Other than John, it was the first ride of 2026 for the rest of the Monday club today. So, we started gently with almost no hills, other than one which I sneaked in later, to get us to Mortimer. 😉
With a lot of rain in the last couple of days, John and I avoided Nashgrove Lane and opted for the Finch Road to get to Bob's fish n Chips. Just for a change, my route then took us through Manor Park Drive, since I often wondered where that connected to the Greenway path to Arborfield. (A nice easy long downhill, avoiding all the dog walkers that sometimes get in the way leaving FBC!)
We were heading to Observer Way bridge to drop down to Greenward Lane, Arborfield, where we then cut through to the pedestrian pathway, from Church Lane. Turns out John had not done this before. First photo stop at this building in the Hall Farm estate.
The worn sign over the door reads that it's the "Youngstock Unit". Which seemed a bit weird that they would take the young cattle through this front door!😂 But behind this frontage, is a long barn building, with "mooing sounds", so presumably there is a separate entrance for the cattle.
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| Interesting detail on the chimney too. |
Onto the newly tarmacked path now to Cutbush Lane, passing the construction work still going on of a "Castle" for a film to be made later this year.... then demolished.
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| Castle in the making. |
From Cutbush Lane, we whizzed down Brookers Hill, toward Three Miles Cross, using the cycleways to navigate the A33 junction. We normally take the first right into Great Lea, to soon join Kybes Lane, but with all the recent rain, I was worried about floods along Kybes Lane. So, a different approach today, as we peddled along Mereoak Road, and a right turn into Grazeley Green Road, where we arrived at the far end of Kybes Lane.
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| Pump Lane cottage, views from Grazeley Green Road. |
Almost a dog leg next as we turned left onto Mortimer Road, and a sharp right, almost back on ourselves onto the quiet Grazeley Road. At the first X Roads, right into Cross Lane, where there was quite a lot of water at the low dip in the lane, but no problem to get through. Soon we cut through Wokefield Park.
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| I needed a nose blow stop, as the others carried on through Wokefield Park. |
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| Egyptian Geese on the golf course (if you squint), at Wokefield Park, and a TINY glimpse of sun? |
All the way into Mortimer now, and a short section uphill to take a left into Pitfield Lane. I've not done this section for a while. Just after the left turn Daphne announced that she was relieved we had turned left to miss the up hill to the coffee shop in Mortimer. 😂 (But we HAVE to get up a hill somewhere Daphne!) So the "hill" was half a mile later, onto Drury Lane. Easy really, and only up to about 5% at worse.
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| Top end of Drury Lane, as I stopped for the next photo, with views at a gap in the hedge, looking in Silchester direction. |
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| John and Dave catching us up on Drury Lane. |
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| The boys stopped to read this sign, which was about Biodiversity in Graveyards. (terrible photo) |
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| Little Graveyard which was next to a house which presumably was once a church. |
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| Monday gang on Drury Lane. |
We arrived at Mortimer Cafe, with a bike rack outside, and relieved to see that no U3A cyclists were there (we had passed them earlier). I had not been inside here before. It's pretty big, and they do table service. They also take table bookings I noticed.
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| photo by John in the cafe. |
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| A quick nose blow stop at Lambs Lane, before we used the Basingstoke Road into Swallowfield. |
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| Church Lane, Farley Hill |
From Sheerlands Road, I had mapped out a new wiggle today, to cut through the ever changing housing development, which was a shorter route to Nine Mile Ride. And cleaner than using the path to Hogwood after recent rain.
We cut through California Park, and I left Daphne and Linda as they crossed to Windsor Ride.... with a cyclists in a red jacket up ahead! It was Dave!!😂
I came back via Finch Road and never did see John, but when I got home, he hadn't even got into the garage, so just a tad ahead of me. He and Dave had not come through California Park, but stayed on Nine Mile Ride, which we all know is a more direct route, but I had that last rise up to the roundabout. 😉
Great to be out again, especially as I won't be out the next 2 weeks, since I have cataract surgery again on Saturday. Nice to see everyone.
(A late blog, since now back from the cinema from seeing Hamnet with Daphne and her friend Janet. Linda going tomorrow so won't say anything).
