Silchester to Greenham Common - 31 miles

John had planned to ride with Dave on Friday to Greenham, but they aborted the route early, since Dave was just too cold. So I rode the route with John today, in the same weather as Friday! We left Silchester in just 1 degrees with the added icy blast of an Easterly wind that's been stuck over us for a few days now. We took our ebikes today, but didn't use the power much, since it was mostly easy going, apart form a couple of times when it was very useful.   But we've ridden all this on normal bikes too.

Route link screenshot at end

We joined Bramley Road , then into Ash Lane not long after we set out, and both of us had not ridden this lane for a while.   And then a right turn into Frog Lane.   ( I used to do it with Breeze lots, a few years ago, when we also used to take a right turn into Byes Lane, off of Ash Lane). Easy today  dropping down through Little London, as more often we climb up through it.

After joining another "Bramley Road" a dog leg over the Aldermaster A340, (near Little Roses coffee shop), and at the Priory School a right into Pamber Road.

Pamber Road. Some serious clearing of the ditches has been done here.
It's a grey and brown day today. 

Pamber Road ends in Charter Alley (where the shop is off to the left), and where John and Dave had an earlier than planned stop on Friday to warm up.  Now we joined the downhill Deans Lane, in the area called West Heath, and soon a bit more downhill passing Baughurst church. 

At the junction passed the church, a left and soon right into Wolverton Townsend, and then I saw that "Ham Lane" was our next turn on my Garmin. Felt quite chuffed  then, that I knew to expect to see the pretty Ham Farmhouse, and then "Snowdrop Cottage", at the far end of Ham Road. 😇😂 Its about a mile long and a very pleasant quiet lane. 

Snowdrops in the verges,  with Ham Farmhouse in the distance on the bend.
I decided not to stop at Snowdrop Cottage as have done that before. 

Now a long perfectly straight road from Axmansford to Ashford Hill, and then to Ashford Hill Road. Getting the picture.... it 's all uphill for a while. 

Along Ashford Hill Road. They were in the distance,
but must have been lonely, since they immediately started towards me. 

John catching me up on Ashford Hill Road.

A nice couple of miles next as we detour off of Ashford Hill Road via Plastow Green, and to Galley Lane. There is a turn to the right into Commons Road, which if you miss it, you end up on the A339 (as happened to John once before)

Soon we start dropping down, down, down to cross Headley Ford. 

We had to ride through that small flood before we reached the ford. 

And with power on full, we were immediately into the steep climb (16%) to Greenham Common. That was easy.😉

The track was a bit messy today with puddles, and areas of the grass looking very soggy too. The cafe seemed a bit further today, as we rumbled over the gravel surface. 

The blue line is our slow progress to the cafe on the gravel track
and the yellow and red line, when we used the road after the cafe.
Much quicker!! But it involved an uphill section which is not so amusing
if you are not on an ebike. 

The cafe was quite busy, but no queue for service. We both had a slice of Chocolate Marble Cake, and John reports that his coffee was nice and hot, which was useful for his cold fingers.  He also said that he had never found the cafe open before, so we had a quick visit around the tower before we left. I asked one of the volunteers in the tower about the cows? I had seen lots last summer here. He told me they are around, all year, and do the very important job of grazing to keep the weeds in check. 

View from Greenham Common  Air Traffic control tower.
Looking to Hannington. 

And looking towards Coombe Gibbet

Ready to go. 

I noticed as we arrived that our average speed was around 11.5mph.  But since my Garmin followed me around the tower, it was 9.5 by the time we left.   😖😖😖

The road was fine, until we joined Cookham Hill, which was about 9%, but fine with our power today. This road passes close to where we entered the Common, and continues all very flat and downhill through Crookham Common and to Brimpton (with the church steeple). I have gone left at the church to drop down to the K&A at Woolhampton before, but dont remember ever continuing straight on here to join Wasing Road. 

Looking back to the junction we had turned left into, at Wasing Park.
More snowdrops, and another nose blow!!

I am very familiar with the rest of the route now, but  in the opposite direction, so as we arrived in Aldermaston, we had a climb through the village and beyond the church on Red Lane.   We turned off into the quiet Spring Lane, to join Rag Hill.  I nearly met a car head on at the junction. I was in the wrong taking the road on the right to turn right, and they appeared from nowhere on the left. No harm done. 

As we peddled along Soke Road, we were both surprised to see a sign  "Mortimer West End" .... doesn't make any sense. According to the map this is Aldermaston Soke. At about this point, the sun came out, with about a mile to go. How annoying is that! But it was still only 3.5 degrees. 

Sunshine on the van as we load up again at Silchester
(the Church car park was full today)

It was a cold day, but I was fine, John said his neck and fingers were cold at times. By mid week the forecast is for 10 degrees. Can't wait.