Bank Holiday Monday, which meant avoiding busy cafes with families! We were joined today by Daphne, Gill, Kim & Steve, and Dave. We have never had 7 on a Monday ride before! Daphne kindly collected Dave and we met at Mattingley. Enroute, I had a call from Gill who was checking that we were still going, since she had arrived early in heavy rain.😖 But the weather radar was for rain to pass through by 9.30 and it DID!
My Lumix camera once more was only taking photographs when it felt like it, so resorted to phone shots eventually, since it was taking too long. Think the time has come for bumbag size replacement camera. I took my road bike today for a change, since we were doing no tracks.
Route link screenshot at end.
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| A gloomy start at Mattingly. |
We headed to Rotherwick, through the grounds of Tilney Hall, and at Newnham X Roads, down the hill on Newnham Road to turn into Pot Lane. We pulled over for a moment to put jackets on since it started to drizzle, and it was quite chilly too.
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| Newnham Road, jackets on stop. |
We doglegged over the A30 to Andwell, then a little climb over the M3 to head for Mapledurwell.
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| Crossing over the M3. Dark skies. |
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| At the junction after the M3, a right turn, then soon left into Frog Lane. |
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| Frog Lane with yellow Flag Iris in the stream and one of many, many yellow Rape fields we saw today. |
Passing the pond in Mapledurwell, a gradual uphill passing the farm, and at the junction, a left turn onto Down Farm Lane. (this was a tweak to my route which went right and up Tunworth Road, but cuts out a hill). No one complained 😂. But then at the Tunworth X Road, we did of course have to climb.
Here comes Gill, Kim and Dave reaching the top of the Tunworth Climb.
(this road has no name, but drops down steeply now to Weston Patrick).
(this road has no name, but drops down steeply now to Weston Patrick).
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| Always a good place to catch your breath to take in the view. |
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| John, Steve and Dave at the top. |
The steep downhill to Weston Patrick junction is spoiled only by the long slog now up now on The Street to Herriad. It's a long but not too steep one. (but we get to come back down it later.)
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| Top of this climb to St John's Road, where we sometimes use to connect to Lasham Airfield, but today straight on to cross the A339 to Bagmore Lane. |
John and Steve left us after the A339 since they were doing an extra climb to Ellisfield, to drop back down steeply to Berrydown Lane, which is an extension of Bagmore Lane.
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| At this junction Bagmore Lane changes name to Berrydown Lane. It's a beautiful "valley road". And left here is where will appear from much later as we drop down to it, on our return loop |
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| Berrydown Lane. |
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Berrydown Lane. Coming into Axford, as we reach the end of Berrydown Lane.  |
As I caught up with the others in Axford, they were chatting to this couple whose garden backs onto this old round house. It had been moved to this position several years ago from a private garden.
Just a easy mile or so further to reach Preston Candover, to our teastop at the Village shop, passing several thatch cottages on our approach.
Despite our stopping, we got there before John and Steve who arrived within about 5 mins.
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| John's photo of wild garlic at the woods in Ellisfield. |
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| taken by John. |
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| And by Kim. |
Fed and watered and toileted... time to go. Back a couple of hundred yards, then right into an unnamed road, in the direction of Bradley x roads, where a left would climb over Moundsmere, but today, straight ahead back to Bagmore.
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| Gorgeous day now, on this unnamed road towards the X Roads and a climb ahead. |
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| Gill and Kim catch up with me and Daphne no sign of the boys behind... Must be faffing. |
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| A climb up to this sign, with a nice downhill to come. |
(given up with my camera now, and resorted to mobile phone for the next few shots. )
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| Wheee. Down to Bagmore Y junction. |
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| Back to the junction we came through on the bottom road earlier. (Steve caught me up here and said he came here yesterday!) |
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| loads of wild garlic here too. |
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| Bagmore Road. |
We crossed back over the A339 for a short climb, followed by a 2 mile dowhill to Upton Grey. BUT part way down (where we had joined this road earlier from Weston Patrick), a spur of the moment right turn from me, to visit the church. Not been here for many years.
(My camera is working again!)
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| looking for the church! |
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| Must be further round this lane. |
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| found it. |
And a few phone snaps taken by Dave and also Kim. The plan was for a girl's group shot then some interloper appeared at the wrong moment.
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| Kim's |
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| Cheer up 😄 |
Into Upton Grey, and a climb passed the shop to the top, where the route is straight on (except it turned out that 2 didn't 😉).
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| Centaurea Montana in flower as we leave Upton Grey |
At the Y junction where it climbs steeply to join Nately Road, I have never turned left here before. It's just a little steeper than turning right!!! Kim and I made it, but Daphne was off. Gill approached it by taking the right fork then swinging round. I suggested John stand at the junction and warn Dave to do the same.... but he was gone for ages!!! (this is because Dave and Steve had gone off course further back.)
I was ready with my phone camera as I heard voices approaching.
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| John appears first... |
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| And the other boys make it. |
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| Still smiling. |
A fast downhill through Up Nately and right at the pond, where the Flag Iris were also in flower. (camera worked again!)
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| We had spotted these little Donkeys at the breakdown spot, and went around the corner to a gate. |
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| Even more! The kept coming. |
Chain eventually sorted thanks to Steve and John. The horrible climb still had to be done to Newnham, then retraced our route to the start.
After a misty damp start this morning, turned out a beautiful day again. Nice to see everyone, and hope you enjoyed todays route. (Off to pack now for Germany... a non cycling holiday 😂)
