. |
Our route today, was to climb New Road Hill, not one I've done before, and John thought not so steep as Woolhampton Hill, which passes Douai Abbey. (I agree, not too bad). The other hill we sometimes use further west, is Church Hill to Midgham, which joins this road further up.
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| A breather for Linda to remove her scarf, as it levels out (temporarily) on New Road Hill. |
At the top about half a mile along The Avenue, into Chapel Row, to stop at The Blackbird Cafe.
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| Guess who had the Chocolate cake? |
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| The choice for me, and Linda had a little taster. It' s their to selling cake. Delicious. |
Over coffee, I was telling Dave about my new toy... my drone! lol. He's up for being filmed on his bike sometime.
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| Opposite the cafe in Chapel Row. |
We crossed over from the cafe, to drop down the steep descent into Bucklebury. A beautiful day, so I stopped on the way down for a photo, whilst the others continued to the bottom.
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| Dave and John disappearing on the unnamed lane towards Bucklebury. |
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| Beautiful clear views as we dropped towards Bucklebury. |
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| A little further down the hill. |
All easy and flat for a while on the lane to Stanford Dingley, but messy. Through Stanford Dingley and up the cheeky climb on Cock Lane, to gain our elevation and rejoin South End Road. (which is an extension of The Avenue that we rode along earlier.) So we are now back to the same height as Chapel Row.
How annoying then to drop down on Back Lane, to have to climb up immediately to reach Beenham. 😉 Who planned this! (John). The next couple of miles all flat through Beenham Stocks and a big downhill to cross back over the A4 to Ufton Green.
A gradual climb continues all the way to Ufton Nervet, where rather than straight on at the junction, we took a left /right today to ride parallel to Island Farm Road, on Hollybush Lane. I didn't immediately recognise this until we dropped downhill, since I've only done it in the opposite direction climbing uphill to take a right turn to Sulhampstead Church.
Into Burghfield Common now and over to Wokefield Common to also drop down the hill I more often come up, and at the top of this road, a left turn into Nightingale Lane aka "Barking Dog Lane"
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| Regrouping in Nightingale Lane, after the climb . This Willow tree looks like it has fresh growth... weird for December. |
The barking dogs did not disappoint, as we passed their house, and dropped down a very messy, and wet Nightingale Lane. Almost back, and we passed Mortimer Station to join Mortimer Lane. A few spots of rain.
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| Mortimer Lane, not far over the railway. Lots of clouds now. Liked to little rise of the trees towards to back. |
Finally we returned to Silchester via Park Lane, and the little climb up Clappers Farm Road to the top.
Lovely route, with a few climbs of course, but plenty of easy miles too to recover.
Thanks all for your good company.
