C&M ride to Chalfont St Giles

Almost a perfect day for cycling. A different coffee stop for 11's, the Chaii coffee shop at Ashford. I arrived early but Dave and Simon were already sitting outside in the Sun. The others turned up in dribs and drabs. And we soon had 10 in total. Dave, Simon, Pam, Liz, Andy, Keith, Diane, Sabina, Bernard and myself.

 

As usual, plenty of banter, coffee and cake, time for the off and heading North to part circle the airport on the inner ring cycle track emerging at Longford and heading to Harmonsworth, West Drayton and on up past Hillingdon Hospital to Uxbridge.Through the edge of Colne Valley Regional Park and The Buckinghamshire Golf Club and into Denham village and a brief stop at Sir John Mills old house. Denham village is very small, but still has 3 pubs!  Back alleys and paths led us to Moorhall Road and another brief stop to view the new section of viaduct across the road for HS2.

T

he New HS2 Viaduct

More back roads and paths lead us up to, and I mean up, Harefield. Then a lovely decent, but with traffic lights at the bottom, to the canal and past the coy Carp pub. Finally reaching Maple Cross and the steady climb up to lunch at the Rowen Garden centre, Chalfont St Giles.

 

Lunch at the Rowen GC

The weather was warming up now and dining alfresco was great. We had taken a little more time than I had planned to get to lunch, so I changed the route back making it a few miles shorter. Down into Chalfont St Giles village and into Bowstridge Ln down to Chalfont St Peter, the nice climb through the private estate of Chalfont Heights. 

 

Stockley Park

It's a nice, mainly, gradual descent now down through Denham Golf Club, which has its own station, to Denham once more, back through Uxbridge and a quick stop at the Rusty Bike Cafe, it was closed, so some off-road through Stockley Park and down to.Harlington. Discussion as to where to go for tea took place and off we cycled to the lovely little Portuguese restaurant at Cranford called Saloio. It's one I often use on solo short rides, It was very warm now, so as well as tea and cake some of us even had a beer. The owner is a lovely guy and in the past has even helped me mend a puncture.

Time was marching on, so across Hounslow Heath and along the scenic path by the river Crane, at various points from here on people left the ride to head their own ways home, Along Hampton Hill, stopping at the entrance to Bushy Park where the group finally dispersed.

A really lovely day on the bike and a big thank you to all, especially Simon for back Marking.

Tony..