Central London CTC blog

…A week before ride I was helpfully informed of Engineering works Train Cancellations at Basingstoke. So it was all change.  On the day, the re-jigged ride, being a Godalming start.  With a forecast not good. Travelling down on train, the rain eased and stopped though. Hurrah!  And Roger swiftly dealt to a puncture enroute to Godalming aswell.  The going was good.

Godalming arrival, reversal of fortune! The Rain came home to roost. At the off it was practically uphill straight away & over ye olde Eashing Bridge.

Some dastardly Round abouts and lashings of wind and rain took us on a stretch and over another ye olde Bridge, past the Donkey pub.  To haul on up Charleshill.  A zig and a zag in the Autumn landscape of an orange Forest floor, took us on to our 3^rd ye olde (single lane) bridge.

Past the Barley Mow then rapidly over our fourth ye olde bridge (actually a dedicated cycle path).  After a short climb we then stopped, as Kay accurately noticed the leader had a screw loose. One wayward nut. The rattling mudguard was duly gaffer taped, and some non rattling & now non rainy tranquillity ensued.

Ranging on, we passed the Rural Life Museum. At next T junction I dutifully ignored another bunch of cyclists, going other way, and we rode some bumps to Dockenfield. Where it was up along past a Radio Ham-stead and Alice Holt Park -where a sign encouraged visitors to go Ape.  Random thoughts of a gambol up an A road was most wisely thwarted, and so it was fast & down and along up to Bentley heights.

This yielded some nice views, and led to a fairly good down hill romp onward to Itchen. A blue sky beckoned. Seeing some remnant puddles the leader dove straight through the middle of them, apparently to the chagrin of the rider following behind.  Past Donkey central, then it was up and over the double dome meadow Downs and past Pot-bellied Porkers and free range roadside Chicken Licken.  Odiham arrived, but not before 2 comments of “when’s Lunch”. 1230 and it was the George bistro pub for grubs up. Complete with RAF and khaki clad military guys and gals in situ - decked out for Remembrance day.  Plus not forgetting an antipodean waitress with a fine line in extended menu speeches.  2 pm departure, and laid down law mission was get back, for 3.56 train back to Waterloo! No pressure then.

Getting up to speed once more we skirted the Airfield –passing a jaunty horse and buggy, along the way- to dog leg on & up steepest climb so far, with farm Windmill upon high.  The pay off being the best long descent of day, back into Sun blessed, Forest hill framed Bentley. Back over river A31 and River Wey it was blast on down to Frithend.  Crossing the A325, was a gentle-medium up hill gradient leading to a cruel hairpin ramp up, swine of a climb (Ouch), back to Dockenfield, and on down.  Peeling off right on sight of a mass of Ramblers, to snake over Bridge and around Weir.

 Sneaking on by some countryside Horse riders, Frensham way, the Big Celtic Cross beyond Green caught the eye.  Drapped with bright-red-Poppy wreaths, as it was. Slowing on a short bit of busy road we turned on right to escape onto Priory Lane. Negotiating a tiddly ford – glimpsing Little Frensham pond beyond- it was past Hankey Common Golf course, and back to the triangle Green of the Barley Mow pub. A return in fact to ye olde (longish) single lane Bridge.  Which was then bull charged by three and pondered by two.  Aberrant car was promptly repelled, and it was on pell mell to Godalming. (Prudently not taking everyone up a turn past Elstead up Hurtmore Hill?)  Wheeling well it was straight on, to go over A3 bridge & roundabouts and in to Milford. Then sharpish to Godalming.

With a little luck – maybe poppy on saddle bag or more likely good company, we pulled through.  Train was got good, and in daylight too.  I counted 13 bridges crossed (4 twice), some of them ye olde ones too.

Many thanks again to Denise, Geraldine, Kay & Roger for a bright & enlightening day