Saturday, 15 October 2011
Tina write: Eight riders (Bob, Julia, Ian, Nigel, Jan and two Simons) gathered for a Saturday morning ride westwards. Tina led everyone down Fen Causeway and across Lammas Land to pick up the Barton cycleway alongside the A603, where we settled into a leisurely pace chatting and enjoying a blue-sky morning, more summer in temperature than autumn.
We turned left in Barton and followed the straight road past radio telescopes down to Haslingfield, where we paused on the village green to admire
"Joan's seat" and also to test out the Millenium sundial (second photo), which proved extremely accurate.
Just out of Haslingfield, we turned left to Harlton and stopped to inspect another millennium monument at the crossroads – this time a plaque with information about history of local area, resting on a carved triangular stone plinth depicting a maypole, agricultural images and modern radio telescopes. (We explained the maypole tradition to Jan, originally from New York.) After Harlton, we crossed the A603, turning immediately left to the Eversdens and then onwards up Claypit Hill, for great views over surrounding countryside. Verges ablaze with wild flowers earlier in the year, now only sheltered the occasional scabious and purple knapweed, though at the field borders, mild weather had encouraged poppies to produce a second flush.
Turning right on to the B1046, we headed back towards Cambridge, through Toft and Comberton, arriving at Burwash Manor Barns at about midday. We sat outside for about half an hour in the warm sunshine chatting and enjoying a selection of cakes and scones in no hurry to move on. Even the Wales's Rugby World Cup semi-final defeat couldn't take the shine off such a glorious sunny day!
We quickly covered the straightforward three miles back into Cambridge, arriving back at Brookside at about 1pm, having cycled nearly
19 miles. Tina Filby
More photos below.
View this route on a larger map
Photos 1 & 2 by
Tina Filby, photos 3 - 10 by
Julia.