It's almost the end of August, and with 3 weeks in September when I am not free, I decided to offer this longer ride today before the summer ends. Rain was forecast, but would it come to anything, and really be the end of months of no rain on my rides?
Rose joined me today, along with 2 Amandas and Tracey whom I have not seen for about a year. New job for her means that I probably wont see her for months again after today! Sadly Karen cancelled this morning as was unwell.
Route link screenshot at end
We set off from Cantley on a familiar route to Sandford Lane, and along Beggarshill Road, which Amanda O said she thought she hadn't ridden before. (I find that hard to believe!). We rode via Charvil today and over the A4 into Sonning.
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| Amanda T wanted to stop to remove a layer before we climbed Dunsden Hill. The others already ahead. (I took this photo with blue sky incase we didnt see any more later!) |
At Dunsdsen we turned left, passing the Loddon Brewery and continued to Sonning Common, and then to Kidmore End. The road to the left was closed today, and a bus had to swing around at the junction, so we had to get off the road pretty quickly, as it needed the FULL width to get the turn.
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| Arriving facing Kidmore End Church, and now we go around the walls into Tokers Green Lane. |
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| Catching our breath at the top of Mill Lane which emerges at the A4074... a busy road. |
For a couple of years now, I have walked on the verge to do the dogleg over this road. Much safer.
Tracey suddenly recogised where we were, as she used to live in Mapledurham, at the bottom of the hill opposite. We didn't drop down that far today, but turned right at a X roads to ride along an unnamed road to Nuney Green.
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| Open views to start with on our ride towards Nuney Green |
The two at the front, Amanda and Tracey, pulled over opposite this property. Rose was a little behind today and told us she felt she was coming down with a cold. So she was running at about 90% today.😕 But kept up well.
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| This house, a converted pub, called The King Charles Head |
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| At the top, before the big downhill to Whitchurch. |
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| You can see how steeply the road drops away, as Amanda starts off. |
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| Part way down on the right...... |
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| .. and looking back at the other side of the hill. |
I had met a gentleman a couple of years ago at Whitchurch Church, who told me about The Whitchurch Maze. I had passed it on that occasion, so made point of stopping to investigate it today, not far before we came into Whitchurch. I knew it was made from bricks on the ground, so wasn't expecting a big WOW!!
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| At the Whitchurch Maze |
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| Many the bricks have the sponsors names, or a message |
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| Coming out of the maze, to rejoin our route. |
A comfort stop in Pangbourne, and just as we set off again, the heavens opened, so stopped again to put jackets on. First time I have worn my rain jackets for MONTHS!
A Short busy section through Pangbourne becasue of 4 way temporary lights, but very soon we turned into Sulham Lane. This is a lane I always enjoy, but today, my glasses were covered in raindrops, and I had my head down, so kind of missed it. Pity.
A dog leg into Nunhide Lane, 5 mins later, and the rain stopped. 😊
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| Turning into Nunhide Lane at the thatch, next to the church. Rose, Anne, Amanda T, Amanda O, Tracey. (now Jackets came off again.) |
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| First sighting of the Wilder's Folly in the distance. |
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| As we pass it a mile or so later along a gravel track. |
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| Big open views to the right of the track. |
Close to the end of this lane, we are almost alongside the M4, so the traffic noise increases, and the huge blue IKEA building is on our our left. We rode over the pedestrian bridge now into Theale for our coffee stop, at Bradleys. It was 12.15,so we opted for a savoury lunch. All very nice sandwiches, some we had toasted. And Amanda O also bought a cake to share. Which apparently had "gone viral".
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| A Dubai cake, a recipe gone viral online. It was very rich, so 1/6th was enough! |
We left Theale at 1pm, and soon crossed the K&A canal, so uphill was inevitable, as we climbed Jaques Lane to Sulhampstead Lane, and few more undulations into Burghfield, before we enjoyed the downhill of James Lane to join Goring Road.
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| Rose and Amanda catch up again at the bottom of James Lane Burghfield. Another nose blow stop. Poor Rose. We headed to Kybes Lane next, and soon over the A33 at Three Mile Cross. As we turned off Hyde End Lane on the pedestrian/cycle path, some fresh new scalpings were being laid. Brilliant! Except that they were soooo new, that a digger was blocking the path. I got off my bike and walked towards him, to get past on the side. The driver wasn't happy, and told me to find another way round. I wasn't happy about that, so just said no, I was coming through. So he switched his engine off and we all walked past, perfectly safely. There was no ROAD CLOSED sign. |
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| Digger behind as we walked past it. "Jobs worth" wasn't happy. Neither was I if I had to detour for no reason. |
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| Rather threatening skies as we approached Shinfield, with 7 miles still to go. Fingers crossed! |
We joined the new path off Cutbush Lane to get us over the Loddon and onto the University Farm track back to Sindlesham.
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| Crossing the Loddon. |
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| We stopped as we crossed the river to put jackets back on again. But the rain didn't come to much. |
Emerging at Nirvana, we used the cyclepaths back to Winnersh, where Rose then led the 2 who parked at Cantley back to the start, whilst Amanda O and I cut through Saddlers End to Woosehill. I got home and moments later, the heavy rain came on. Phew! Very happy for it to rain now.
Thanks for your good company ladies, and hope you enjoyed your 40 miler. Not too many hills, but just enough to earn our cake.
