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Sat Jul 30th 2016

Unfinished Business - a 5th Saturday Special!	3*

Leader: Ursula Hallam	Start Time: 9:00 am	Start Location: Newbury - see below for details and directions
Description: Unfinished Business - a 5th Saturday Special - taking you to sights you wooden believe! A Newbury mini-series 'Le Grand' re-try aiming to avoid last years torrential downpours and complete the route. Starting just south of Newbury - see below for details. We will start with an early warm-up as good as a '100 greatest' climb followed by a ride through the tranquil leafy lanes of Hampshire and on to the wide-open tank-sized roads of Wiltshire and the Salisbury Plain. Our return route will follow the Hampshire Avon north and traverse Plain territory again to reach Collingbourne Ducis with a final leg through the villages of Shalbourne and Ham. Brunch/lunch is at 43km - a re-visit to our previously impromptu Tidworth cafe. Afternoon tea at Crofton - they have a 'steaming day' so could be busy but I understand it's free to get into the cafe - they should be well-prepped and have oodles of their scrumptious cakes available and hopefully it'll be good enough weather to eat outside. There are earlier or later options in Collingbourne Ducis and Inkpen - we can see how it goes. Distance and climbing: 114 km with 1200m. Meet at The Chase National Trust Car Park (free), off Station Road, Woolton Hill. From the A34: Follow this route or directions below: Driving south past Newbury on the A34, leave at the A343 junction signed 'Highclere, Wash Common'. Turn left at the roundabout signed 'Newbury, Wash Common'. Then 2nd left, signed 'Enborne Row, East Woodhay, Ball Hall' and also for The Furze Bush Inn and The Yew Tree Garden Centre. On crossing under the A34, take the first left into Station Road. The car park is a short way down on the left-hand side.
Riders: Chris Walters David Smith Jenny Gower Nick Stokell Terry Penn Ursula Hallam Riders = 6 Weather: Report: A dry day for this re-run with 6 of us in the car park for the start – a magnificent seventh unfortunately lost in the depths of Burghclere – hope you got out for a ride anyway. With the climb up the side of Walbury Hill offering up fine views and the super downhill to Hurstbourne Tarrant out of the way, we kept a steady pace to Vernham Dean. With only a couple of raindrops threatening us, the next climb of note, up Conholt, offered up more views and then we weaved our way through the delightful lanes of the Hants-Wilts border to squaddie territory and an early but welcome lunch at Tidworth. Fortified, we joined the Bulford Road, with a totally different landscape – wide, open ranges and plenty of tank crossings – all the way to Bulford Camp and that fictional place, Larkhill. The road was a little busy round here, but we all safely negotiated the right-hand turn to our historical interlude – Woodhenge. “An atmospheric Neolithic site…probably built around 2300 BC” – some were more impressed than others at the reconstructed concrete marker posts but at least you can wander freely between them! Retracing our tyre-tracks, the busy-ness was left behind as we turned north along the Avon and then east across the plain again. Parachutes floated overhead and tanks rampaged alongside us! Luckily, I was still wearing my armies! At Collingbourne Ducis, plain territory ended and we’re back in North Wessex AONB. The fit mob edged away from me on the Fair Mile – unfair in my view – I am sure it is more than a mile! Regrouping at the A338 junction, we soon arrived at Crofton Beam Engines. Busy for their steaming day, but still efficiently dispensing tea and cakes for hungry cyclists, we found space on the grass in the sun to devour them. The ride back through Bedwyn, Shalbourne and Ham was fairly uneventful I think. Chris left us at Inkpen to cycle home and the rest of us made it safely back. Thanks to everyone for turning out. I really enjoyed it and I hope you did too.
Distance: 114.00 km (70.84 mi)	Ride Details: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/15412299
Wood you believe it?
Proposed Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/15412299"
Comment on this ride

Written by : Chris Walters

Posted on : July 30, 2016 at 6:15 PM

Fantastic ride - thanks for leading it Ursula, and David for sweeping!

Ride Filter

Start Locations: WMP
Wantage Market Place; OMH
Old Mill Hall, Grove

Categories: 1* - Suitable for irregular, social, beginner or family riders, pace will match the slower riders. Not hilly or long. Expect rides up to 3 hours. Gentle exercise.; 2* - Suitable for regular riders who prefer to cover some distance but at a more relaxed pace. Likely to be half-day rides. Solid exercise.; 3* - Suitable for experienced riders, may be hilly, long, quick, or any combination! Likely to be half or full-day rides. Challenging exercise.; 4* - Suitable for athletic riders who can ride safely above the 3* standard. Quick rides for the fit.; More Information