A good forecast today, so we drove to Wash Common to ride to Watership Down with teastop at Whitchurch Silk Mill. We have done this route before with just a few miles of variations today. It's challenging, and having done it before on my road bike, I opted for me ebike today, incase I couldn't keep up with John, who is well into his training for Mt Ventoux. 😉. His training also had the benefit of strong winds head winds today!! (Vent meaning windy!!)
Route link screenshot at end.
All easy for the first few miles as we left the car park at The Chase, Wash Common, and headed for Wooton Hill to climb to Ashmansworth. There are two ways to get there, and today, John chose the more difficult one. Both routes start on Church Lane, then the road splits and we kept to the right. We passed very close to Malverley's Farm Shop cafe, btt turned left in East Woodhay to begin the long climb.
It starts out gradually before ramping up to a red gradient.
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| Flat to start with as we join the unnamed road from East Woodhay to Ashmansworth |
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| ok, so that's the hill ahead. |
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| Slowly does it to start with. |
With power on, I soon passed John who got smaller and smaller in my mirror. I passed a lady running up the hill near the top.
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| This is where I stopped at the top to wait for John. Liked the shadows from the trees. A very contrasty day, with light and shadow. |
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| View to the left at the top before we reach Ashmansworth |
Through Ashmansworth, where last year we had to halt for the remembrance service and walk slowly through. Once through the village, a huge downhill, before crossing straight over the A343 at a point called Doiley Hill. This road continues nice and flat, and just before a left turn into Windmill Lane, we passed this pretty thatch called Honeysuckle Cottage.
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Honeysuckle Cottage. |
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| Left turn, just passed Honeysuckle Cottage. (no signs of a Windmill) |
And now on Gangbridge Lane, to bring us alongside the Bourne Rivulete into St Marybourne. But the river was completely dry!
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| The dry riverbed as we approached St Marybourne, along the quiet narrow lanes. |
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| A quick loo stop in St Marybourne, before we left to climb out of the village up the gradual hill next to the pub, called Egbury Road |
I didn't even need power on this hill until much higher up, as we passed The Strawberry Farm.
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| Looking back as climbed out of St Marybourne. |
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| Lots of clematis seedheads as we climbed out of St Marybourne |
A dogleg over Harrow Way, with a short uphill section on main road Boswood Lane, and where a car overtook me approaching a blind bend, and sooooo nearly hit a car coming round the bend. 😡
Downhill on the awful bumpy surface into Whitchurch on Bell Street and soon we arrived at The Silk Mill.
A climb away from Whitchurch on a road we know well, in both directions. We passed 3 young lads running, and then I stopped for a photo, so passed them again later as John carried on.
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| View through the cafe window. |
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| Families feeding the wildlife. |
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| Silk Mill Cottage, next to the car park. |
A climb away from Whitchurch on a road we know well, in both directions. We passed 3 young lads running, and then I stopped for a photo, so passed them again later as John carried on.
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| Views from Mitcheldever Road. |
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| Always enjoy this view as it opens out. John had stopped, but now set off just ahead of me.... |
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| Micheldever Road |
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| Micheldever Road |
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| photo by John |
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| photo by John, as I wait for him. ( another cyclists coming uphill) |
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photo by John, as I set off for the bottom section |
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| Looking back on Micheldever Road. |
At the bottom, a left turn onto Laverstock Road, and where, once we reached the Bombay Saphire Distillery, and passed Freefolk Almshouses, we turned right for our next sharp climb on Watch Lane. I used power here from the start, which is the steepest section and continued to wait for John about a mile further on, where the road joins the end of Harroway. But the name immediately changes to Twinley Lane.
On a short rise, we passed two young horse riders, with their mother walking holding the reigns, so eased passed slowly!
At the T Junction, a left onto Cole Henley Road, where at the top of rise, we turn very sharp right into the unnamed valley road, via Ashley Warren, which after about 4 miles comes to Watership Down.
It's always empty here, thankfully, since the road conditions are not great. We stopped at John's usual photo stop, next this farm building.
Once through Ashley Warren (the Hamlet with the gates in and out) the climb which is mostly around 7 or 8% ramps up briefly to around 13%. I have done it on my road bike once. It's tough! I was fine with power of course, and waited for John at the top at Watership Down.
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| photo stop of the view to our right, about a mile short of Ashley Warren |
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| Something like this? |
Once through Ashley Warren (the Hamlet with the gates in and out) the climb which is mostly around 7 or 8% ramps up briefly to around 13%. I have done it on my road bike once. It's tough! I was fine with power of course, and waited for John at the top at Watership Down.
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| First open view from the top. |
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| Here he comes. Well done. 😇 |
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| The light kept changing, and the trees lit up as I waited. (this is the walk that everyone comes here to do) |
I never particularly enjoy the really steep descent from here.. it's 15% gradient. The sun appeared to not reach the other side of the hill as we descended, so no photo initially, until I pulled over at gate with an open view, and we got lucky with beautiful light, but had to be quick!
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| Gorgeous light sculpting the landscape on the opposite side of the hill at Watership Down.  |
We are rubbish at Selfies. Mobile phone didn't cope well with the big contrast in light.
But here we are!
At the bottom of the long hill, we usually turn left through Sydmonton, but John planned the route today which went straight over signposted Ecchinswell. What he hadn't reaslised from the map was that this road was a bit of rollercoaster of ups and downs! (I think he had had enough hills by now. )
It was a nice lane though. I stopped to photograph this very unusual house with pebbled rendering.
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| Ecchinswell Road |
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| Lovely views from Ecchinswell Road but the high contrast difficult to photograph. |
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| Yellow door cottage as we turn left into Spring Lane. I have photographed this landmark before, but not with Xmas baubles.😂 |
Almost back, and the last few miles on busier roads as we crossed on a bridge over the A34, with mostly fast downhill through Pound Street with just one annoying uphill A dash over the A343 into Wooton Hill Road back to The Chase car park.
Lovely route, and nice to clearly see the landscape thanks to the winter trees, rather with hidden views with too much foliage in the way.
Well done to my old man.😇 He worked a lot harder than me hard on the hills, but I seemed to peddle the entire route, listening to him freewheel on the flatter sections with his much lighter bike, so my legs are also feeling weary! 😖
