Tourists For An Afternoon

 From the late 70s my sister lived near Basingstoke. This version of the visits dates from the middle of 2024. 

At Surbiton I joined a trio of Alan, Andy, and Simon. There was another party (Woking bound). So seven bikes filled the two vestibules with the toilet sign reading "Out Of Order" and "Occupied". 

From Winchfield it's a modest 4 miles to 11s (Redfields Garden Centre), possibly the largest garden centre I've ever visited. We arrived minutes after the 1030 opening and it was already crowded. It has everything (drinks, food, cakes etc)  lacking only air conditioning.

In these parts suburbia is on a relentless southwest march. So far it (and its cycle path!) is only halfway to the nippy A287. From Crondall the road climbs rises gently through Well to Lord Wandsworth College (google Johnny Wilkinson) in Long Sutton and scene of two mysteries: 

To the casual eye the 4 Horseshoes looks derelict but today it sported two blackboards offering food and cars in the carpark! Too early to investigate further.

So we took the next turning on the left. It was headed in the right direction but something was wrong. At the first junction signs on the unnamed right turn read "Private" "No Access" "Hedge Trimmer". Retreat  no chance - right it was.  The friendly trimmer waved us through as did an electronic barrier. Bingo! back on the route again. Why? There are two roads: Hyde Road and  Wingate Lane roughly 150 yards apart. I thought I was on Wingate Lane when in fact I was on Hyde Road (which wasn't on my 250K OS map).

We now tackled the down-up of the day to Sutton Common. The five miles to Lasham Airfield are flattish (up and down 300 ft) and straighter so traffic is more frequent and faster. The roads pass Golden Pot (being redeveloped?) and Avenue Garden Centre (an alternative lunch stop).

The Airfield is cyclist friendly. It has a new café with views of gliders taking off and landing. The bar was closed. The 94 Tour de France used the nearby A339 and I was there. The five miles to Greywell were downhill (420 down; 130 up half of which is the centre of Upton Grey). Both here and the earlier Weston Patrick are being suburbanised.

In Greywell we became tourists for an afternoon taking in the tunnel entrance (1794 but largely obscured by greenery) and King John's (Odiham) Castle (1215). We left the canal at the lift bridge into Mill Lane followed by the gentle rise into Odiham. Over tea (Bel and Dragon) there was much discussion over train tables: Winchfield has an hourly service whereas Fleet is half-hourly on Sunday afternoons.

At the critical T-junction it was left to Winchfield (1 mile; 57 or  -3 minutes), or right to Fleet(4 miles;42 minutes). We turned right .The A323 through Fleet is busy so we used the "hidden" cycle path which runs alongside the A323 between M3 and railway line.

Finally cyclists were everywhere. About 32 miles.