Sunday 16th August 2015

 

A beautifully bright morning with warm sunshine.
 I picked a well trodden route to Horsham with the only suprise ..........my speed......a comfortable 12.5mph.
In one hour 10 minutes, we were sitting (still with warm sunshine) on the first floor of Bill's cafe.
Unusually for me it was "Bill's Breakfast" - £7.90.
The others' choice ranged from a bacon brioche to a cream tea!
We left in a south-easterly direction to Monks Gate where we picked up the lane going south to Littleworth & Partridge Green.
East along the B road and the rough stuff past Shermanbury Place where Dave punctured.
We emerged at Wineham,still travelling east toward Hurstpierpoint.
The Jack & Jill pub,Clayton appeared popular and if I hadn't reserved a table we would of been eating outside.We were now under heavy cloud with the threat of rain although nothing was forecast.
A cheese and tomato baguette for me,macaroni cheese for Janice & Dave.
Whilst in the pub it occured to me that NCN 20 was relatively unexplored this far south so with a change of tea stop I led the group directly north on a combination of quiet roads & surfaced cycle paths to a long drag past Bolney where Dave suffered his second puncture.
Costa at Pease Pottage services was adequate if a little pricey.
Home around 6pm.
An enjoyable day out,although the weather could of been better after an intial lovely morning.Relaxed stops and nice lanes........82.4 miles for me/Janice.

Author: Tartan Socks(long)

Fanny's Farm Shop.........RIP

According to the Surrey Mirror, Fanny's will close on September 12th 2015.
Fanny died in June and her family have decided to sell up.

http://www.surreymirror.co.uk/Fanny-s-Farm-Shop-goes-sale/story-27594504-detail/story.html

Author: Tartan Socks(long)

Sunday 9th August 2015

Eight were gathered at Chalk's Hill Bakery in Reigate on a sunny morning. As we were heading off leaving Bob and Terry, Richard arrived but decided to stop for a cake so Jeff, Andy, Ed, Paul, Ken and I climbed Chalks Hill towards our lunch.

We cycled along Lonesome Lane then through Salfords and Outwood before turning left at Blindley Heath towards Tilburstow.  We turned down Hart's Lane before the best bit of the hill where Ed left us. We continued towards Hurst Green and turned towards Merle Common and our destination - the Royal Oak at Staffhurst Wood. Just before arriving Jeff was the victim of a totally unprovoked attack by a wasp. Retribution followed during lunch as Jeff managed to trap the wasp (it looked like the one that attacked him)  in his soup then ground it underfoot.

After lunch we headed East for a circular ride before heading West again through Hurst Green towards Bletchingley.  This time we climbed the best bit of Tilburstow before a fast descent on Rabies Heath Road stopping for tea at Lamingtons. Ken headed home then leaving the four of us at the tea shop.

After a leisurely tea we left via Church Lane until the junction with White Hill Lane where Andy and Paul turned left towards a cycle route and Jeff and I right along the lane. Then left along Spring Bottom Lane where Jeff and I parted company as he headed towards Rockshaw Road. I turned up Hilltop Lane for a scenic ride across Farthing Down and home.

Perfect cycling weather. For me door to door 43 miles. For the others a lot more.

Dave S.

Author: Tartan Socks(long)

Sunday, 9 August

 Reigate - Staffhurst - Bletchingley

One of the little buzzards got me again!

Coffee, lunch and tea, with a bit of cycling in-between

Author: Jeff

2/7/15 alternative ride.

The route to 11's at Tanhouse Farm would have proved difficult with road restrictions imposed by the Pru Ride London. So a breakaway group, (Tony, Alan, Pam and Vic) headed for 11's at Dorney walled garden. Queues for tea/coffee were enormous but we all manage to get served,  apart from Vic who arrived late. Then where to go for lunch? Alan headed for home but the remaining 3 decided to head West towards the Walthams and maybe the Beehive pub for lunch.

Having reached the pub we decided it was a tad early so headed North to Littlewick Green and and the Cricketers pub, cycling part of NCN4 the combine harvesters were in full swing with dust clouds from them delaying our progress. We reached the pub and were welcomed and served quickly with fine fare sitting outside in the Sun.

Then the decision as to tea? The best option for all seemed to be Windsor farm shop, so retracing the last part of our route we headed off. Approaching the peanut roundabout from the West via Winkfield and then through Windsor great park on the main road into Windsor and onto Old Windsor to tea in the Sun at the Farm shop. Finding it hard to leave we eventually went our separate ways home.

Tony..

Author: Tony

2 Aug Tanhouse Farm - Wisborough Green - Capel

The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 was always going to draw greater numbers than a gentler ride from Tanhouse Farm so I expected this to be a rather exclusive C&M ride.

My own ride out to Tanhouse Farm was diverted over Epsom Downs and Walton on the Hill to avoid the closed roads in Leatherhead and Dorking. But I did get to have a short look at the Pru Ride near the top of Pebblecoombe before rushing off to see how many had made it to Elevenses.

Arriving late I found Jeff tucking into a bacon sandwich. Lilian, Terry and Ken were also sitting there wondering where the leader was. Mick had phoned in apologies having been obstructed by the barriers in Leatherhead.

So just five of us headed south towards Rusper. Turning sharp right on the entry to the village, we gently lost our altitude to cross the railway at Warnham Station. In Warnham we turned right into Friday Street to pass The Greet's Inn before Byfleets Lane brought us back to a right turn into Broadbridge Heath Road.

At the Billingshurst Road T-junction we usually turn right down to the Newbridge Roundabout and the main road. But today we found a traffic-free route through to the quieter lanes. Turning left and right into Church Road we found the end of the new cycle path that crosses the A264, through the new housing estates and  across the River Arun. Here it joins the bridleway up through the woods and connects with the Downs Link as it re-joins the road at Weston's Hill.

Here we looped round through Itchingfield before passing through Barns Green and on to Billingshurst. Unfortunately this left a couple of miles along the busy A272 to reach Wisborough Green.

Ken left for home (having been up since three o'clock to take his son to the Pru Ride) and the remaining four chose to stop at The Old Mill Cafe.

I then had to leave to get to Guildford for my sister-in-law's 50th birthday celebrations. But not before discussing and leaving a highlighted route to tea at Capel. I hope they all made it!

Tanhouse Farm to Wisborough Green - 21 miles
Wisborough Green to Capel - 16 miles if they didn't get lost.

Author: Neil C

Sunday 2 August 2015

Tanhurst - Wisborough Green - Capel

Neil, please put away those dentures!

Thou shalt not pass

Neil headed north to BBQ in Guildford. The orphaned lambs bleated as they watched him disappear in a cloud of dust and burning rubber, to celebrate his sister-in-law's half century with a burnt offering. But these Surrey lambs are made of stern stuff and have a built-in homing instinct. In no time they were trotting northward through Newpound, Poundstreet, Drungewick and Rudgwick. Soon they smelt the green pastures of Capel and were grazing contentedly in the cemetery. Refreshed they trotted on to Dorking where, at the Friends not so Provident, they separated to make their ways to home pastures. Here the providential barriers were down, but some soon found themselves penned in at the top of Little Switzerland. With no escape, they waited until released, not understanding the reason for their captivity.  Finally they were home after their exciting, ovine escapade. Our thanks to Neil for letting us off the leash.

Jeff

Author: Jeff