Lots of ladies on holiday this week, but Martina, Jeanette and me free, and I invited Clare (on half term) to join us. Jeanette unfortunately didn't feel up to the ride this morning, so we were 3. Martina and Clare not met before, but they know each other pretty well now.😁
A MUCH more comfortable temperature today at last. We finished in 25degrees and overcast. Perfect.
I think it was Jeanette who had told me a while back about a place near where I normally park in Bradfield, where you can park and they have nice loos too. I thought it was at the bottom of Scratchwood Lane, called Rushall Farm.... it was, but the other part of the farm where you park is a bit further along Back Lane, then down a gravel drive. (The exit comes out onto Scratchface Lane). Turns out that Martina has dropped her kids here for camping.
Route link (screenshot at end)
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| Rushall Farm |
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| Rushall Farm, which it turns out is also a wedding venue. |
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| Between Stanford Dingley and Bucklebury. |
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| the cow shed opposite the lambs. |
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Trying a selfie with the flip screen on my new camera..
but mainly to show my new top! First outing. 😉 |
Having dropped into Hampstead Norreys we had to climb out the other side, and we used the narrow lane over the railbridge, to climb a loooooong climb up towards Aldworth, but the max was 6% gradient.
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crossing the railway, waiting for me to
take my photo. |
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| We were surrounded by crop fields all day today. |
As the climb flattened out at the top, I "spotted" this little pony. I have never seen one like this before. A Dalmatian pony.
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| Me, me, me!!! |
A big drop down to the Four Way pub junction to immediately climb up again to Aldworth. We had planned to drop into the church to see the "giants" since they had never been, but it's closed atm.
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| St Marys church Aldworth, which Clare recognised from a walk she had done. |
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The Ancient Yew tree reported to be over 1000 years old, was
damaged in 1976 storms. |
Passing the Bell pub, we crossed over the junction into the quiet Reading Road, before a left into an even quieter unnamed lane, which eventually drops down steeply into Hook End Lane.
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shortly before we dropped into Hook End Lane.
(terrible photo, cant see any cows faces 😂) |
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Hook End Lane, which towards the end has a climb to Upper Basildon.
(our last climb of the day.) |
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I stopped here, since I took a photo of washing at this house
several years ago.. and tried to paint it. |
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| The washing still not dry after all these years 😉 |
A whizz out of Upper Basildon, and soon turn into Dark Lane, taking us under the M4 and straight on back to the start. The only problem with parking at the farm is that on the return its uphill on a horrible gravel drive, so not convinced that I would use it again, unless one of my buddies requested a loo stop.
Thanks Clare and Martina for your company, and my cake and drink. Glad you enjoyed your day out.
I got home to a photo on Whats App from John at the top of Mt Ventoux. So glad he made it. 😇 It peaked at 40 degrees again there today, so have been a bit worried about him, but now I can relax. My Chef & bike mechanic is coming home tomorrow. 😍
