Author: Martin Woodhead

A fine hot summer’s evening saw seven Windmillers assemble at The Bull, Lower Langley, for a leisurely ride around the lanes. Maurice led the way followed by Andrew, Keith, Simon T,  Charles, new member Nick and Martin. The route took us to Langley Upper Green, Duddenhoe End, down to the Wendens Ambo road and then up to Chrishall as far as the track through the woods to Elmdon.

There was talk of stopping at Simon and Ollie’s house in Elmdon but there was no sign of life and so we pressed on towards another off road section, this time from Elmdon to Catmere End, except for Keith who preferred not to shred his tyres and so we agreed to meet him at the Axe and Compasses in Arkesden.

The journey through the woods was uneventful thanks to the new surface on the bridle way and we soon emerged the other side to continue to Littlebury Green, down Hill Bastardo to the Wendens Ambo road and then up the long hill towards Arkesden before rejoining Keith for some refreshment.

It was on the return leg in Clavering that we stopped in awe to watch an old fashioned binder cutting a field of tall wheat, spitting out tied sheaves as it did so until it of course jammed like they always did. This resulted in Maurice and Martin reminiscing about the old days and chatting to the operator who was busy unjamming the  machine. It turned out that the wheat was being cut for thatching straw but the sheaves would still be stacked up to dry before being threshed. It would be interesting to know how the yield of this particular Maris variety compared with more modern varieties.

Declining the operator’s invitation to return the next day to stack up the sheaves, Maurice and Martin finally set off in pursuit of the others who had gone ahead, only to find that the Ms got back to The Bull first, Andrew and the others having gone via Meesden to drop off Nick but who arrived quickly afterwards. It was the end of a perfect ride and what better than to finish by sitting outside The Bull soaking up the evening sun?

Thanks, Maurice for planning such an excellent ride around our lovely quiet lanes and Andrew for the Strava map and organising us.

Martin

The corny sign above the counter in The Ferry Café at Felixstowe Ferry could not have been a better summary of this ride across Suffolk on a wet and sunny day. Who would have known that smiling Andrew was looking like a drowned dawg only a few minutes before Brian took the above photo?

Starting off from The Fox at Newbourne, betwixt Woodbridge and Felixstowe, seven Windmillers comprising Maurice, Andrew, Sandra, Brian, Graham, Howard and Martin, the weather was at first cloudy and dry but having driven through rain on the way over it was surely only a matter of time before it reached the East coast. And sure enough it did, just as we were on top of an exposed Deben riverbank before reaching Felixstowe Ferry. (This was the route we discovered a few weeks back when we had to do a U-turn as the ferry was not running and return to Newbourne.) So jackets were hastily put on but we soon pulled up in front of The Ferry Café to dry out and enjoy a coffee.

From quiet Bawdsey onwards the rain became more of a steady drizzle as we meandered through Suffolk lanes en route to Butley and Orford, stopping in Capel St Andrew so that Andrew could once again shake the hand of Saint Andrew himself, confessing his sins as he did so.

Another brief stop was made at Butley to view the estuary and then it was on to Orford for lunch in The King’s Head where we were greeted warmly by the landlord and Maurice’s friend Chris and his wife Judith who were holidaying in Aldeburgh. Much steam was produced as jackets were taken off to dry out, followed by an excellent lunch washed down with fine beer, courtesy of Chris and Sandra, whose birthday we celebrated. Happy Birthday Sandra!

After lunch it was off to Woodbridge via Rendlesham Forest, into the wind, but we saw some sun too. The group spread out a bit resulting in some reaching The Tide Mill in Woodbridge before the others, and Martin deciding to head directly to Newbourne due to an evening engagement.

And here is the route taken:

Despite the weather at times it was a great ride. Thanks as usual to Maurice for organising it, Andrew for getting us to the starting line on time and Brian for the pics.

Martin

What a day to choose to ride around North Norfolk! Maurice got it spot on with his weather forecast when he decided to choose a circuit from Fakenham for what turned out to be a glorious ride in perfect conditions. Assembling incognito in Morrison’s car park, or at least that was the plan, Maurice was joined by Andrew, Sandra, Keith, Brian, Ken, Roger, Charles and another eco warrior, Martin, who had borrowed Ann Worthing’s e-bike for the day. This was Martin’s first experience of an e-bike and he spent a happy day in eco mode, as did Maurice, marvelling at the speed, acceleration and range of the Trek bike.

This is sort of where we went, clockwise from Little Walsingham having first gone through the pretty villages of Little and Great Snoring on the way from Fakenham:

A few modifications en route meant we cycled to Holkham Hall from the southern entrance and exited on the western side before visiting Burnham Thorpe and then stopping for coffee at The Hoste Arms in Burnham Market. The views on the way were stupendous:

Note the sad condition of the Lord Nelson pub in Burnham Thorpe (bottom row) which we last visited 3 years ago. There was still a lot of Nelson memorabilia in the pub at the time which hopefully as been preserved.

After coffee we set off for Wells via Burnham Overy Staithe and Holkham but did not take the path parallel to the beach behind the pine trees as time was pressing, or was it the thought of all that seafood in Wells fast disappearing on such a gorgeous day? A windmill seen from a distance near Burnham Thorpe, which can just be seen in the poppy pic above, came into closer view over the marshes on the way to Burnham Overy Staithe:

Where shall we go for lunch? That was the big topic of conversation on entering Wells, minus Charles who had to head for home at Holkham.  Should it be The Wells Crab House where a group of Windmillers had enjoyed an excellent evening meal 2 years ago whilst on a 2 day outing to Norfolk? No, that was full. How about that pub at the top end of town or the one in the middle? Both sounded good but then a table was spotted on the good ship Albatros moored alongside the quay and the matter was settled quickly. The next hour or so was probably one of the most memorable lunches in the history of the Windmill Club. Words cannot describe the view from the boat as the tide was coming in, nor the conversation with the Dutch skipper who told us all about the history of the boat transporting horses during the First World War. These pics tell the story a lot better:

Note the Dutch pancakes, the excellent pints of Wherry and Roger, Ken and Martin listening intently to the Dutch skipper.

A quick visit after lunch to the Wells and Walsingham light railway terminus resulted in us just missing a train but we had an interesting conversation with the station master who, as Ken observed, looked more like a New York cop. Then it was back to Fakenham via Great and Little Walsingham but stopping at the spot near Great Snoring where John Tarrington sadly had a fall and broke his wrist badly. We held a minute’s silence in his memory.

Thanks to Maurice for organising such a great route and of course to Andrew for getting us to the starting line on time. Slapped wrists for those who didn’t obey his command to spread out in Morrison’s car park to avoid being caught for not shopping! And thanks also to Brian and Andrew for many of the above pics, and to Ann Worthing for the loan of her e-bike, and to Ken for carting it there.

Martin

‘Don’t worry, we’ll go easy on you’, said Andrew, prior to Martin commencing a ride again after an 8 week lay off. But being unable to make the start at The Bull, Lower Langley with Maurice, Andrew and Keith, at the apppointed hour of 17.00, Martin called the threesome at 18.00 from The Bull to find out where they were. ‘We’re at Strethall heading for Elmdon’, said Andrew, ‘Why don’t you head to Little Chishill, up the three hills to Great Chishill and we’ll meet you somewhere near Chrishall most probably?’ ‘Thanks a bundle’, thought Martin, expecting a nice level route somewhere.

So Martin set off and discovered the three hills were easier than expected. He continued towards Great Chishill and Chrishall, expecting to meet the others coming in the opposite direction. As there was no sign of them he called Andrew only to discover that they were holed up in Simon and Ollie’s house in Elmdon having a few beers and hadn’t let Martin know. ‘What b******s’, thought Martin, agreeing completely with the view of Charles on his first ride out with the Windmillers back in May. There was, however, an invitation to join them but Martin declined as he was already heading through Chrishall and did not wish to clock up more miles than necessary. Guilt then set in with the b******s, resulting in Maurice phoning Martin to say that Simon had very kindly offered to give him a lift back to The Bull if he could make it as far as Elmdon. But by that time Martin was already speeding down the hill from Chrishall and so politely declined saying he would meet them all back at The Bull. And that is what happened, both Martin and the b******s having clocked up around 14 miles.

It’s great to be back in the saddle again! And thanks, Simon, for the kind offer. I’ll take you up on it another time.

Martin

With the promise of coffee to start the ride, 13 eager Windmillers gathered outside the Red Lion at Great Wratting. Something was amiss though, the doors locked and no sign of life !!

We were almost ready to leave abandoning the early riser refreshment when a Mercedes estate car came careering into the car park, scuffing the front bumper and then parking, hitting a post holding up a lean-to building, watching on anticipating the demise of the building and spilling the baskets that were perched on the roof all over the car, amazingly this was not to be, lucky escape there. Coffee would soon be available, courtesy of the young man driving the car, something had been lost in translation/organisation or clearly forgotten, I think it was more likely the latter!!

Quickly downing the coffee and ordering lunch, we set forth to Kedington, Hundon and Stradishall. Maurice leading the posse comprising Roger, Victor, Lawrence, Simon, Chris, Deborah, Howard, Keith, Graham, Sandra, Geoff and Ken. The pace was fair and the group had split into two as the call came out for the obligatory Windmill (Stansfield) photo opportunity.

We regrouped for a full team photo call at Hawkedon

As you can see it was yet another glorious day albeit a bit windy at times. Setting off again, it wasn’t long before the group was somewhat stretched out, some of us not getting any warning of a ford as we headed downhill at speed, missing the road route to the right of it and having to take the wet path, Victor managed to find a shallower path but as I was trying to avoid him, the only option was the deeper part which resulted in a rather wet foot. Catching up again, we were grateful of The Angel at Glemsford and the planned coffee and cake stop, well again something in the translation/organisation went astray and the cake was lacking, the Landlady was willing to head to the local store but we declined, perhaps thinking of our figures!! Simon though, took it upon himself to indulge us and while the coffees were being made he set off at speed and cleared the shelves in the store of everything sweet and gooey, returning only to find that no-one had bothered to think of him and having to get his own coffee, well done Simon, the cakes went down a treat.

On leaving Glemsford, we headed to Pentlow and the pace was still quite high, with the wind on our nose and the group got stretched out even more, leading to 5 of us missing a turning and doing the route below, while the others cut across country. All was well and we regrouped back at The Red Lion where we were joined by Martin, great to see him and hopefully seeing our jolly faces after another lovely ride, will aid his recovery. Looking forward to having you back riding with us again soon.

Thanks Maurice for another great ride.

Sandra

Having gathered at The Red House at Longstowe this also proved to be a tour of windmills for the above 14 Windmillers including new boy Charles who lives in Chrishall. Welcome, Charles, even though he called us a bunch of old b******s! Clearly, he summed us up quickly and accurately. Setting off at the early hour of 9.00am, or thereabouts, the group headed firstly up the busy A1198 as far as the Bourn turning after which all was peace and quiet.

This is where we went:

The first windmill was spotted tucked away behind some trees in Kingston, so tucked away that it doesn’t seem to be listed on a Wikipedia list of Cambridgeshire windmills, but here it is all the same:

Shortly afterwards we crossed the Meridian Line with its attractive marker, unveiled by Sir Martin Rees, The Astronomer Royal, on New Year’s Eve 2000. Hopefully there were fireworks too.

Maurice always likes to sort the men from the boys with an early hill and he didn’t disappoint when offering us a steep ascent out of Haslingfield towards Barrington, but probably not quite as steep or long as the hill coming the other way from Barrington which we were able to cruise down at speed. Then it was through Shepreth and right towards Orwell where you could almost smell the coffee at Wimpole Hall.

Coffee at Wimpole Hall is always a delight except for the system which does not seem able to cope with a sudden onslaught of customers, despite the number of staff on duty. However, there were two queues this time which was better unless you were in the queue on the right! That was the more dangerous queue too with its large choice of cakes and buns on display.

Leaving the grounds in a westerly direction afforded a wonderful view of Wimpole Hall bathed in sun on what was a lovely spring day:

Then we continued through quiet lanes to Croydon and  Hatley St George before turning north towards the Gransdens and more windmills for those who chose the blue route shown on Maurice’s map above. Victor, Charles and Simon O decided to continue on the red route.

Great Gransden Mill dates from 1614 and is a fine example of rural engineering. Restored in 1982 / 83 it is still in great condition but minus its sails.

By this time there were thoughts of beer and lunch back at The Red House but that didn’t stop a few Windmillers, those who show true respect to windmills, from stopping and admiring at close quarters the very attractive Bourn Windmill, set back from the road up a path. So whilst Simon T, Mike and Martin got chatting to the nice lady in the adjacent Mill Cottage, who offered to show us around the mill on a future occasion, the others decided to head back and quench their thirsts.

Finally, most gathered for lunch back at The Red House, including Ken who had hoped to catch up with us at Wimpole, and very good it was too although two of us subsequently wondered about the ham and egg mayo sandwich due to some after effects. It might have been the Belhaven!

Ric and Sandra clocked up much longer distances having cycled from their homes. Well done both.

Thanks to Maurice for a great route and to Andrew for getting us to the start point.

Martin

Having passed the Woodman in Nuthampstead the previous Monday and found it open Deputy Dawg Andrew decided to arrange a cycle ride from The Woodman as they are now open on Mondays !!

Two cycling sorties left at different times. The first Sortie led by Andrew with Simon Oughton, Mike Barker and Mike (Mike Barker’s buddie( AKA The Two Mikes)

Second Sortie led by John Bargie with Lyn Bagrie and Bridget Tarrington – good to see the fair ladies back in the saddle for Mondays ride.

Andrew’s group completed 19.76 miles in 1hr 52m  leaving Nuthampstead east heading towards the sharp hill at Little Chishill, onwards passed the rally school and one of our favorite pubs The Bull in Lower Langley with Simons bike rattling over every bump we stopped for grease monkey Andrew to investigate. The investigation revealed that a front mudguard stay had become detached from the forks and if not corrected could have gone through the spokes catapulting Simon onto the road. With the aid of an allen key Simon was back in the saddle again.

Our route took us up the Roast Green passed Kell’s daughters house and down to the two Windmills where the flack began !!!  All four cyclists were enjoying the downhill section to Starling Green single file, when out of the blue a white transit van shot passed us at breakneck speed and swerved towards us in a very aggressive manner. Andrew was in the lead and expected it to be the typical White Van Man angry builder, however he was shocked to observe on the back door ‘—— Cycles’.

Not only has a van bearing the name of —– Cycles passed us before on a Monday evening at great speed but this is now the fourth time it has happened. Maurice plans to visit the shop shortly and make the owner aware of our concern.

Composing ourselves we continued up the quiet lane to Starlings Green onward to Brent Pelham and for the first time climbed up the concrete road to Whitebarns Farm with stunning views of the contryside and Furneux Pelham passing the church with the Time Flies Mind your Business on the tower.

We stopped briefly in Little Hormead where Andrew chatted to his Farrier. Next village to pass was Great Hormead  and onward to Anstey where the church bells were ringing somewhat I think out of tune or time ( I hope Two Scones Keith wasn’t suffering from a hangover as the sound would have been unbearable)

Finally three of the four took the twisty twiney road back to The Woodman while Mike Barker sped off taking the slightly longer route to the village.

Sortie 1 was delighted to see John, Lyn & Bridget comfortably propping up the bar and enjoying Stu’s hospitality.

In summary,  a lovely spring Monday evening ride slightly marred by ——- Cycles dangerous riving.

Andrew

Framlingham was to be the start and finish of this delightful ride through Suffolk lanes, but not without an unexpected turn of events. Meeting first in a car park but then heading for The Crown Hotel in the centre of town for a coffee before setting off, Maurice (now Saint Maurice for reasons which shall be explained later) led the way followed by Andrew, Sandra, Ken, Ric, Brian, Tom, Chris, Graham, Mike (a friend of Maurice’s who lives in London and Aldeburgh who we hope we’ll see again) and Martin. This is where we went, clockwise:

Heading out of town we were soon treated to a spectacular view of Framlingham Castle, constructed in the late 12th century by the Bigods, a wealthy Norman family. But despite its design which was meant to withstand long sieges it was captured by King John in 1215, even though he and the Bigods had been best mates and had dined together in 1213. However, they must have made up as the castle was later restored to the Bigods but by the end of the 13th century it was decommissioned and became a luxurious home of the dukes of Norfolk for over 400 years before falling into disrepair. It has been used since as a County Court and by what appears to be a division of Dad’s Army during the second world war to resist a potential German invasion. It is now owned by English Heritage.

There was a strong wind blowing inland from the North Sea but we proceeded steadily through winding lanes, sand strewn at times, and past great seas of plastic covering crops such as carrots, onions and asparagus. We saw very few vehicles of any kind even when crossing the A12.

The smell of the sea got stronger as we entered Thorpeness, familar terrritory for Ken as a place to entertain the grandchildren on holiday. Thorpeness was the dream of wealthy Scottish barrister Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie. The idea for the lake, or Meare, which is never more than 3 feet deep, was sparked by one of Ogilvie’s close friends, J.M. Barrie, creator of Peter Pan, who knew the barrister well, and it was Barrie’s tales of the Neverland that inspired him to create the Meare complete with the Pirate’s Lair, Wendy’s Home, and Captain’s House. An eagle-eyed grandchild might even spot a crocodile in between the trees.

By this time, thoughts of the promised brunch ‘n’ beer in Aldeburgh began to take charge and so it was heads down into what was now a strong sea breeze, on the nose, as we cycled south with the sea and Maggi Hambling’s iconic Scallop sculpture on the beach to our left and marshes on our right – a great sight and seemingly always wind blown. Parking our bikes outside Maurice’s cottage we learnt that the Adnam’s shop had run out of beer but at 11.30am it was a bit early anyway and so we settled down to what turned out to be an excellent brunch in the nearby Aldeburgh Market Café, which Maurice had reserved, where an assortment of poached eggs, scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, kedgeree and kippers were devoured, accompanied by excellent coffee. Definitely a place to revisit.

The homeward leg took us out of Aldeburgh along a bike path and then past Aldeburgh Golf Club with its 18 and 9 hole courses, the latter having wonderful views of the Alde Estuary leading up to Snape. Which is where we were heading but via Maurice’s favourite off road, sandy and sometimes boardwalk track through the woods and across wet and muddy marshes. All was going well until Andrew issued a loud **** as his bike ground to a sudden stop, luckily without throwing him off. His experience of balancing on water skis clearly came in handy. Unfortunately a tiny twig had flipped up into his chain and gears jamming the whole lot together and resulting in the bottom chain wheel and derailleur bracket snapping off completely, a repeat of what had happen a couple of years ago. Luckily, Tom was once again available with his chain shortening gadget and having donned surgical gloves he was soon at work carrying out a major operation to convert Andrew’s bike once again into a fixie. All this seemed to take less time than mending an average Windmiller’s puncture.

All was fine except for one thing. Andrew discovered the next day that he had left behind a key piece of cabling without which it would be difficult to carry out a full repair. Result – call Maurice, still in Aldeburgh, who offered to cycle back to the spot deep in the woods where the breakdown happened and, hey presto, he found the part! So, arise Saint Maurice, you’re a real Saint, and when you eventually get to heaven there’ll be an e-bike waiting for you! RHM has arranged it.

Andrew’s fixie gear had him spinning away like crazy but it was a good gear for negotiating a path down to the River Alde and up towards Snape. The views across the estuary with reeds swaying in the wind were breathless.

The final stretch from Snape took us to Campsea Ashe, across the A12 again (this time on a bridge) and through to Easton where thirsts and appetites were once again taken care of, this time by the friendly staff of The White Horse who said they could oblige with sandwiches even though we arrived on the stroke of 2.30pm when the kitchen normally closes. And good food and beer it was too – definitely another place to revisit, perhaps on a Tuesday when a special Malaysian menu is offered.

Finally, we cycled past the famous crinkle crankle wall surrounding Easton Hall Estate, thought to be the longest such wall in the country, designed for both strength and economy of construction.

The pro-Remain crinkle crankle wall in Easton

After 37 miles we were back in Framlingham and most were happy to get in their cars and return home but not Graham. What was another 70+ miles he thought? With Sandra edging ever closer to his current mileage of around 2,200 so far this year Graham decided that adding another 70 was a good way of keeping ahead, even if it did mean getting home at around 8.00pm! Well done, Graham. You are both an inspiration to us all. Correction! It was Sandra who was just ahead of Graham. Ed.

Many thanks to Saint Maurice for planning a great ride, Andrew for organising us and Brian for the map and several of the pics.

Martin aka RHM (Rev’d Holy Moley)

And a swift half it was too as seven Windmillers piled gleefully into The Woodman in Nuthampstead on this warm Bank Holiday evening having noticed that it was open, which was unusual for a Monday. The even better news was that it might open on Mondays in future too. And more good news came from Simon who said that he had persuaded his family of stoats to leave the Stoatel in his attic, but leaving behind the rotting carcasses of consumed rabbits and not paying their bill.

This made up for a somewhat sombre start to the ride as Andrew, Lindsey, Ken, Ann (on her sporty e-bike), Sandra, Simon and Martin gathered outside The Bull in Lower Langley at 5.00pm looking forward to a pleasant ride around the lanes followed by refreshment back at The Bull. But, alas, it was not to be. A sign outside said the pub had shut at 4.00pm and would re-open at 8.00pm which would have meant a 30 mile ride and that was not the plan.

The revised plan, once we got to The Woodman, was to have a swift half there followed by more swift halves in other pubs passed en route that we are not usually tempted to enter. It was a Bank Holiday after all, but all good plans go astray. This is where we went hunting:

Just before the 8 mile mark The Blind Fiddler came into view in Anstey and there were people sitting outside! Ah ha, thought those at the back of the ride but those at the front had already whizzed past and so the opportunity was lost. At the 10 mile mark in Great Hormead The Three Tuns also had people sitting outside enjoying the evening sun. This time thirsts were more apparent all round and so up the path we went only to be accosted by the landlord saying he was closing but that there was another pub ‘about a mile away’. However, our route did not pass another pub and so we proceeded to Furneux Pelham and stopped to admire the church and surrounding houses.

Then it was a left turn down a familar bone shattering concrete track towards Starlings Green and the outskirts of Clavering before heading back to The Bull at Langley Lower Green. With only a solitary swift half consumed and with many pubs seemingly closed or sold out after the record breaking temperatures over the Easter weekend, Andrew phoned around and discovered that The Pheasant in Great Chishill was open. So he, Lindsey, Ken, Ann and Sandra headed off there, Sandra having peeled off earlier to take a more direct route.

Thanks to Andrew for planning the route and enabling us to shed a few Easter Egg calories.

Martin

Thank God for Strava and similar apps. These may be part of the world of Big Brother, knowing exactly where we are at any point in time, but without these natty apps how could we possibly recall where we had been on this glorious Spring day, other than asking Maurice to resort to an Ordnance Survey map and a highlighter pen? Instead, with a couple of clicks we have the record immediately the ride is over. The wonders of modern science. So thanks to Brian for his Strava record of how we dutifully followed Maurice through his home territory of endless quiet lanes and along river banks. This was where we went:

Starting from The Golden Fleece at 9.15am, having placed our lunch orders, Maurice led the way clockwise followed by 10 other Windmillers – Sandra, Keith, Ken, Brian, Roger, Tom, Chris, Lawrence, Simon and Martin. It wasn’t long before we were going over fords or through them as we sauntered through very quiet lanes on this very warm day.

Conversation on our rides is always very varied, no less so on this ride when Simon told us about a problem he had with a stoat which had taken to killing rabbits and hauling them over his conservatory roof, making quite a racket whilst he was trying to read the paper in peace and quiet, and into his attic space where a gourmet meal was clearly then enjoyed by the family of stoats in the restaurant of the ‘Stoatel’. But instead of clearing away the remains, and choosing not to eat ears for some reason, the stoat left behind rotting carcasses of his / her kills, causing more discomfort for Simon. More anon no doubt.

Shortly after crossing Barwick Ford and ascending a steep hill, we came across a vintage sprayer and it’s operator, a local farmer who had built it many years ago. Tom was in his element chatting to him and learning of its pedigree – an old Bedford TK lorry which the farmer had converted into a fine looking machine, a bit outdated by modern standards apparently but clearly suitable for the farmer’s needs.

Tom deep in conversation about spraying with the owner of this fine vintage sprayer based on a Bedford TK

There were thoughts of coffee around the 15 mile mark but Ware was the destination via the Amwell Nature Reserve and the towpath alongside the River Lea. The water level was lower than usual which should encourage waders. Cormorants were busy building their nests in many places.

Coffee and cakes were consumed in our usual Italian café in Ware, after which we set off along the river path again towards Hertford. But we hadn’t gone far when Brian put in his entry for the Involuntary Dismount prize of 2019 by achieving a notable

whilst negotiating a barrier on the path at zero speed still clipped into his pedals. Luckily he seemed to escape with only a minor scratch.

The views along the River Lea towards Hertford are quite spectacular but we were soon climbing up the steep hill, having skirted the town, towards Dane End and back to Braughing, enjoying quiet lanes the whole way.

Back at The Golden Fleece it was good to be met by Andrew, just back from his Scottish trip cycling with Don Kent, and John Bagri also joined us having cycled around similar lanes. It was so hot, almost unbearably so, that some wished we had eaten the excellent lunch inside.

Thanks to Maurice for guiding us around his ‘own’ lanes once again. It’s always a big treat. And thanks to Andrew for organising us from a distance to ensure we got there on time.

Martin

We knew this was going to be a long day, and probably a windy one, but that didn’t stop 9 hardy  Windmillers from gathering in the Trumpington Park and Ride for a 51 mile trip to Ely and back. Graham, Sandra, Victor and Brian clocked up even longer distances having started from and returned to their homes, so well done those four, particularly Victor who had a dodgy front brake with pads that were stuck on for part of the way.

The others on this jaunt were organiser Andrew, Keith, Lawrence, Geoff and Martin. Having all assembled safely, off we whizzed alongside the busway to Cambridge station and then guided by Brian through the side streets to a convenient underpass at the junction of East Road and Newmarket Road and down to the River Cam.

Instead of going clockwise as on previous trips we decided to go anti-clockwise to try out a new route and also have a coffee break at the Wicken Fen Visitor Centre café. This worked out well on the whole except that National Cycle Route No. 11 came to an abrupt stop at Waterbeach, even though it was marked on the map, and became a series of stiles and gates which had to be crossed whilst heading towards Lode resulting in this becoming an Iron Man challenge, particularly when lifting Geoff’s e-bike over a gate.

Once we were back on No. 11 near Lode we had a glorious ride across the open Fens with a strong wind on our tail resulting in a fast journey to Wicken, arriving at 11.30am after 18 miles. Lawrence spotted a Marsh Harrier circling for its prey and Sandra thought it might have had a mate too. A great sighting. En route to Wicken we passed the infamous cock-up bridge and of course had to be photographed against it:

After coffee and cakes we set off for another 10 miles to our favourite lunch stop in Ely, Peacocks, via more riverside roads and tracks and under the newly constructed bridge carrying heavy traffic from Ely to Newmarket. This made the final hop into Ely somewhat easier than on previous trips, particularly as the bike path had been well repaired too.

Lunch was quite superb – a friendly greeting, a large table (the owner knew we were coming thanks to Brian phoning ahead), and excellent food washed down with some fine bottled Elgood’s beer from Wisbech (for those not worried about falling asleep on the homeward leg).

With 28 miles under our belt, there were no takers for the train home and so after lunch we set off on the homeward leg via Witchford, Wilburton and Cottenham knowing that a Fen blow would be on our noses most of the way. And indeed it was but we plugged on, heads down and getting relief at times from roadside hedges and trees. Just after crossing the River Ouse, Graham and Sandra peeled off and went down the main road to  Cottenham whilst the others took a minor back road and then to the River Cam via Landbeach and Milton. At one stage Victor took a minor tumble at a road junction after which repairs were attempted on his front brake without much success which resulted in Victor having effectively pedalled uphill across the Fens. So the prize for losing the most calories on the ride definitely went to Victor.

Once back in Cambridge, Keith, Brian and Martin decided they could not manage another inch without some refreshment and so they headed for The Salisbury Arms in Tenison Road whilst the others returned to Trumpington via the busway.

Here is the route taken:

Thanks to Andrew for organising a great ride. Let’s hope Route 11 near Waterbeach gets established for real in the coming months, so please lobby Sustrans!

Martin

It was way past noon and so no practical jokes on this All Fools Day were allowed, which was a bit of a shame. But Andrew’s DIY dental treatment gave us much to laugh about.

It was also our first summer-time ride which meant no more lights to lead our way back to The Tally Ho!. Instead we could generally dawdle and just admire the views if we chose to. And so it was that six not-so-foolish Windmillers, comprising Maurice, Andrew, Rod, Keith, Peter and Martin, turned out on this fine Spring evening at 4.30pm for a 20 mile ride around our quiet lanes. This is where we went:

Speeding past a lone cyclist near Barkway Golf Club established quickly that he lived in Furneux Pelham, didn’t know Roger (‘Is he the blind ex-Olympic rower?’, the chap asked) and showed no sign of wanting to ride along with us for fear of being left behind. That’s what happens when two e-bikes are in the pack – Maurice charging along up front and Hot Rod sweeping up the rear. It was good to have Peter out with us again, who has no problem keeping up with an e-bike.

It wasn’t long before the aforesaid Furneux Pelham with its lovely church and its motto Time Flies – Mind Your Business came into view. Then it was left up a farm road passing the same elderly gent and his dog who we often meet at that time of day, bidding him a cheery hello and getting one back in return. The downhill concrete track was once again a real bone shaker if taken at speed, enough to shake Andrew’s new tooth out but it survived, and it wasn’t long before we were back on the tarmac proceeding towards Clavering.

It felt strange not to stop at a wide open Bull at Lower Langley but chips were on offer once again and so we sped on towards Little Chishill passing many sunlit cottages on the way:

Master W J Bates’s farm was passed before taking care descending the steep bumpy hill to Shaftenhoe End, after which there were a few humps and bumps before climbing back into Barkway.

Back at The Tally Ho! the Trelawney was as good as ever but Martin settled for a Captain Bob brewed by a Maldon firm which he also declared excellent. Saleesha’s chips were good too.

Thanks to Maurice for planning the ride and congratulations to Andrew on his DIY dental skills. I for one will stick with my usual dentist, thank you all the same.

Martin

Answer: top row, 4th from the right. Pretty neat, eh?

Four Windmillers, Maurice, Andrew, Keith and Martin, gathered in the car park of The Tally Ho! in Barkway at the later time of 4.30pm for a ‘leisurely’ ride, as advertised by Andrew. And leisurely it was except for a short hairy stretch on the A505.

The plan was to take in the views on this glorious March evening, starting on the ridge heading towards Therfield and then descending to the A505 before climbing up to Sandon via Maurice’s ‘valley’ route. All went well until we experienced huge volumes of traffic whizzing along the A505. Was the A14 closed somewhere we wondered? It was only a few hundred yards from the Therfield junction to the Sandon junction but judging when to make a break for it exercised our minds for quite a while. Keith was the first to pluck up courage, followed by Andrew, Maurice and finally Martin with rear light flashing.

After we had duly recovered we could revert to taking in the vast views east and west as we climbed steadily towards Sandon.

The ‘valley’ became quite a steep climb as we approached Sandon, puffing and panting like a steam engine in the case of Martin. Another stop was called for to regain breath and also to take a pic of a magnificent magnolia tree in full bloom in a local’s garden:

Continuing on past Lyn and John B’s house, we were soon in Buntingford and heading back via the usual route through Wyddial, stopping once again to pay homage to Visions of Loveliness Lane.

Saying farewell to Keith who cycled back to Anstey, from whence he came, Maurice, Andrew and Martin headed back to a packed Tally Ho! to enjoy good chips and Trelawney bitter once again.

Here is the route taken:

Rod, if you’re reading this, we need to enlist your help in persuading Herts CC to construct cycle paths alongside the A505 between the Sandon and Ashwell Station junctions! And if everyone writes in support of such a scheme, you never know it might happen.

Thanks go to Maurice for planning the route, even if we did put our lives at risk! The views made it all worthwhile. And thanks to Andrew, as always, for his organisation.

Martin

If Roger’s birthday had been publicised in advance, the Fleur de Lys in Widdington might have been crammed even further with Windmillers at the end of the ride but, even so, it took two tables to fit everyone in. A large turnout of 14 Windmillers – Maurice, Andrew, Sandra, Keith, Ken, Brian, birthday boy Roger (sporting a Val d’Isere induced suntan), Ric, Simon, Deborah, Nigel and Martin – and joined later by Vernon and John B, meant we kept the kitchen staff very busy.

The weather was perfect for cruising through Essex lanes to the Blue Egg café at Great Bardfield and back. Setting off at 9.30am, the quiet route that Maurice had devised took us on a figure of 8 via Henham and Thaxted on the way out and Debden on the way back.

After a safety briefing about keeping in groups of 4 / 5 to enable cars to overtake, we set off down the hill from Widdington towards Henham and found the roads to be unusually quiet. Then it was through to the outskirts of Great Easton before heading north to Thaxted and on to Little Sampford before reaching the Blue Egg, famous for its cycling fans and the size/quality of its scones. Would Keith manage two we all wondered? But, alas, he could only consume one which was hardly surprising. It was gratifying to see other scone consumers, including Deborah and Martin putting the cream on top of the jam, Cornish style.

The Blue Egg gave us their usual warm, efficient welcome and we were soon enjoying good coffee, scones, toast and other goodies, cheered on in the knowledge that it was Roger’s birthday and free beer would be on offer later on: 

The return leg via Debden resulted in one group taking the on-road route back to Widdington whilst others look a left down Rook End Lane and then off-road along a dry track, cutting some of the corner off. So the mileage of some could have been another mile or so, except for Ric, Brian and Sandra who all cycled to and from Widdington clocking up another 35 miles or so each. Congratulations to all of them.

Back at the Fleur de Lys, we celebrated Roger’s birthday in fine style whilst enjoying an excellent lunch.

Thanks to Maurice for a great ride, to Roger for the drinks and to Andrew for his organisation.

Martin (whose daughter Jessie produced a sixth grand daughter for Martin and Penny later the same day)

The promised chips at The Tally Ho! finally materialised when bowlfuls galore appeared from Saleesha’s kitchen at the end of this glorious late afternoon Spring ride. Ready to gorge on them were Maurice, Andrew, Sandra, Keith, new boy Peter and Martin. We had met Peter before when he was doing a stint behind the bar of The Tally Ho! whilst Saleesha was away and so it was very good to have him join us. Peter’s wife, Maggie, also rides, both of them having cycled 20 miles earlier in the day.

And so it was that the assembled crew set off at 4.00pm to enjoy the local lanes. Here is the clockwise route taken:

Maurice led the way at a brisk pace and it wasn’t long before the three hills leading to Great Chishill were despatched, helped by a following wind. The views towards Great Chishill windmill (‘our’ windmill) and beyond were at their best in the afternoon sun.

Maurice fancied trying the new off road route between Elmdon and Strethall which he had heard good reports of when we did it without him recently in the opposite direction, and so off we went in the Ickleton direction before turning right up quite a steep hill to the start of the newly laid track through Elmdon woods. And it wasn’t a disappointment – a bit stony here and there, to be expected, but a pleasant diversion from the usual on-road route to Strethall. In a few week’s time the woods will be ablaze with bluebells.

In Strethall,  Andrew stopped to admire a Fox Red Labrador puppy out for a walk with its owners, and to discuss its parentage – no relation to his dog it seems.

Next stop was probably the most-photographed place in this blog – Arkesden – and deservedly so as it must rank as one of the prettiest villages around. It was looking particularly nice this evening with the stream alongside the High Street flowing well, flanked by daffodils on the banks.

Thoughts of chips and beer must have encouraged Sandra, Keith and Peter to charge off at high speed soon after Roast Green, leaving Maurice, Andrew and Martin to bring up the rear at a more sedate pace. But we were all rewarded with excellent chips and, of course, excellent Trelawney too. It was good to meet Peter’s wife Maggie again and we hope she may join us on a future ride.

Thanks to Maurice for taking us off the beaten track and to Andrew for organising us.

Martin

I don’t know how he does it but on so many of the rides Maurice organises, the weather seems to be on his side!! This afternoon would be no exception, the sun shone and the winds from previous storms would ease but not be totally still, so the decision would be to reverse a regular Monday route, to go out into the wind along mostly sheltered roads and take advantage of a tail wind from Kelshall and Therfield back along Reed Joint.

Andrew freshly back from a challenging journey across The Channel in force 11 gales and Sandra would join Maurice to celebrate the big day!

Heading out from The Tally Ho to Nuthampstead, Anstey, Wyddial, Buntingford before crossing the A10 to head through to Sandon and on to Kelshall and Therfield, where the promised tail wind had all but disappeared to a light breeze, needless to say we didn’t achieve 36mph along Reed Joint that I’d experienced on Saturday prior to this ride (quite exhilarating I must say!), especially when you see two other cyclists battling into the headwind, very much like my first Storm Sandra ride with Brummie Brian and Martin a couple of years ago!!!

Back at The Tally Ho and word had clearly got out that it was Maurice’s birthday. Friends and locals flocked in to help with the celebrations and to devour the lovely chips Saleesha had cooked specially for us.

Thanks Maurice for organising and the refreshments, hope you enjoyed your birthday, sorry we forgot the fireworks!!

Sandra

There was the promise of chips and good beer at the end of this ride but we had to settle for the beer. Maurice came on his usual non-e bike, accompanied by Nigel, Sandra and Martin and it was good to be joined by Lyn B and Bridget at the end.

Setting off from The Tally Ho! at 3.30pm on a mild Spring day brought another reminder of the longer days to come. The countryside was ablaze with daffodils, with hedges beginning to sprout in all directions, not knowing that storms would soon be giving them a rough time.

Here is the route taken:

The lanes were quiet, as usual, the main vehicle of choice amongst the locals seemingly being a Land Rover Discovery. We must have spotted at least a dozen, both old and new, with one driver so determined to overtake us on the hill coming out of Arkesden towards Clavering that he narrowly missed an oncoming car and then swerved into the gully between tarmac and a ditch before regaining control. We rather hoped he might end up in the ditch. The other Discovery drivers were much better behaved.

Maurice brought along an early photograph of a Windmill Club ride taken, we think by him, in October 2014 in Duddenhoe End:

Back in The Tally Ho! we enjoyed good conversation and good beer whilst enjoying the company of Lyn B and Bridget. There was much discussion about returning to those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer in 2014 when more ladies joined us on Monday rides. We hope to encourage others to ride with us, particularly now that the days are getting longer, and would welcome ideas about how to achieve this.

Thanks to Maurice for planning the route and to Sandra for getting us to the starting line. (Andrew was busy whizzing down the slopes in Les Gets.)

Martin

The Fox & Duck, Therfield was the meeting point for this ride. With Maurice and Andrew away, I was tasked with organising a ride, well storm Freya passed through the week before, so all should go well. The weather was looking ok earlier in the week and I’d chosen a route, so that if the winds returned we would be sheltered from hedges to a degree!!

The wind had returned for the day and 2 brave/foolhardy souls were willing to join me, Lawrence and Graham. With the knowledge that the weather was only going to get worse later we set off to Dane End, turning towards Sandon before turning left and heading through Green End, Mill End and Lye End to Buntingford, on through the High Street and heading to Aspenden, Westmill, Nasty and Gt Munden. So far not too bad with the wind, as we’d been fairly well sheltered, that would change when we hit the bottom of the valley from Gt Munden to the Haultwick turn, this stretch was more akin to being in a wind tunnel, a full on head wind, the guys opting to tuck in behind me. I had promised them that this wouldn’t be for long and we would be turning to take full advantage of a tail wind up the hill into Haultwick. There was a huge sigh of relief at this turning point and we could also hear ourselves think too.

On to Wood End and Church Farm, Ardeley (Little Delhi!!) for coffee and a well deserved break. Knowing that it was only 10 miles back from here with a tail wind, we lingered a while. Then it was down to Cromer before heading up to Cumberlow Green, Rushden and then through Sandon, Kelshall and the direct route to Therfield and the welcoming Fox & Duck, where Brummy Brian, Yorkie Brian (who had chosen to find their own route in the slightly more exposed Cambridgeshire) and Rocket Rod joined us for lunch.

Thanks to Lawrence and Graham for being brave enough to join me and Rod and the Two Brian’s for joining us for lunch.

Storm ( Sandra)

The Bull, Lower Langley was the meeting point for this ride, 15.00 start time. Maurice, Andrew, Sandra and Simon O (just managing to join us as hoped by the end of January).

A glorious sunny afternoon/evening was in store and we set off up to Meesden Bury, on to Brent Pelham and Stocking Pelham before hitting the somewhat rougher roads through to Furneux Pelham, this would be where Simon blinded by the sun took a direct hit on one of the potholes and lost all the air out of his front tyre. Not realising what had happened Maurice and Andrew had turned left, heading to Maggots End, I had also turned left towards Maggots End and reached the top of the first hill, only to look back to see Simon pushing his bike to catch up. Unsure as to whether there was actually a puncture, we opted for a quick puff of CO2 and hope it would hold (Simon’s bike has rather larger tyres than the regular and we didn’t fancy trying to pump by hand!!) strangely the tyre stayed up for the rest of the ride and I believe for some weeks afterwards.

Once pumped up we were on our way again and caught up with Maurice and Andrew somewhat further along the road. On to Manuden, Rickling Green, Rickling, Clavering, Roast Green where Andrew turned left to head towards Meesden Bury before dropping back to The Bull, ( I’d already ridden this way on the way to the Bull – hence the extra bits on the map) and Maurice, Simon and I went the direct route to Lower Langley and the welcome of The Bull.

Thanks Maurice for the ride and Andrew for organising us.

Apologies that this rides blog is somewhat out of sync.

Sandra

It could easily have been a day for watching a T20 game of cricket, such was the fine weather, but cycling 20 miles in a starting temperature of 20C on a February day seemed just as good a way of having fun on a nice evening, and a good excuse to show off some knobbly knees. And it was fun from start to finish, albeit a bit cooler at the end.

Four Windmillers took part in the ride, Maurice, Andrew, Nigel and Martin, assembling at The Tally Ho! in Barkway at the later time of 3.30pm due to the lengthening evenings (and opening times). Maurice was astride one of his trusty pedal bikes, the one that toured Sccotland a couple of years back, and off we set to take in some glorious views of the surrounding countryside. As it was such a nice day, two other Windmillers, Sandra and Graham, were cycling to Dunwich, clocking up at least 80 miles in the process.

Here is the route taken:

It wasn’t long before Andrew called a halt in Therfield saying he was suffering from overheating, which enabled a leisurely look at The Fox and Duck and almost time for a pint had it been open.

Not much later, on the high ridge heading westwards another stop was made to admire the view which included a herd of approx. 100 deer, including several Albino, in a distant field about half a mile away:

Then we wound our way through the lanes to Sandon and admired for the first time the buttresses holding the church tower up, speculating as to when they were built – answer, sometime in the 17th Century.

Continuing on towards Buntingford, past Lyn and John Bagrie’s house, we sauntered along quiet roads, except for crossing the busy A10, taking in the sights and sounds of an early Spring. What a contrast to the Beast from the East at the same time last year. We paid our respects to Visions of Loveliness Lane outside Wyddial and then decided on a detour via Anstey and Nuthampstead before arriving back at The Tally Ho! just as the temperature was dropping like a stone. The fire inside the pub reminded us that winter is not over just yet.

Soon after arriving we were joined by Bridget and an Australian friend who was living and working in Paris – a keen cyclist, conversation soon got around to his club and The Windmill Club organising a get together by meeting half way between Le Havre and Paris and exploring the rolling countryside west of Paris. Une idée magnifique! Oui?

More locals then poured in including Lyn and John Bagrie and so soon the pub was heaving and a jolly time was had by all. Nigel regaled us with some hilarious tales of his regular night time rides, sometimes in minus C temperatures, when repairing punctures by torch light make our day time efforts look pale by comparison. Rumour has it that Saleesha will be dishing up some chips on future Mondays.

Thanks once again to Maurice and Andrew for organising the ride.

Martin