There were early bulletins about a points failure and a few train cancellations so I was pleased that the twelve people who had signed up all arrived in Stoke Park where we could bask in the sunshine with our teas and coffees before take-off. Some had taken no chances and cycled all the way from home.
Dave Cullen and Tim Gibbons had volunteered to be sub-leaders and were first to lead their groups out past the floral border beside the tennis courts and to Nightingale Road. We picked up a path from the Woodbridge Café leading to the footbridge over the Wey and from Walnut Tree Close took the small lane which ramps up to Yorkie’s Bridge to cross the railway tracks and into the university campus.
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| By the Wey |
On the Perimeter Road near Terry’s Pond we paused to marvel at the cycling fish sculpture and remembered the wonderful feminist slogan from many years ago, “a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle” which possibly inspired this artwork. We soon turned right onto Guildford’s futuristic cycle network and dreamed our way under the A3, around a sequence of roundabouts, through Bannister Field and were soon in Applegarth Avenue to find the sign to the Chrismas Pie Trail.
With a slight sense of smugness we ignored a series of ‘Road closed’ and ‘Deviation’ signs although too many motorists seemed to know that the roads are not really closed and rather spoilt the tranquillity of our ride. We stopped for photos on the 13th Century bridge just before Tilford Green then around to the Barley Mow.
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| 13th Century stone bridge held together by 20th Century timberwork |
We were glad to see Dave’s and Tim’s teams seated at tables at the front of the pub. The pub was hectic with queues and a large number of diners under the marquee. The staff were extremely busy and our food took half an hour to arrive, longer in one case. But we enjoyed it and will go again if the opportunity arises. Both the pub and ourselves were great beneficiaries of the 'Eat out to Help out' scheme which will end soon.
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| After lunch team 2 |
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| Dave's team |
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| Tim's team |
For the benefit of people who intended to ride home from Guildford rather than take trains I happily agreed to the proposal to amalgamate our three groups into two so that Dave with the first group could get away for their longer ride. Tim G did an excellent job of leading our second group after lunch.
We crossed the Wey again, this time on the temporary footbridge built alongside the historic East Bridge which is being rebuilt. We reached a junction in Whitmead Lane to continue onto the unpaved road, part of the Medieval Waverley Trail, which joins the B3001 by the The Donkey pub. We had been concerned that recent rain would have turned this road to mush but were pleased to find just a few muddy puddles to negotiate and could enjoy the scenery.
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| Ray hurtling along the Waverley Trail |
The B3001 Milford Road through Elstead was unpleasantly busy with motor traffic but this improved when we turned up towards Shackleford, crossed the Wey again and rode up the hill to pass Peper Harrow, once a therapeutic centre for the treatment of abused and disturbed adolescents. We sailed past another famous school, Charterhouse, then into Farncombe. At Peasmarsh we turned off the main roads, crossed the Wey and bobbled all the way into Guildford on NCN route 22.
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| Dave's team by Broadwater Lake near Farncombe |
Thank you to Tim and Dave for leading and delivering your teams safely. Thank you to everyone who came on the ride. Especial congratulations to those few who cycled all the way to Guildford in the morning and home in the afternoon and will have clocked up over 70 miles.
~ Tim
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| Our section of the Christmas Pie Trail |
2 comments:
Lovely photos - an interesting route, and a great write-up. Guildford train assist lead next year for you Tim?
Thanks Ged but I think the pleasure of leading the Guildford ride should be shared around. It is a pleasure to design a ride in an area that most of us are less familiar with. I had never been on most of those roads and paths before.
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