NorWester Ride to Fairlands Farm, 9th September 2026

 

We decided to meet at the Weybridge Library Café which turned out to be a good choice. A friendly staff and good prices. The initial group consisted of Pam, Gill, Dawn, Jane, Martina, Christina and me. So, no need for a sub leader today. We left Pam and Gill discussing their forthcoming trip to Brittany and managed to get to Chertsey level crossing before Dawn received a phone call requesting her to look after her granddaughter. The remainder of the group then followed a route I had used before and like a lot, that went via Stonehill Road, Gracious Pond Road, Windlesham Road and then turned left into Halebourne Lane. At West End we took the cycle path on Guildford Road before turning right into Queens Road and on towards Pirbright, Cobbett Hill Road and Fairlands.

The restaurant was not as busy as in past years, so we had a choice of outside tables but a limited menu. We sat enjoying the conversation and the antics of a Border Collie doing tricks in the activity centre.

 

Rokers Park Farm Restaurant

It was then time to do a selfie of the four of us before cycling up Holly Lane. We then used a familiar route back to Walton, passing through Worplesdon, Mayford, Woking, Sheerwater, Byfleet, Addlestone, Weybridge and back to Walton. No one fancied tea, so we said our goodbyes and departed in different directions.

Ray

It was a good day out on the bike and used some of my favourite roads, both to and from Fairlands. The company was excellent and Christina who volunteered to do the back marking did a fabulous job.

Invitation to the B Ride from Fairoaks Airport.

We shall loop southwards towards lunch in Woking and then make our way back to Walton-on-Thames. This is a total of only 22 miles to allow for the longer ride to our start and maybe for your ride home from Walton.

In the past the café at the airport has a tendency to be slow serving so please allow a little longer if you want refreshments.

Please email me by Monday 14th if you would like to ride and add any preferences: johnaustin04@yahoo.co.uk

I hope to see you next week, 

John A.  

A Group ride 9th September

A start from Tanhouse allows some freedom to go a bit further south than usual. We've been to the White Horse before, the last time in 2024 with Andy C, but typically only every 5 years or so. Andy took a clockwise loop so this time it had to be anticlockwise with a slight variation from my previous offering in order to make the morning ride a suitable length.

Everyone arrived at Tanhouse in good time in spite of the roadworks at Henfold so both groups were on the road a few minutes after 1100.

Janice's group was first.

The weather conditions were fine for our ride, not too hot, cool but not too cold and not raining. However, closed roads caused possible problems for some in reaching Tanhouse. Henfold Lane was closed so I set out on a route to avoid it, which included going down Pebble Hill. At the top of the hill there was a road closed sign and whilst I definitely didn’t wish to be turned around at the bottom to have to climb up it I decided to take a chance. Fortunately, I was able to get through. Phew!

My group comprising Fiona, Mike R, Patrick, Dave B, Neil W, Guy and myself just about made it to set off in time.

I always find turning right out of Tanhouse to be quite tough as it’s more uphill than it looks and it also felt like the wind was against me. It may or may not have been as the wind felt against me on the way back too!

The route to Maplehurst passed pleasantly enough with quite a few roads that were new (or forgotten) by us. Some remembered the pub from previous visits and we all enjoyed our reasonably priced lunch (excellent toasted sandwiches) which came with good service.

The route back was similarly pleasant and as we had enough time, we passed the tea stop in Brockham and headed for Betchworth post office instead due to the lure of a better selection of home-made cakes. Unusually, the whole group stopped for tea as I think we were all in need of refuelling for the onward journey home.

A lovely day out in good company and for some it was a long ride, 80+ miles and with a few hills. Thanks to Brian for his inventive route using little used or never previously used roads. Thanks also to Fiona for skilfully back marking.

 

My group consisted of Andy C, Dave V, Geoffrey S, Hans, Karl, Peter S and Richard. It was a pleasant temperature to ride though, for once this summer, a little more sun and warmth would have been nice. Apart from a short busy stretch of the A264 after Broadbridge Heath it was mostly quiet lanes and we made good progress to lunch. The rear four had a good viewing of a buzzard on the Downs Link and I had a similar experience in the afternoon descending Tower Hill.

 

Geoffrey left us to take the train from Horsham and we rode back to Brockham arriving before 3.30 where Andy, Richard, Peter, Karl and I stopped for tea.

A lovely day out in good company. My thanks to Janice for subleading, Peter for back marking and Andy for both the photo and offering to lead if necessary. 

 

A Wandsworth Cycling Campaign project of interest to many of us

A request from Mags McKinlay (Wayfarers B) 

Please see the link below to a short video we at Wandsworth Cycling Campaign have made about the Earlsfield missing link on the Wandle Trail.  

I would like to encourage people,  particularly those resident in Merton or Wandsworth,  to write to their local Councillors asking for the missing link to be sorted.  Also, if people could share the video as widely as possible with their local communities, e.g. street WhatsApp groups , community organisations etc.

Any help you can give with this would be much appreciated. Hope to see you soon on a ride.

Best wishes

Mags

https://bsky.app/profile/wandsworthcycling.bsky.social/post/3muudonivc22e

Invitation to B Group Ride on 9th September

This Wednesday's ride will be a repeat of the ride I led 3 years ago from Tanhouse farm through scenic countryside to Dovers Green for lunch at the Beehive and ending in Leatherhead. The Beehive is an Embers Inn with a good- choice of lunch specials & does not require pre-ordering.

Stephanie will co-lead &  another TBD

The route is:

SurreyHills · Ride with GPS

Weather looks good with a high of 20C

Please email me at retolley@hotmail.com or use my personal whatsapp if you would like to join  

Robert T.

A Group Ride, 2nd September 2026 from Cobham to Guildford and Dorking.

We rubbed shoulders with academia during lunch at the Sir Ronald Wates - the new Wetherspoons located on the Stag Hill, Guildford University campus. There was a young and lively studently vibe abut the place, with a smattering of lap-tops in evidence - quite different clientele from that found in our normal High Street 'spoons visits. Refreshing!

Trying to find an original route from Cobham is a challenge. Using the new cycle paths and bridges from Pointers Lane alongside and across the M25 and A3 was a good start. Even in the rain! Thereafter it was reasonably familiar roads through Woking, followed by ingenious cycle paths onto the University campus. A modest 22 miles and my group arrived as Fiona had her group seated for lunch.

Fiona noted that unusually for this summer, her group set off in rain jackets. A different and interesting route out to Guildford. A new stop for lunch at Wetherspoons, where the ladies toilet provided interesting instructions on how and how not to use the facilities. A straight forward route back to Clunkers in Dorking for tea and cake. Thank you to Mike for back marking and thank you to all my group for being supportive and keeping me on route.

Brian reports: My group of Frances, Neil C, Neil W, Steve D and Peter S headed off in a steady drizzle to Wisley where the latecomers to the Wisley Show delayed us a bit as they were sent (for their sins) along the lane for a mile or so the last overflow car park. After that the ride was uneventful except for my error at the Shearwater Road turn where my Garmin didn't flag the right turn. Fortunately everyone else turned right and I soon caught up. By then the rain has passed and we stopped in Woking to shed the rain gear. Food service at the Wetherspoons was a bit of a lottery and it was about 2pm when we left. Several of us joined Ged's group for tea at the Clunker cafe. My thanks to Peter for back marking and to my group for a good day out.

Eight pictured below stayed for tea at the Old Clunker cafe, not realising Fiona's speedy group had already been and gone.

Many thanks for Brian for sub-leading a moderately paced group, and also for suggesting some clever tweaks to my original route following our recce. Chapeau to Fiona for leading her group without a recce - having been called away on urgent family business. Finally thanks to a very visible Dave V for backmarking my group.

Report for B Group - 2nd September

With many people away on holiday, and several others who hadn’t yet adjusted to our old custom of getting wet on Wednesdays, we had a low turnout for this ride. But Terry, Ian and Dawn were at Elevenses to chat before we all took off. Grant was there too but opted for a cycling adventure with the Easy Riders. We were sorry that Sabina, Tim G and Dawn wouldn’t be able to ride with us after hoping that they could. John rode with Bernard until around Effingham when he departed for home and Grand-dad duties.

Bernard, in his proud new incarnation as the Sparrow of Motspur Park, in honour of his cycling hero Federico Bahamontes, the Eagle of Toledo, took off with his flock at the appointed time, swooped down through Effingham and soared into the hills of White Down and Abinger Common. When they alighted on Abinger Common to admire St James’s Well our second group caught up with them, whereupon they all took off again and were not seen again until lunchtime.

Team Bernard at St James's Well

Our team got away a little after 11 despite the rain still threatening to spoil our fun. After Effingham the route I’d planned had us turning off Beech Avenue into High Barn Lane and then heading up Hogden Lane. However, there was an apparently formidable barrier closing High Barn Lane and we didn’t feel like taking a chance on making it all the way through. When we arrived at lunch we were embarrassed to learn that Bernard and his team had negotiated a safe passage through the closure and had stuck to my original route. We had been shown up and were mildly humbled by the more adventurous team which preceded us, not least because we arrived at The Crown Inn just after them. Chapeau to Team Bernard.

One of the great pleasures of the ride, apart from the descent of White Down, was the time we spent riding through the forests, particularly in Abinger Lane and Leith Hill Road. It isn’t quite Autumn yet but after the recent rain the atmosphere in the forest was fresh and lively.

Action in Abinger Lane:

Francis back-marking

Mags sprinting up the lane

We frequently pass The Crown in Capel so it is a mystery that we hadn’t had lunch there before. But I had learned that my default choice of pub, the Inn on the Green in Ockley had closed down. So, I made the arrangements with Vanda at The Crown, agreed to ask for pre-orders and we thoroughly enjoyed going there. The good food and friendly hospitality left us looking forward to a future visit.

 

Team Bernard

Team Tim C

As the morning ride had been a challenge a shorter afternoon was called for but rather than the customary parade up to Leatherhead the six of us who remained rode up Little Switzerland to Headley and across Langley Vale to The Olive Tree café at the Ashtead Park Garden Centre to enjoy our coffee and cake.

A big thank you to Bernard for his heroic feats of leadership, to our back-markers Steph and Francis, and to our hardy and cheerful riders who were up for this challenge in the hills and forests of Surrey.

~ Tim C