'A' Group Ride - 8 April 2015

A perfect warm Spring day made for ideal conditions for today's trip through the Surrey hills, 15 of us deciding to take part.

The first gentle ascent took us to the top of Combe Bottom, and after the descent, into Shere. Peaslake is picturesque in all seasons, but the flowering magnolias, hawthorn and cherries made for a real picture en route. The road levelled out through Ewhurst and Cranleigh, before we took the Loxwood Road to lunch on the lawns of the excellent Onslow Arms, a cote du canal de Wey & Arun.

Back via Walliswood and Forest Green, it was good to see the ascent of Leith Hill tackled in a variety of ways by our intrepid Wayfarers. The main peloton went up past Leith Hill Place, formerly the residence of Ralph Vaughan Williams, one of Britain's finest composers (bet he didn't cycle up from Forest Green, though).

From there, we took the rapid descent via Coldharbour to Dorking to a well earned tea at Denbies, where we basked in the conservatory, before heading home.

Thanks are due to Dave V for backmarking.

Rob