I wanted to revisit the amazing blossoms at Shalden Church, which I first discovered last year. But rather than just repeat the same route, a new route today, approaching from Alton to Shalden Church. I pre rode this on Sunday, to check the new bits I had not done before, one part of which was tough. But these Wednesday ladies are superstars.... we can do this!
(I have had a nightmare with this blog, with photos going all over the place, and gave up yesterday 😠. Still problematic today, but I think I finally got there. My followers will be up in arms if there is no blog! 😂😂😂)
It was forecast to be the hottest day of the year so far, at 25 degrees, so anything of winter weight was left behind today from the start, and sunscreen applied.
Garmin route. screenshot at end
We met at Odiham Canal, and headed for our usual comfort stop in town. I noticed that Amy and Rose were a bit behind us, but would catch us up in town. Which they did, but with the news that Amy's chain had come off twice and was now completely jammed. 😖 A few minutes of trying to resolve it, and we concluded that she was going nowhere. She locked her bike in the dentist's car park, and walked back to the canal to get her car.
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| Poor Amy with bottom lip quivering, as she had to abandon only minutes from the start with a very stuck chain. |
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| I always love when the Rape Crop is in flower on Long Lane, to match the RAF Odiham landing lights. |
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| Rose assisting today, as well as Hazel. Enroute to Long Sutton |
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| Amanda on the elevated Gaston Lane to South Warnbourgh |
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| Time to remove any extra layers, as we now drop into Long Sutton to climb a cheeky hill called Foyle Lane on the other side of the Alton Road. |
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| South Warnborough. |
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| A climb on Froyle Lane |
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| Nice to have Hazel also assisting today. All new territory for her today. |
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| A brief stop on a higher section of Froyle Lane surrounded by yellow fields. |
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| The landscape changes to a woodland canopy and lots of bluebells in flower here. I get ahead a bit to give them the all clear for a right hand turn at junction from Froyle LANE into Froyle ROAD. It's a short, sharp, steep climb. Most of them make it, before a car appeared, and Louise and I had to stop. (This climbs takes us to my landmark of "the field with the horse". ) Then a long, long, long, long downhill to Lower Froyle.  Louise alongside as we whizz into Lower Froyle. The fox and hare on the thatch roof.
From Upper Froyle, a drop downhill to the Hen and Chicken to cross the busy A31, before a brief look at the pretty River Wey waterfall.  Some quiet lanes again (with lots of potholes) to drop under the A31 now, into Holybourne passing "Old Rose Cottage", just for Rose. 😂 We have a little detour to the pond and church.    Unusual graves at Holybourne Chuch (to avoid grave robbing was one reason, but also showed status) We spent a few minutes here, having a snack bar and drink but also enjoying watching 9 cute ducklings whizzing around in the pond.  We peddled on the path through the churchyard to swing round back to the route continuing to Alton, where we used cyclepaths initially, then through the pedestrianised area of the town, and into Market Street. A short section of main road, but soon a left turn to Beech, to an immediate climb, which peaked at 13%. Phew!!  Right into the lane to climb towards Theddon.  A big effort and we wait at the top, with Rose taking a little while..... turns out her chain off again. A few more undulations, on very potholed lanes, but a big downhill awaits us now to join Well Lane, then across the A339 to climb up to Shalden.  Rose, whizzing downhill now for a right turn onto Well Lane, to cross the main road.      A few minutes, and we were on our way, still climbing, but gradual through the Hamlet of Shalden, to join The Avenue, and where Lasham Gliding Club is about 1.5 miles. It was busy! I had emailed to ask permission to come today, since if you are more than 6, they need to approve it. (Its a members club really). HW Breeze Champ Debs had asked to meet us there, and arrived just a few minutes earlier. But our lunch was a 40 min wait. Not a problem, except that one lady needed to home ideally by 3.30.  to leave Lasham airfield. A little climb now, but then the BIG downhill into Upton Grey, with Amanda whizzing past all of us.  (photo from Rose) We stayed on Bidden Road for a couple of final "undulations" towards Odiham, where rider Angela left us, and the rest of us returned to the start. Debs then left us to peddle back to HW. A great day out, a bit hot at times (😎), and we got back to the start at 3pm. We had only done just over 30 miles, but were just enjoying the countryside, so no rush. Amy came round late afternoon, with her unusable bike, and delighted that my hubby was able to fix it up on the bike stand. 😇  |
