Sunday 26th April 2026

 It was expected to be another lovely day courtesy of high pressure that's been with us for a couple of weeks.

Twelve riders met at Walton-on-the-Hill's village café for an alfresco 11's.

I produced some historic documents from a recent meeting with Colin Q who has kindly passed them to me:

A Sou'wester from December 1979 (10p) where amongst the 'For Sales' at the back was this offer:

One Brooks B18 saddle (plastic, very hard). Suitable for someone with no feeling! - £1.00

Also a rides list from December 1990:

Lorraine headed back home whilst Dave, Simon, Eric, Alan, Steph, Sabina, Bernard, Tim, Keith & Robert joined myself to take the bridleway across Walton Heath Golf Course.

But within minutes of leaving the café, I realised I had forgotten to pay for my white americano. On announcing this, Sabina & Simon also said they hadn't paid either...a triple senior moment!

Simon kindly offered to return & settle the unpaid bill & we waited in the wood.

Thankfully, due to the lengthy dry spell, the track was free of mud & we emerged to cross the M25 & join the North Downs Way at Colley Hill.

The views were extensive across to Boxhill, Leith Hill & even the South Downs. Surely one of the best views in the whole of Surrey?

A bit further on at a clearing in the trees, is a memorial to an B-17 American bomber that crashed on the evening of Monday 19th March 1945 returning to their base in Northamptonshire after an operation near the German/Czech border.

Nine USAAF crew lost their lives.

Carved from ancient Surrey oak, the two pieces of the sculpture are placed the same distance apart as the aircraft's wingtips and made to the exact dimensions. Buried inside the sculpture, forming part of it, is metal recovered from the crash site. 

The car park & café at the top of Reigate Hill was busy as we continued downhill to a right turn on a bridleway leading to Gatton Park.

A peaceful place with the noise from the M25 becoming more distant.

Shortly after leaving the track, we traded off-road to on-road but with hills as we negotiated Redhill's lumpy bit to Philanthropic Road then later, the descent of Cormongers Lane.

The Quality Café in Merstham was our lunch stop named after the nearby Quality Street (we think).

Perhaps it should be renamed Quantity Café judging by the portion sizes with Robert unable to finish his curry!

We were down to eight with Dave, Keith & Steph leaving us as we puffed, panted, wheezed & gasped our way up Hilltop Lane

to be rewarded with the long downhill into Coulsdon via Farthing Downs.

Trig point on Pilgrims Lane as part of NDW (image from Eric)

That route, despite the vicious climb, is part of NCN 20 which we followed to tea at Oaks Park.

Thanks to Simon for backmarking, photographers - Simon, Robert & Eric & everyone else for your company.

11 miles

14 miles