Thames Bank Ride 31 Dec.

31 December – time for one more ride. It’s cold but it’s not snowing, and it’s not icy. I hadn’t yet done a report for my 30 December Wayfarer lead which (after a full co-leader recce with helpful suggestions) fell victim to T4 (or was it T3?) regulations.

Officially the start was Teddington, but to make things simpler for me as the sole rider, I started in Kingston. First the beautiful ride alongside the river towards Ham, with all manner of boats moored along the banks. I veered off the river heading to Ham Gate and across Richmond Park, not too busy at this hour. Exiting at Roehampton I made direct for the river approaching Putney and across the bridge.

First stop was Fulham Palace, home to the Bishops of London for almost 1,000 years, but more importantly (at Christmas) the place in Britain where the first turkey was eaten (about 1500). Closed of course, but worth a quick visit today.

 

From here it’s a nice ride along the river embankment past Hammersmith Bridge, now closed and looking almost a ruin. We have ridden the embankment several times before and it’s always worth returning. Capability Brown was in his usual place, though now demoted to guarding the cycle racks.

 

Chiswick House café and loos are open, but it was too early to stop. To make for a faster ride I cut across the big river loop, direct to Kew, and then left the river for a meander through the picturesque back streets of old Brentford, pausing at the sadly empty Griffin pub next door to the old Brentford FC.

 

Syon Park was next, about halfway distance, where there is a nice open café, with benches outside; sadly, too cold to linger long. One day they may even have a loo.

After Isleworth, the massive Covid testing station at Twickenham Stadium was doing a brisk trade, not a good sign, as on previous recces there had been nobody other than bored security guards.

Kneller Hall, once home to the Army bandsmen was imposing but lifeless, soon to be sold, for redevelopment, I assume. 

Here the pace could pick up, through Whitton to slip briefly into Cole Park, before Leitrim Park. From here there is a muddy and unsigned access to Hounslow Heath and the Cole River route to Heathrow. But today I was sticking to gravel paths of which there are plenty, heading to Hanworth Park.

Hanworth has a long history of connection with aviation manufacture, though it never had more than a grass runway and nothing much remains. Rather grandly named London Air Park in the 1930’s it attracted the Graf Zeppelin. Difficult to imagine now, but it must have been an amazing sight.

Around here I started feeling warm(ish) for the first time, helped by having the wind behind me at last. So it was over the A316/M3 on the curly bridge (why can’t all footbridges be like this?) to the rather anachronistically named Church Road and thence to rejoin the river at Hampton. A quick burn along the river to Hampton Court, also closed, but there’s good loos and coffee at the station, and even seats and shelter too.

A pity it couldn’t have been a proper group ride, but maybe one day next year. Stay safe and Happy New Year all.