Since tomorrow, Monday, looks wet, I had suggested that the "Monday club" do a Sunday ride instead today, with sunshine forecast. Only Kim was able to join us, but we 3 set out on a beautiful sunny morning the day on which the clocks went back. (always confusing 😉)
However.....Storm Boelo hit the UK yesterday, and has reeked havoc. I was just reading that all flights from Heathrow and Gatwick are cancelled and 82,000 homes are without power. The strongest winds are in Ireland and West Coast, but locally we had a forecast of 25mph winds, but 46 mph gusts. And it turns out, they were right. It was very windy! I noticed on our drive home, that one of the big Willow Trees in Sonning was lying in the river with a huge split in it's trunk. 😟
Route link screenshot at end.
Parking at Emmer Green Tennis club, we dropped down Kidmore End Road, only to climb back up again. I noticed some lovely colour in the trees through a gap in the hedge, looking to the Water Tower.
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| Kidmore End road looking to the Water Tower. A handy Ram in just the right place. |
Our next stop was "why was the chicken on the road?" The white car had stopped to run into the property to ask if they had lost their chickens, but that is not where they live. The chickens didn't seem one bit bothered, but a strange site to see along this road.
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| Kim goes ahead on Park Lane. |
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| Caught her up as she stopped to remove her hat. |
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| Hook End X Roads, before we climb Deer Lane up to Checkendon. |
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| Checkendon Church |
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| oh dear. Man down on Timbers Lane coming into Nuffield. |
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| Putting more air his tyre, with this epump, now that it has a new tube. (The 2nd replacement, since the valve on the first one kept coming out when the pump was removed. 😖) |
We are almost at the top of our climb as we arrive into Nuffield, and where we dogleg over to Huntercombe End, and continue to Cookley Green.
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| Church Lane just before we arrive at The Ridgeway in Swyncombe |
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| The light was changing every few seconds, and lit up the trees at times. |
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| Looking down to where Swyncombe Church is behind these trees. |
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| Bottom of Swyncombe Hill, where the lane was a real MESS with debris and puddles. |
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| Fascinating patterns on this crop field, on Chiltern Way. |
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| Looking back up Swyncombe Hill. |
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| The obligatory loo stop at Eweleme School, although it turns out that the shop has a loo available now too! |
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| It was packed when we arrived and couldn't get a seat inside. It was a little cool outside today, but quite sheltered here. We soon warmed up as we left...uphill on Days Lane! |
We headed now for our big climb back up to Nuffield on Nuffield Hill. The wind was sort of behind us, but didn't really help with this climb which peaks at 15%.
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| A brief photo stop under the huge Beech Trees of Kingwood. |
And finally through Sonning Common, and back to Emmer Green.
and some late additional photos from Kim, taken at Ewelme.
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Thanks for joining us Kim, and sorry that Steve, Dave and Linda missed out on this lovely ride. A request that next Monday we go to Test Valley area, much flatter, so hope we are all free for an away day ride.
