Since I am not able to offer my usual Wednesday ride this week (Grandkids visiting), I offered Monday instead, so an opportunity to ride to Englefield Gardens, which are only open on Mondays. I have been 2 or 3 times now, but some of the others today had never been. Leaders Jill and Hazel also joined me, with Daphne, Kim, Clare, and Sue G.
I picked Daphne and Jill up at The Stables, Arborfield, and we met the rest at Riseley.
I put my action camera on my handlebars, to add to my collection of Breeze Spring outings, but the same thing has happened as last week ie the video which should be 16:96, is 9:16 ie skinny video. Absolutely useless for me. (This is a tech issue I need to resolve, since I have used this camera several times since I bought it in the autumn, and never had a problem.😡) So all of the video I took before the garden is useless. I happened to spot that an icon on the camera looked wrong at the garden, and changed it to the correct setting. Grrrrr. I have taken a few screengrabs, but with others the BIGGER picture ( ie the sides missing) are just not there.
Route link screenshot at end.
Our route started by whizzing down Welsh Drive, then over the railway into Mortimer, where we turned left, and took the next right into the very quiet (empty), Mortimer Lane. We carried on all the way to the junction with Goring Lane, where a few adjustments to clothing were done, before our bit of elevation on James Lane into Burghfield.
Once through Burghfield, to Trash Green, where we dropped down the hairpin bends of Hose Lane, and to Sheffield Bottom to cross the K&A Canal. (my skinny video didnt capture the main hairpin.)
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Clare leading the way down the hairpin bend section from
Trash Green into Sheffield Bottom |
Into Theale next, and soon we arrived at the entrance gates of Englefield House. These gates only open on Mondays.
I had a plan to use my drone once inside the grounds, to fly ahead of us, and off to the side, to get some nice moving shots. It just wasn't my day for technology. 😖 The drone hovered, then went behind me and hit Daphne's helmet and fell to the ground. No harm done. A second attempt and it also went behind me, but then a RED warning light flashing, so I grabbed it and caught it incase it decided to fly off somewhere. In the process, I sliced my finger on one of the blades, and spent the next few minutes until we reached the cafe, sucking blood off my finger. (quite a deep cut). I have been carrying my first aid kit for years, and never needed it! Hazel, first aid trained of course, sorted out my plaster. 😇😂
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Riding alongside Daphne as we arrived in Englefield
(btw I have no idea why this text is blue and underlined...
I give up today with techology!!!) |
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Englefield Church ahead, but the cafe is first stop,
so off to the right. |
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The bespoke wallpaper includes Englefield Church,
landscapes and wildlife |
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We got the last 2 inside tables.
Still a chilly breeze today to sit out. |
And refreshed, we had a hill to climb to get to the garden entrance.
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| A beautiful daffodil display as we approached the house. |
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A cheeky climb ahead to the garden entrance.
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Me, Daphne, Kim, Clare, Jill, Hazel and Sue G.
A wander around the garden to enjoy the spring planting, and also the deer herd.
Action camera orientation now changed to 16:9.
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| From Kim |
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| From Kim |
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| From Jill |
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| From Jill |
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Impressive Redwood Tree
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| Stag party! The ladies were off elsewhere. |
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Enjoying watching the deer
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| Back of the impressive house. |
The estate is owned by Richard, Baron Benyon, (his wealth worth over £100 million), and who lives in the house. It is often used as a film location. Load of info on the internet. The entry is £5 honesty donation, so its obviously not for his personal needs!
Time to go..... back down the hill. Wheeeee.
We left the estate through the village, and across to the pretty lanes of North Street, back into Theale on Deadman's Lane. At Sheffield Bottom, this time, we took off into Bottom Lane, all nice and flat, before a little climb up from Sulhampstead to Sulhampstead Abbots.
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Sulhampstead Abbots Church, glowing in the sunshine
as we reached the top of the climb to the XRoads. |
A little bit of busier road, then into Mortimer, as we passed the county boundary sign at the top of Turks Lane, which we also thought had the pilgrims way "shell" sign on the stone next to it.
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| Kim ahead of the pack down Turks Lane. |
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| Hazel, Sue and Daphne. |
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The downhill is slightly spoiled by the uphill
to the farm at the other end. 😂
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Alongside Hazel, just before we turn to
climb up Part Lane over the railway. |
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| My favourite, Green Lane at Strafield Saye. |
My official route finished as the bottom of Chequers Lane/Welsh Drive. I asked Daphne to chose the final climb, and she chose the Barge Lane option.
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The very last climb (honest Sue!), is on Barge Lane
to join Bull Lane. |
Well done everyone, especially Sue who pushed herself on a few more hills than normal today. You did really well, and I hope gained more confidence that you CAN do them.
