Mattingley to Bentley via Crondall

With rain jackets packed, we drove to Mattingley and had no set route in mind, other than a stop at Penncroft Vineyard in Crondall. Took our e-bikes today, and as we set off, we both struggled to get above 7mph in the first few minutes. 😂 (They are heavy until they get going!).

Route link screenshot at end

Some big puddles around today.,
as we started at Mattingley.

Just beyond Dipley Mill,
these are the gates to Dipley House.Must take a look after the leaves fall.

We used the lane around the back of West Green Gardens, Borough Court Road, to emerge on the A30, to soon cross over into Totters Lane at Murrell Green.

Borough Court Road farm building.

Totters Lane before the railway bridge.

Views as we dropped down from Totters Lane railway bridge,
looking towards Hook direction.

We turned into Bagwell Lane, past Winchfield Church and then at the X Roads, turned right to Dogmersfield & Crookham. I more often come the other way on this road, FROM Crondall.

The views from Penncroft Vineyard.
Some new vine planting on the left, in contrast to the open countryside to the right.

Views from Penncroft Vineyard. (A private drive)

Table 27, which we eventually found had it's number on a wooden spoon,
and NOT on the table, which we both inspected. 😂

The Carrot cake, which is a favourite of John's here,
but it toooo big, so I helped. 😉

Some cyclists from Woking club were leaving as we arrived, and said they had got rained on as they arrived. The roads were looking wet, but so far we had stayed dry.

Crondall landscape

Plenty of blue sky too today at times. The fields
are all parched white now that the crops are in.

Heading out of Crondall on Well Lane , we turned off left before Well, called Montgomery Lane, which eventually goes straight over at a crossroads and after one climb, all downhill for a while to Bentley. We more often slog UP this hill to the crossroads.

Just over the crossroads, its all downhill.

undulating round here!

The wall on this property has had a lot of new pointing done recently.
A major job. The bridge links two parts of the garden.

We arrive in Bentley facing this sign,
and turn right towards Lower Froyle (1.3/4 miles)

As we head into Froyle lots of cyclists with numbers on their bikes (saw some around 395 numbers), on a charity ride presumably. They were all looking very smug coming downhill into Lower Froyle, as we climbed up! (But a little power helped. Not at all steep, just long.)

Looking like we are about to get wet,
passing through Lower Froyle. (but we didn't!)

At the top of the hill, right turn to the "field with the horse", then we soon turned off left into Froyle Lane. Done this the opposite way round before. A nice lane, with plenty of tree cover.

Froyle Lane on the way to South Warnborough.

At the X Roads in South Warnbourgh, straight over the Alton Road, and first right into Gaston Lane. (Straight on is Lees Hill to Upton Grey). John had been to Upton Grey a few times recently, so wanted a different route today. We have also recently cycled on Little Dean Lane to connect to Lees Hill.

I knew we would join Ford Lane at the other end. 😇😂

Ford Lane, and a dogleg to join Bidden Road.

Ford Lane.

Bidden Road and our usual route to Greywell, and Up Nateley, where we turned right at The Red phone box, red letter box and currently RED Geraniums.

And right turn to Newnam.

I never enjoy the climb up to Newnam Xroads, but fine with power today. (Did it a couple of weeks ago without power.) Before we turned to Rotherwick, we continued to see the Sunflower field. Not visible from the road this year, but I had heard that they were in the field behind, so we cycled in. (Gate was shut today, but footpath to the side. The open days and sales, are now over).