A Thursday ride again today, as I wasn't able to offer a Wednesday ride this week. (The rides were cancelled anyway yesterday due to heavy rain). We met at Riseley Village Hall, with some substantial puddles on the drive via Swallowfield.
Very nice to see Angela after a long break, so long infact that she mentioned she had to remove her Christmas decorations from her bike. 😆 She's been off on a big adventure recently.
Route link screenshot at end.
We started with a climb up Bull Lane... what a mess ! I've not seen it so messy. Loads of mud washed down with the rain. Then the whizz down Welsh Drive, which at only 5 degrees and a north wind always feels much colder, since it's all in shade. So the little climb up Park Lane, in sunshine was just what we needed.
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| Top of Park Lane, with Beech Hill to the right, and Mortimer to the left. |
There were 7 of us today, so we peddled in two groups meeting up at the other Park Lane, all downhill in this direction to get over the railway bridge. We would climb up this way later.... would anyone notice? 😂
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| Snowdrops along Wall Lane, Silchester, but they looked more interested through the hedge. |
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Better shot poking my camera through the hedge |
The boring section next for about a mile or so through Pamber Heath. At a roundabout, Gill announced she recognised where she was, but no idea how she would have got here. 😅 (at Tadley Sports Centre. ) Soon we turned off into the pretty Church Lane, where I stopped for a couple of photos, waving them all past to continue to the church near the top of the climb.
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| Lovely views along Church Lane, Tadley. |
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| A few others carried on, towards the church at the top. |
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| Sandra and Angela, as we stopped for a moment on Church Lane. Sandra did the half marathon on Sunday and was feeling her legs today, but she still shot off up the hill. |
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| Linda, Nicki W, Gill, Karen, Sandra, Angela, me Church Lane regrouping. |
The lane was mostly fine, but two floods towards the end, and I got my bravery badge for being first through today. At the T junction, we turned left today, into The Common. (Church road continues straight on to pass Baughurst church).
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| Hay filled barn, as we turn left here to head for Charter Alley. |
It was really sunny as we arrived, and I was tempted to sit outside, but for the northerly wind. We voted to sit indoors.
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| Linda, Gill and Nicki. Charter Alley Village Store. |
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| First sighting this year of Camelia in flower, as we climb towards Silchester. |
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| Nicki and Angela pass me as I stop to photograph the Camelia. |
Not far passed the cricket ground, we re joined Wall Lane, to skirt the edge of Silchester once more, and this time downhill to join Part Lane, back across the railway. But now at the top, a right turn (we approached from the left earlier), and soon left into my favourite lane, Green Lane, as we approach Stratfield Saye.
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| Views along Green Lane, approaching Stratfield Saye. |
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| Green Lane. Gill also stopped for a moment, whilst the other carry on. |
