Train-Assisted Ride 25th
April 2007-05-24These train-assisted rides are based on those devised for the V-CC camp held at Long Sutton, Hampshire. Constraints of train time-tables and country pub opening hours mean that we can only sample a small part of the country. So I have added a few notes on what we might have seen with more time at our disposal. Most of those present had arrived at Farnham Station by the 10:57 train or by car, except for John Bassett who did an heroic ride from Surbiton to arrive just in time for the depart at 11:00.
The café at The Maltings, foot of Firgrove Hill is the current best place for elevenses, but everyone was eager to get at the hills, so we left tealess by West Street and Crondall Lane through Dippenhall. At Well we turned south through Lower Froyle and Upper Froyle (which is lower) to cross the A31 at Mill Court. Through the old hopfields, of which only the windbreaks of Lombardy Poplars remain at Wyck, to East Worldham where the old hop kilns have been converted to dwellings. Also here is a church containing relics of Chaucer’s family - although their main memorial is elsewhere - the church at Ewelme, Oxfordshire. Down Blanket Street to cross the Selborne Road by the curious Round House and drop down to Upper Faringdon. Here we passed the Massey Folly, a tall red brick building near the church and through the picturesque village to our lunch stop, The Rose and Crown.
After lunch along Hall Lane for a quiet ride into Selborne, with no time to visit the church with its stained glass window dedicated to Gilbert White, or his museum which also contains relics of Captain Oates, of Antarctic fame. At the far end of the village we left by Honey Lane to reach Oakhanger, notable for its radomes and (for me) the rare plant
Spiked Star of Bethlehem, which I had photographed on a recce just two weeks before, but which had disappeared when I tried to show it to our party. The road north has no name, and continues so after crossing the B3004 (Green Street) by a staggered junction. From here it’s a long climb to Binsted, where the church contains the grave and mementoes of Montgomery of Alamein. We had to arrive before 3 O’clock, closing time of The Vine, our teatime destination. This spared us the horrors of our usual teaplace out on the A325.
After tea we took a look at “Monty's" last residence, the mill on the Wey at Isington, then through Bentley, home of another famous soldier, Lord Baden-Powell, who instigated the illustrated history of the village, which stands beside the main street. The climb up to the outward route, Dippenhall Lane gave rise to remark directed at the leader who, on such occasions points out the beauty of the surroundings. A last climb up to Three Stiles led to a freewheel down to Farnham Station and a rest for everyone except the two who rode another 25 miles home at the end of a glorious day.
Star of Bethlehem
From Shepperton we went into Chertsey to pick up yet another segment of the National Cycle Route 4 to the foot of St. Anns Hill. Along Ruxbury Road to Lyne, Trumps Green, Longcross, Chobham Common, Windlesham, UpDown Hill to the A30, a right and left to skirt South Ascot to Sunninghill, then King’s Road, Larch Avenue (opposite Ben, where old cycle dealers spend their declining years), past Sunningdale Park (where Civil Servants ditto) to Silwood Road and The Nags Head, with Harveys Sussex Ales on tap. After lunch, up Whitmore Lane to Blacknest Gate of Windsor Great Park, through the rhodendron plantation to Smiths Lawn and past the Guards Polo Club to Egham Wick Gate. From here to the A30, a short distance west to an off-road path to Bakeham Lane, Prune Hill, past Great Fosters to Thorpe Green. Thorpe Lane to Chertsey, Addlestone Moor, cycle path to Weybridge, Portmore Park Road to the Thames-side and the tea shack by Walton Bridge, after which we dispersed for home.
VicAuthor: Pete
