Riseley to Englefield via Trash Green - 28 miles

Monday again, and since I've been unwell since last Monday, my first outing for ages.... again. So far in 2026 I've done a pathetic number of rides.   Not feeling particularly energetic yet, so I opted to take my ebike today, rather than wear myself out even more. Daphne agreed to pick up Dave to meet us at Riseley. But as we pulled off the drive this morning, a call from Daphne to say  her car had broken down, near home, and also that Dave had let her know that he wasn't feeling great, so he opted out today.  Daphne had to wait for the AA to rescue her.

The plan was to ride to Englefield, and I planned the route today, trying to shake up the route just a little from usual. 

Route link screenshot at end

Bull Lane, Riseley was absolutely filthy! At the top end, a truck had literally just pulled up, which was to do some road sweeping, infact a ROAD closed sign on the other part of Bull Lane today.  So we wondered how different it would look by the time we returned. 

Bottom of Chequers Lane. The typical green door paint
of the Wellington Estate houses. 

The dregs of last summer on Park Lane.

Park Lane, John stopping to put his snood
over his ears. Quite a chilly start, but a bright day. 

We continued into Mortimer over the railway, then a left and first right into Mortimer Lane.  I spotted Wokefield Park shining in the distance, and stopped for a photo, whilst John continued.  I caught him up at the bottom of " Barking Dog hill", but had to call him back, since that was NOT the route today. We do normally climb up there if heading to Burghfield direction.  But I had another idea.

Wokefield Park white hotel building.

We carried on all the way to the end of Mortimer Lane. (passing the back entrance to Wokefield). It changes name to New Road, which I more often come up. Nice easy downhill, if quite messy.  At the junction with Goring Lane, quite handy that the road is CLOSED, so no traffic to contend with for our short section before we turned into James Lane, for a gradual climb to Burghfield Village.

I came this way so that we could drop down the hairpin bends to Sheffield Bottom, once we had passed through Trash Green. 

Traffic controlled hair pins ahead, just beyond this sign. 

On Mondays, the gardens at Englefield Estate are open, so I thought we would arrive in style today, though the grand entrance gates.  I checked online yesterday and noticed that the gardens are closed just today, open again next week. They are open every other Monday of the whole year!  I thought perhaps a private event happening, so the gates should still be open!   But they were not.  Never mind, we just had to peddle less than half a mile on the A340. which was very quiet anyway. 

Ready to attack an enormous piece of cake. 

A handful of others inside today, and some
families outside too.

I was just about to take a photo in the empty far right hand corner, when a lady sat down at the table, so I didn't. She was looking straight at me, and then she came over.  "Didn't we meet a couple of weeks ago in Bramley?" she said.   LOL, what a small world!  This was Clare, who had her dog with her last time, when Daphne and I shared her table. (Daphne and she swapped numbers for possible doggy sitting in future). And here she was again!!

She had never been here before (or Bramley Barn ), so I jokingly said I could give her some ideas of where she might head next Monday. 😂

At the cafe, a few daffs in flower.

Not nearly so many snowdrops on our ride today as last Monday in Hampshire, but the countryside looking very green, and occasional sightings of early blossom. 

We left Englefield crossing to the Hamlet of North Street, followed by Deadmans Lane to Theale., and left onto Church Street. This has the best view of the enormous Church in Theale, which we mormally miss if returning on Englefield Road.  

Back over the K&A canal, where our climbing begins to get up to Sulhampstead. We often use Bottom Lane, but it can get very flooded after lots of rain (which we have had), so I planned to use Jaques's Lane today passing the Police College entrance. 

Views along Jaques's Lane. 

And a closer look at same scene. I was just spending
time waiting for John who had stopped to photograph
a tree a little further back. 

Continuing on Jaques's Lane

John now passes me. 

We normally turn off to the right into Folley Lane to climb to Sulhampstead Church, but my route today, continued to a junction, where we turned right onto Sulhampstead Road. I wasn't convinced I had ever come this way before, and neither was John. It looked unfamiliar, with a solar farm on our left.  We emerged opposite the church at a junction I had never even noticed before. How funny! Have passed this way lots of times, but usually looking at the church building. 

Straight across into Shortheath Lane, and the quiet Island Farm Road., before joining the long straight road which all look the same in this area with Pine Trees and silver birch.  Into Mortimer Common, and we were heading to drop down Turks Lane. John had previously spotted a sign for the country boundary which I was unaware of. 

Leaving Berkshire as we drop down Turks Lane, Mortimer Common. 

Usual route back to Riseley  now on Green Lane to West End Green. We stopped briefly to chat to a man in an orange jacket, inspecting damage to the bridge on Chequers Lane.  At least the road is still open, unlike the Swallowfield Bridge which was hit by an articulated lorry this week!

Car damage, or just crumbling walls?
Chequers Lane.

Bull Lane was just a filthy on our way back, so the road sweeper had done nothing. 

It was really windy at times today, so I was glad of my power, which I used unashamedly on the hills, since I'm still not fit. I plan to use my gravel bike on Wednesday for leading my Breeze ride. (But it's turning really cold, so I hope we do get out.)

After lunch, we cracked on with decorating our bedroom, which we hope to finish tomorrow. New curtains arrive Wednesday!  Every room upstairs is a right mess with stuff everywhere. Cant wait to ge back to normal.