14 June - A Group - Redhill to Turners Hill

It was a lovely hot day and most of us had come over a big hill or two before we had reached 11s. So fourteen of us left Redhill to head for the flattish areas to the southeast. Past the hospital and the aerodrome, over the M23 and on to the quiet meandering lanes around Smallfield.

At Copthorne there was a sign saying 2 miles to Turners Hill but today we were not taking the direct route. We turned left at Crawley Down and after a brief flirt with the busier roads in Felbridge we headed south to by-pass East Grinstead. The long downhill towards Turners Hill was taken but at the bottom of the hill we again diverted from the busy main road to climb up through the trees, in the shade, to approach Turners Hill from the south.

There was plenty of room for us to all sit together in the garden of The Crown. The food took a long time to arrive and slowly people left the table to find the small areas of shade that were available  (more cooking in the garden than the kitchen?). But the Sou'wester stalwarts stuck it out.

Suggestions for a caption welcome!

The food was good when it finally arrived but is was after three when we left and gathered on the green for a photo by the village sign.

As we had lunched at the top of the hill it was now all downhill, past Tulley's Farm, over to Copthorne, past Horley and along Lonesome Lane to Doversgreen . Through Dawesgreen and Bunce Common before descending Roothill before one last climb to reach Punchbowl Lane.

Due to the long leisurely lunch about half of us needed to push on for home while the rest took tea at Denbies.

Thanks to all the corner markers for keeping the group moving, and to Geoff for his exemplary back marking.  (Photos by Simon and Geoff) 

P.S. Simon has kindly supplied this profile of the ride - as I said, "flat to lunch and downhill after".