I Say, Ding Dong !

A good turn out of cyclists congregated at Andrew’s house in Wendens Ambo to meet puppy Dillon and to set out on a ride to celebrate the re-opening of the Refurbished Bell Inn.

First mention of the Bell appears in documents in 1576, when it was sold as a 40 acre farm called “Beauchamps” (with stables, barns, meadowlands, pastures and a malt house). The six pilasters on each face of the chimney stack built at this time is considered a fine example of Elizabethan workmanship. In 1806 it appears as a public house when it was sold to Elizabeth Hawks of the Bishops Stortford Brewery Company who in turn sold it to Benskins Brewery of Watford in 1898. It was finally sold as a free house in 1992.

Back in the present, three groups headed out via the metropolis of Saffron Walden towards the first climb of the day, the long but gentle slope up to Hadstock Common.

Hadstock Common is a relatively exposed area and home to the former RAF Little Walden, otherwise known as Station 165 of the USAAF. Some buildings remain visible to riders crossing Hadstock Common.

When construction of Station 165 began in 1942, it was allocated to the Eighth Air Force as a Class A bomber airfield. Little Walden’s main runway was slightly shorter than those of its counterparts, 1,900 yards as opposed to 2,000 yards, but the two auxiliary runways were both the standard 1,400 yards in length (I will acquiesce to using imperial measurements for history, but never for rides !). On March 6th, 1944 the airfield officially opened, the day before the 409th bomber group arrived. Little Walden transferred back to RAF ownership in early 1946. For the next twelve years it was used to store surplus military equipment. After that, the site was returned to agriculture, the majority of the buildings pulled down and the runways dug up for road building hardcore.

Once again, back to the present: A fast descent took us through Hadstock and across to Linton and Abington. At Abington, it is necessary to cross the very busy A11 using a steep, stepped footbridge which is regularly put into Windmill rides in order to slow up those with e bikes.

A bridal path leads to Babraham where a course error led to a number of Windmillers straying onto a footpath, before coming to a halt at an uncompromising looking gate. Our course error was confirmed be a friendly dog walker, no doubt bemused by the number of stranded cyclists on ber path.

A hasty U turn took us further up the road to the start of the designated and eminently cyclable bridal path which led to Stapleford Granary for coffee.

Always friendly but never quick, the coffee and cake service was even slower than usual due to parents availing themselves of school holidays and sunny weather.

From Stapleford, the route diverted through Sawston, Whittlesford, Duxford and Hinxton to Ickleton (Sawston and Hinxton being bypassed by group 3 to avoid any danger of being late for lunch). From here, the Ickleton Alps beckon – started by another long but gradual pull up Coploe Road to the best viewpoint of the ride.

Undulating scenic lanes finally led to the Wendens Ambo road, with a fast descent of the hill known to Windmillers as “El Bastardo” (when tackled the other way). A short sprint led us back to the sunny beer garden of the Bell where we met up with Maurice, Lindsey and Dillon.

Jenni, Andrew, Brian, Jeremy, Ric, Graham, Nigel, Neil, Keith, Alan, Simon. Howard, Rod, Charles, Geoff (Maurice, Lindsey, Dillon for lunch)