John writes: Greg and I were the only two at Brookside for today's afternoon ride despite the weather being fine for cycling although a gentle north-easterly breeze made it cooler than of late.
I was riding my ATB and Greg had a robust-looking machine so, not being constrained to the tarmac, we took the footpath from Newnham into Granchester, turned left, crossed the Cam by the temporary foot/cycle bridge and joined the new gravel path from the entrance to Byron's Pool and eventually reached the A10 at Harston.
Here we decided to take the footpath (dry despite the overnight rain) from the A10 into Haslingfield. After Chapel Hill, Barrington and Orwell we entered Wimpole Park by the iron gates onto what may once have been the principal drive to the estate. This is now a 'green road' but also dry.
After passing Wimpole Hall on our right we exited through the Arrington Gate, climbed up to Croydon, turned left and then, having turned onto then off the B1042, we reached Ashwell Church Hall at 3:40 p.m. having gone through Shingay and Guilden Morden.
There were no cyclists from the all-day ride, and none had arrived by 4:15 p.m. when we, plus two who had arrived independently, set off homewards via Steeple Morden, Littlington, Meldreth, Shepreth and Barrington. By Haslingfield we had all dispersed and I returned home via the footpath to Granchester. My round trip was almost exactly
40 miles.
John Ferguson