Odiham to Preston Candover via Shalden - 34 miles 1900 feet (blog number 1111)

on

EBike Sunday ride, and we left Odiham just after 10am. It's Remembrance Sunday, and already quite a number of people had gathered in the "closed" High Street, along with the first of the parades. 

We quietly and politely squeezed past pushing our bikes,
as the start of the Remembrance Parade got under way.

Route link screenshot at end.

A bright but chilly morning, just 10 degrees as
we peddled down passing the sheep on Long Lane

Plenty of Helicopter noise coming from RAF Odiham this morning. We wondered if they might do a fly past at the Remembrance Parade.

A right turn onto the lane towards Long Sutton,
and one which we pretty much always come along from other direction. 

From Long Sutton we took Copse Lane (opposite the Pond), climbing now gradually to the back of Lord Wandsworth College, with the fast down and SLOW 12% gradient UP to the field with the horse.  (Garmin does not count this as a climb! Bloomin' Is!!😓)

Right next onto Froyle Road all the way to Golden Pot X Roads, straight over, then first left signposted Shalden. 

Shalden Lane. A sheep spotting day today.😂

The far end of Shalden Lane. A pretty valley road dropping
down to meet the A339. 

Photo by John of me now passing him, as he also stopped on Shalden Lane

A dogleg over the A339 into the pretty Well Lane
(I loved the cloud shape, which is why I stopped)

I have gone left off of Well Lane a couple of times, on a steep climb, when heading to Chawton. But today, we followed the road around to the right... also uphill, into Bentwoth. (a new link for me). However I have come through Bentworth the opposite way a few times.(where we had pulled off to see a small church). But it all looks new when its the opposite direction. 😂

At the Tjunction in Bentworth a left turn towards Medstead. 
(but we are not going to Medstead!)


At the T junction as an aid memoire. 

A few miles of country lanes now through Lower Wield area, nothing of significance to remind me of how it looks coming the other way. 😉

unnamed road, Lower Wield area. 

same view, closer up. 

Eventually we drop down into Preston Candover,
and this is the road next to the church, which we usually come up. 

A stop at the church, since the Beech Trees were gorgeous. 



Carrying on to Chilten Candover, to The Yard, it had just started to rain lightly.  We managed to get a seat inside the indoor/outside space, which had heaters on.  John tested the Carrot and Fennel cake. Nice😋.

Instead of doubling back along the main road, a new section today, which was to loop around a large private estate, whose road is called The Avenue. 


On the far side of our loop around The Avenue,
before we dropped into Preston Candover once more. 

Arriving back in Preston Candover. This horse looked a normal size......

... until this one joined him!  He now looks tiny. 😂

From Preston Candover, ignoring the road on the left to Moundsmere, we veered right joining Bagmore Lane to Bagmore.  Time to remove the rain jacket, as I was now way to hot!  This was all uphill, and I was glad of the power on this heavy bike. A nice road, passing under trees and dropping down eventually to join Berrydown Lane, which we often use. 

Bagmore Lane

Bagmore Lane, as it drops down.... eventually. 

I felt sure I recognised those trees and sure enough
just around the next bend, a triangular junction, where we
have stopped previously passing along Berrydown Lane. 

All familiar now as we cross the A339 at Herriad, and soon the long downhill into Upton Grey, and back to Odiham.