Category: Ridgewell

Winding roads, curved walls

Post author By Brian Connellan
Post date Nov 6, 2025
No Comments on Winding roads, curved walls

Keith’s route – from Steeple Bumpstead to Glemsford and back – provided what was possibly our most traffic-free ride of the year. Coupled with a bumper turnout of sixteen Windmillers* it made for a most enjoyable Thursday morning’s outing.

Pausing for a breather beside the duck pond at Belchamp Walter

Setting off from the Fox & Hounds, the outbound ride took us through many a fine north Essex village, and none finer than Great Yeldham, famed for its Great Oak – which is recorded in The Domesday Book – and its crinkle crankle wall. “What’s that?“, I hear you say.

The crinkle crankle wall at Great Yeldham

These walls mostly date back to the days of the brick tax (1784 to 1850) when the government levied a duty of half a crown – about £24 in today’s money – per 1000 bricks to help fund the American War of Independence. No sooner was the tax introduced than canny builders found ways to minimise its impact. Some just used bigger bricks and some opted to build walls crinkle-crankle style. These curved structures provided stability and required just one layer of bricks rather than the usual two, doing away altogether with the need for buttressing. Not only were the walls economical to build but the curves provided shelter and retained warmth for the growing of fruit trees.

The tax was eventually abolished in 1850 leading to a boom in the brick industry (and a return to the building of straighter walls!)

Some seventeen miles after setting off we crossed the River Stour into Suffolk and pulled in at the excellent Willow Tree Farm Café, just outside Glemsford.

Refreshed and back on the bikes we re-traced our way over the Stour and back into Essex for the return leg via Belchamp St Paul, Ridgewell and Birdbrook – and it was somewhere along here that we encountered that scourge of autumnal outings – the tractor and hedge flail.

There’s many a puncture from thorny hedge flailings

Sure enough, and just a few miles short of the pub, MartinB pulled up with a puncture, a long thorn protruding from his tyre. Seeing it would be the quickest way for us all getting back in time for lunch, Rod dashed the remaining few miles to the pub, got the car and retrieved both Martin and machine. Well done, Rod!

We subsequently learned Martin wasn’t the only one to suffer a puncture; a similar fate had befallen Alan, though his caused by glass and thankfully mended en route.

Returning to the Fox & Hounds we were delighted to find MartinW waiting there for us and together we enjoyed a beer or two and a good lunch.

Our thanks go to Keith for planning and leading an excellent morning’s ride.

33 miles anticlockwise from Steeple Bumpstead

^* The turnout was: Alan, Brian, Deborah, Geoff, Graham, Howard, Jenni, Keith, Ken, MartinB, Maurice, Paul, Rach, Rod, Simon and Victor.

Tags Windmill cycling club

Essex Ridgewell

Fifteen go watermilling

Living up to our club name, we rarely pass a windmill without stopping for a photograph – and sometimes even a visit. We have, indeed, been known to stop and admire one of those rare delights, a tidal mill. But never to my knowledge had we visited a watermill . . . until today.

So it was that some fifteen Windmillers stopped off at Alderford Watermill in Sible Hedingham where Martin had arranged for us to have a guided tour.

We were shown around by Owen, one of the volunteers who maintains and keeps alive this wonderful piece of 18th century engineering. Owen explained how parts of the present mill date from around 1720 when it would have been operated by a miller and one assistant producing coarse wholemeal flour. Over the years new power sources – steam, then oil, and finally electricity – were adopted to boost output and reduce the dependency upon river flow.

The mill finally stopped turning in 1957 and from then on the building was used for grain storage. Now owned by Essex County Council it is lovingly maintained (and continually restored!) by Owen and his fellow volunteers, the Friends of Alderford Mill.

Earlier at the White Horse, Ridgewell, fourteen Windmillers had gathered for our regular Thursday ride. We should have been fifteen but Simon was missing. We are used to losing him during, but not before, a ride and a quick phone call established that the poor chap had mixed up the meeting point with the ride destination. Yes, he was at The Blue Egg. We hung around until Simon eventually, and somewhat sheepishly, rolled into the car park. Now we were fifteen – and all off to, yes, The Blue Egg.

Chris, Sandra, Maurice, Howard and Alan near Gibraltar Mill, Great Bardfield

As ever, Maurice had chosen a wonderful route; 32 miles on quiet lanes and in perfect spring weather.

For the record the turnout was: Alan, Andrew, Brian, Charles, Chris, Geoff, Graham, Hazel, Howard, Ken, Martin, Maurice, Nigel, Sandra and Simon.

Thanks are due to: Maurice and Andrew for planning the day; birthday boy Charles for buying the beers; Martin for arranging the mill tour; and Owen for his excellent guided tour of the mill.

Millwrights Simon, Hazel, Charles, Andrew, Martin, Chris and Geoff

Simon again, this time wielding a millers thingummyjig

Charles – what on earth is he doing? – and Hazel

Back to the White Horse for lunch. Cheers!

Tags Alderford Mill, watermill, Windmill cycling club

Ridgewell Suffolk

All’s well at Ridgewell

Glad to say, absolutely nothing untoward happened on this week’s Thursday outing; no thrills, spills, punctures, nor indeed, helpings of haggis – it was just a very pleasant 32 mile ride in the company of Andrew, Brian, Charles, Geoff, Graham, Howard, Maurice, Rod, Roger, Sandra, Tom and Victor; some twelve Windmillers in all.

Sandra and Tom getting their caffeine fix

Starting and finishing at White Horse Inn, Ridgewell, Maurice had led the way, via Stoke by Clare and Hundon, to Stradishall, before turning eastwards to Hawkedon and on to Rede, where we pulled in for refreshment at The Plough.

Then it was on southwards to Glemsford and Cavendish from where we took a delightfully quiet – and new to us – minor road bypassing Clare, before returning to Ridgewell for lunch. All in all, a grand day out!

The Three Amigos: Roger, Andrew and Geoff

Thanks, as ever to Maurice and Andrew for planning and organising everything; also to Charles for the many photos – too many to include here – but check them out in the club album.

Brian

PS Maurice reports our charity collection so far this year stands at £633; a flying start to 2022. Well done, all!

Tags White Horse Inn Ridgewell

Ridgewell Suffolk

Eating well at Ridgewell

Two years on from our last visit, it was high time for a return to Ridgewell and The White Horse where, opening up early, the landlord welcomed us with coffee and took our orders for lunch.

So it was that eleven Windmillers set off from the pub, in some trepidation it must be said, given the mercury was barely above freezing and, to heighten our concern, within half a mile we encountered Graham coming the other way. Cycling out to join us, had been delayed by the icy roads. Oo-er, let’s take it steady, was the general consensus.

That said, it was one of those sparkling, blue sky mornings and, wrapped up against the cold, it felt good to be alive, at least until the next patch of ice.

We can’t pass Gibraltar Windmill without stopping for a photo

Eighteen miles in, and pulling up at The Blue Egg for refreshments, there was by now sufficient warmth in the sun for us to enjoy our coffee al fresco.

Restoring caffeine and sugar levels at The Blue Egg

The return leg was just as lovely – and thankfully uneventful – as all riders returned intact and looking forward to a good lunch.

Scottish country dancing? Or just ants in their pants? Who knows?

Back at the pub, we were delighted to be joined by Ken who, hearing rumours of free beer, had leapt in his car and driven across county lines to join us.

It was indeed Martin’s birthday and, toasting his health, we gave a stirring rendition of Happy Birthday before settling down to an excellent lunch. All agreed, the White Horse food was really very good and, at £11.95 for two courses, remarkable value to boot.

And the winner of this week’s prize for art-house photography is . . . Graham, with his shots of mist on muck and hazy blue skies (or is just grease on the lens, Graham?)

For the record, our team roster was Andrew, Brian, Charles, Deborah, Geoff, Graham, Howard, Martin, Maurice, Roger, Sandra and Victor; plus Ken in civvies.

Thanks, as ever, to Maurice and Andrew for organising another lovely outing – and to the landlord of The White Horse for his hospitality; we shall return soon.

Thanks also Charles, Deborah, Graham, Martin and Victor for the many photographs; too many to include here but you can check them out in the club album.

Check out also our last visit to Ridgewell back in November, 2019.

Brian

Tags White Horse Ridgewell, Windmill cycling club