We've not managed out on many Sunday rides recently due to weather, but today it was forecast for sunshine all day. However, there was ice on the pond this morning, but with no rain for a few days, the lanes should all be fine.
(A road closure in Bradfield, at the crossroads by the school (until November!), meant that we could not easily reach our normal parking spot in Dark Lane. We knew this, since we drove that way with grandkids last week, to visit the Living Rainforest and saw the closures were due to start. )
Route link screenshot at end.
From the Village hall car park and Bradfield Southend, an immediate drop down steeply on Mariners Lane, to Tutts clump. It's one we have come up before, so I knew it was going to be a steep descent. I wasn't entirely happy with my brakes today, especially as there were some icy patches in the shade.😕.I don't know whether it's just that the brakes on my ebike are different to my gravel bike, but they didn't seem to be able to hold back enough on steep descents......... as I would find out later.
Dropping part way down at Tutts Clump, a chance for the first photo of the day.
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| Blonde and Black highland cattle too. |
At the bottom, we turned right on Back Lane, and at the junction with Dark Lane, where we normally start our rides, we started our first climb, on Ashampstead Road. I've only done this once before, and apart from a fast downhill as we go under the M4, it's uphill, and quite steep as we take a right fork and through a narrow lane surrounded by woodland. Think 15% registered for a minute. This road changes to Yattendon Lane, as we approach Upper Basildon.
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| Looking back up to the hill we just came down, where my brakes didn't do great job! |
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| And it's time for uphill again, on Palmer's Hill to Ashampstead. |
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| Ashampstead Village Green. I liked the house in the distance. |
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| Bit fat Magnolia Buds not far away from opening. Loved the moss on this tomb stone. |
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| Side on perspective. |
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| We left Ashampstead on Hartridge Lane. Very distinctive Cedar Tree. A few snowdrops today, infact quite a few, but most now past their best. |
A couple of unnamed lanes now, but which I had done before in the opposite direction. A flood on one corner as we got near to Aldworth. It was deeper than it looked, and some ice on the road as we came through. 😒
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| I know where I am now, as we go straight over into Aldworth. |
We dropped downhill now for a long way, passing the church, and continued on the B4009, Haw Lane, which I don't think I had done before. (We normally climb back on a sharp right turn at Four Points pub X Roads.)
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| Dog Lane on our left as we rode past, and shortly before we passed the Living Rainforest, nr Hampstead Norreys. |
We dropped into HN, passing the Yattendon Road, which we often ride on, to our left, and continued to the village shop. It closes at noon , and it was about 11.40. Infact as we left, they had closed the gates!
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| Tea in the sunshine at Hampstead Norreys shop. |
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| As we are leaving the shop car park, I noticed he impressive church. Never noticed it before, since I suppose the tree foliage hides it. |
We left HN continuing on the B4009, but only for a short distance, and then we joined the old railway track, which is accessible from only a couple of points. Once you are on, thats it until we exit and under the M4 close to Hermitage.
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| Th entrance point. |
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| An excellent path on the old railway line. But it was cold in here, out of the sun. |
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| Views from the old railway path. |
Once under the M4, the first right turn into Manor Lane, and a slow climb away from Hermitage towards Cold Ash. Not the prettiest to start with, but then nice woodland lanes to Bucklebury. I wasn't sure where I was, and quite how we would arrive in Bucklebury, relative to the ford.
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| Holly Lane, The Slade. |
We arrived into Bucklebury with the ford just to our right.
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| Deeper than we've seen it for a while. |
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| The river Pang, under the bridge at the ford. Running fast today. Our little boat would have taken off! |
And now to Standford Dingley on very familiar lanes, except that once through the village, rather than continue straight on Cock Lane, today a right turn into an unnamed lane, leading to Chapel Row. "It's an ebike lane" John announced. Here we go again.
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| At a point where it levelled out a bit A view to our left. |
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| Pretty clumps of grasses |
After it leveled out, it ramped up again, then I recogised the junction of where we emerged. I normally use the other lane to drop into Bucklebury at this forked junction.
Our route was going to detour via Beenham, but a change of plan, since time was getting on, and we knew the ramp to join the M4 we closed today, and we needed to drive home cross country.
So, an easy flat return all the way from Chapel Row, to Bradfield Southend. A nice route, but we both agreed quite challenging to take in all the climbs in one go, if not on our ebikes.
