Sunday, 06 August 2017
John R writes: This would be my first three stop club ride of the year and my chance to lead through some lovely countryside on a forecast fine weather day.
We set off from Brookside on one of our usual routes out of the city onto the Barton Cycleway where we also picked up Ray making a sizeable group of twelve – all respect should go to Alex B who had chosen to ride with us having only finished his LEL ordeal on Friday – apparently he needed to stretch his legs!
Brookside
This took us out to Haslingfield then up Chapel Hill and into Barrington where we were joined by Phil as we passed his house on the way to Orwell. After Orwell we headed to Wimpole where we were able to cycle through the estate grounds whilst avoiding a parents and kiddies fun run. Then it was the usual run up through Croydon followed by the inevitable 10% climb up Croydon Hill and on through Hatley St George, Gamlingay and finally coffee at the Boundary Café in Potton. This is clearly a popular stop for our riders as we were joined by a number of other members who had made their own way to the lovely setting of the cricket ground.
Potton
Potton
After a delightful half hour stop for a selection of teas, coffees, cakes and bacon sandwiches we set off with a group of eleven passing by the John O'Gaunt Golf Course then turning onto quieter lanes through Sutton, Eyeworth and Ashwell. We then undertook our first of three crossings of the busy A505 passing through Wallington before re-crossing the A505 Baldock Bypass and into the excellent Topps Garden Centre café where we were joined by Adrian and Danny who had made their own way there. Although the café struggled a bit to cope with the influx of thirteen hungry riders they coped admirably providing the usual fantastic homemade food and allowing us to leave on time at 2pm.
Baldock
Ten of us set off to ride a very pleasant, leafy lane, undulating loop to afternoon tea. This took us up Weston Hill just outside of Baldock then on through the villages of Walkern, Benington, Whempstead, Dane End and Great Munden before arriving slightly early at Westmill Tearooms. This was my first visit here and it proved to be (as Ray and Alex had told me on many occasions) an excellent choice for afternoon cream tea and cakes. With lovely sunny weather there was no better place to be than sat outside a very pleasant small tearoom on a lovely village green. Here we were joined a few minutes later by the three riders from the afternoon ride.
Westmill
So suitably feasted we set off just after 4.30pm to head back to Cambridge. The route took us through Buntingford, Wyddial, Nuthampstead, Great Chishill, Fowlmere, Thriplow, the Shelfords and finally along the DNA cycleway and back into Cambridge.
The round trip mileage was
80 miles. John Ross
Download
GPS track (GPX).