We all have our favourite rides - roads often revisited and familiar. Weare St. is one of my favourites - a short, quiet, little trafficked, wooded link between Okewood Hill and Ockley Station. Resurfaced, it makes for smooth riding, and the duckpond, with ever-present photogenic ducks, always invites a stop.
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| Nosey ducks. |
Which got me thinking - why a duckpond here? Well, a bit of research reveals that the pond is fed by the North River - a tributary of the River Arun in West Sussex. O.S. Explorer 134 shows the river (really a stream) rises in Grenehurst Park, near Vann Lake Road, and follows Weare St. for a couple of miles to Smugglers Lane, near the Sussex Border Path, and then flows southward for about 11km to join the River Arun near Slinford.
Anyway, back to the cycling....A few climbs - Crocknorth, Hoe Lane, and Radnor Road took us into Ewhurst, and pausing briefly at Ellens Green, for Steve (D) to proudly show us what he did before a life of cycling viz, design signs, we reached the Punchbowl slightly behind schedule a 1.15pm.
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| Steve's sign - still standing the test of time. |
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| Geoff's Punchbowl photo |
Geoff (G), walking-wounded, following his brush with a traffic bollard, was there to greet us in the sunshine, and having pre-ordered, we waited just as long for lunch to arrive as under normal circumstances!
From Weare St. and the ducks, we turned left at St. Marys Church in Newdigate, and followed the gravelly Cudworth Road into Burnt Oak Lane, a no-through road / Bridlepath leading onto Partridge Lane.
Nine out the the thirteen starters at Cobham climbed Box Hill to enjoy ice-cream and cakes.
Just over 40 miles and 3, 000ft of ascent from elevenses was a good day's ride. Thanks to Simon for backmarking and puncture repairing (Keith's), and for all for a well corner-marked spirited ride.
1 comment:
Glad to see that G could join you all. As for me I did the "B" ride wonderfully choreographed by Ken finishing at Pilgrims for tea. I left then and raced up Box Hill towards home to try and join you all for ice cream at Bikes 4 Us but alas you had all departed. I guess that your pace was too swift for me! I am sure that your ride was as enjoyable as ours!
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