Sunday, and since I have only managed a handful of rides this year, ( and therefore not in peak fitness) I opted for ebike Sunday ride today. John decided to use his ebike too. I'm leading a ride to Swyncombe on Wednesday, but since the forecast is not hopeful, thought we might as well go to Swyncombe today. But other than the starting point, the route is quite different from the more gentle route I have planned for Wednesday.
As we drove through Sonning, the river was almost as high as it gets, with no lawn at all now visible at the French Horn. I cycled through on Wednesday, and a notable change with more rain over the last few days.
Route screen shot at end.
From Emmer Green tennis club, we turned right, but Diversion signs in place. We thought no doubt due to flooding, since this lane was almost flooded on Wednesday. The strange this was..... the flood had gone! Looks like there have been some ditches cleared, so hopefully this road will no longer flood as badly. The surface is dreadful, since it spends a lot of time underwater.
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| A gloomy, misty start on our way to Sonning Common |
To avoid the worst of the messy lanes, we continued straight in Sonning Common to pass the school, to join Horsepond Road, before a right turn into Wyfold Road.
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Wyfold Road. Last year's Beech leaves still hanging on
but a few new buds almost visibile now too. |
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A left turn at Wyfold X Roads.
The moss looking very verdant against the brown leaf litter. |
Dropping to Hook End junction, quite a substantial flood at the low point, as often happens, but a tiny bit of road visible, so we got through. This patch of snowdrops on our left.
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| not in focus! Camera settings had changed in my bumbag. 😖 |
We chatted for a few minutes with a couple walking down Deers Lane, about photography and cycling. They live locally and next door to our friends Debi's friend Charlotte. Small world.
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| As we climbed Deer's Lane, the mist got thicker. |
The bells ringing at Checkendon Church as we passed, and we decided to not take the lanes around the Equestrian centre today, since they are a mess at the best of times! We continued out to Kit Lane then took the left to drop down Berins Hill.... with brakes on, then climbed to Ipsden.
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| RAF Benson, with a moody sky. |
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| That little bit of light made this. |
Through Ewelme, and out the other side, to head for Swyncombe. I spotted this little scene, so told John to go ahead to be in the shot, at which point 3 cars came from behind. Typical. Then none!!! There were quite a few cars parked for Ridgeway walkers today.
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| Chiltern Way. Enroute to Swynvombe |
Just beyond that last photo, a flood. We decided to be safe, with so many potholes around, to walk around on the edge on a skinny, slippery, bit of grass. The rest of the way was messy but not flodded.
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I stopped for a noseblow, as John headed up the hill.
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| John then got a photo of me catching him up. |
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| And just when you don't want it... a car pulled out from the church. |
There were lots of cars parked down the side of the road to the church, but thankfully, almost no one actually there. (Snowdrop Sunday teas from 2pm for the next 3 Sundays).
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| St Botolph's Church Swyncombe. |
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| A few Aconites also looking lovely. |
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We chatted to this couple who had a picnic. I asked if
Ok to take this photo of the back of them.
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| Do I look comfortable? 😂 |
Handy to have power to climb away from the church, which is quite a steep section, then a gradual climb all the way to the main road at Cookley Green.
Our return route, all very familiar, to Huntercombe End, Nuffield, Stoke Row and a whizz down through the Kingwood to Sonning Common. A final climb to Binfield Heath then back to the start.
Good to be out, almost no wind, hence the mist, but thankfully no rain.
