As I sat down to my elevenses, rather looking forward to the coffee and Smarties cookie I had just bought, I chanced to remark an absence of fellow riders. Probably I was just early, but I thought I had better double-check on the rides list. Elevenses was at Cobham, it turned out, but I was at Weybridge! Never mind, half an hour and a scolded throat later and I was reunited with the rest of the group (Graham, Bob, Simon, Tony, Ray, Pam and Ged).
Next problem, where to go for lunch (my tentative plans having been based on a Weybridge start)? Group-think soon came up with Pirbright, and we set off for there (minus Bob and Simon) via Ockham and Send. As we came to the end of Send Hill, about to turn right towards Cartbridge, I had one of my unfortunate brainwaves - a sudden recollection that there was a footpath from Send Church to Sutton Green which might be rideable. I consulted Graham, who knew the route, and he led us off. Broadly, the path was rideable, although in places it was just a deep rut, so narrow that it was impossible to turn the cranks. The scooting motion required must have been akin to that of the early pioneers of cycling riding pedal-less 'hobby horses'.
The brambles and nettles weren't too much of a problem, providing you were wearing socks! Then there was the bridge over the River Wey. This must have been designed for SAS training, I think, with very deep concrete steps and a sharp turn onto the narrow bridge deck, making it very difficult to manoeuvre our bikes up and over.
After the challenges of the bridge, the stile which came next was child's play.
After that, we were soon back on tarmac, heading through Sutton Green, Mayfield and Hook Heath to Pirbright.
Our pub of choice, The Cricketers, was closed (but re-opening the next day), so we had to settle for The White Hart. At first sight the menu choices didn't offer much for our needs, but the starters and pre-starters actually offered some good options, and the garden was spacious, pleasant and not crowded. Table service meant a bit of a wait to settle up, but we got away by 2.00 pm, with time to pay a quick visit to the grave of H M Stanley in the nearby churchyard - very appropriate given the jungle-like conditions we had encountered on the outbound route!
From there the route back was through Bisley, West End, Fellow Green, Chobham and Stonehill, where Ray left us. Rain threatened as we passed through Addlestone, and it was raining hard soon after I left the others at Weybridge. No tea stop at Walton Bridge for me as I had to tend to my pumpkins!
Thanks to all for your company and forbearance, and thanks once again to Graham for route advice
1 comment:
Should have thrown them both in the river for that route, Tony no socks, my ankles still itch!
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