A Group 19th August

A dozen of us left the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre cafe on a mild morning with some watery sunshine.  After a couple of hundred yards we crossed the Wey on the old bridge, now pedestrianised, and made an early start on the business of the day by ascending The Mount, which is pretty self-explanatory.  At the top we were soon on an ancient trackway, surfaced with flints, which must have been the original road along the Hog's Back.  As we agreed, this could only have been a pack-horse road, as the descent of The Mount into Guildford would have been unattractive to wheeled vehicles until well into the Twentieth Century.

Down the hill again and then a bit more trackway to Puttenham, passing the Good Intent where some fancied an early lunch.  But the A Group is made of sterner stuff, and we swept pleasantly along quiet lanes until we arrived at Tilford Green, a pretty spot, where we re-grouped.

A change of gear here, literally, as the climb to Hindhead is a big one, and long.  Hard work against the collar for ten minutes or so before re-grouping again, and then we entered a different world.  With the establishment of the Hindhead Tunnels the old A3 has been obliterated, the objective being to allow nature to return, something it has done with remarkable rapidity.  A fine track has been made to allow walkers and cyclists to take in the excellent views, completely traffic free and well surfaced.

We stopped at the top, and again a few yards further on at the Sailor's Stone, which commemorates the 'barbarous murder' of an unknown sailor in 1786.  I give you the Hampshire Chronicle, of 2nd October that year:

Sunday last a shocking murder was committed by three sailors, on one of their companions, a seaman also, between Godalming --- They nearly severed his head from his body, stripped him quite naked, and threw him into a valley, where he was providentially discovered, soon after the perpetration of the horrid crime, by some countrymen corning over Hind Head, who immediately gave the alarm, when the desperadoes were instantly pursued, and overtaken at the house of Mr. Adams, the Sun, at Rake. They were properly secured, and are since lodged in gaol, to take their trials at the next assizes for the county of Surrey.

The three murderers were tried at Kingston Assizes, hanged and their bodies displayed on Gibbet Hill, near the stone. Dickens picks up the story in Nicholas Nickleby.

Downhill for us from here, meeting Chris and Helen Juden and the West Surrey CTC on their way up.  Chris also has a part to play in this tale.  He had tipped me off about a short-cut that would avoid a stretch of main road.  His tip-off had come late, and I hadn't had a chance to recce it, but how hard could it be?  And so it was that some of the group followed their leader down the little-known cycle path along the platform at Witley Station, carrying their bikes over the foot-bridge before rejoining their more sensible companions in the car-park on the other side ... on to lunch...

We ate at the Merry Harriers, a good pub that Paul took us to a month or two ago.  Outside I was pleased to see two familiar bikes - John and Hans were there, having missed us at Guildford due to delays en route.  This kept our numbers up, as there was a bit of a changing of the guard after lunch with Geoffrey returning to Town, and Rob and Dave leaving for other appointments.

More familiar roads now, but still good riding, through Farley Green and Shere before climbing Combe Bottom.  Re-grouping at the top there was some concern about tea.  The Vineries web-site says that it closes at five, but local knowledge suggested that it was more like four, which was the time.  I proposed a rapid descent of Staple Lane to Squires at West Horsely, where we have had better luck, though not consistently.  So down Staple Lane we went, a road we rarely descend.  It's a good run, with fine open views, on this occasion clearly showing a band of rain coming in from the West.  Time for a quick tea, then.

At Squires we were in luck, with tea and cakes for all before leaving in picking rain.

Many thanks to everyone for an enjoyable day's riding, with special thanks to the indefatigable Geoff who kept us all together as back marker - and a warm welcome to Alan, who did well on a hard day.

Mark