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FANNY's FARM Today was the last ever ride for Suzanne, the co-founder of Pollards Hill Cyclists, before her imminent move to Edinburgh. We didn't do a reminder email for this ride because we'd secretly booked the treehouse at Fanny's Farm for a surprise lunch and it only holds 12 people. So, despite last minute worries that we might get 20 riders turn up, I was relieved when the final tally was a comfortable 11.
We set off over Mitcham Common, where the ponds were looking decidedly short of water and down to BedZed, the largest eco-village in the UK and a first time visit for quite a few riders. After a quick toilet stop at Honeywood next to the picturesque Carshalton Ponds we set off through gently rising suburbia towards the Fairlawn Road bridleway, although progress was slowed by two puncture stops. The bridleway was very dry and takes you direct to Oaks Park. Roll on the summer when all the off-road routes will be dry!
A vicious dog tried to maul us outside the caravan park on Carshalton Rd. I was too far away to step in and use my Dog Dazer, an effective weapon that emits a harmless but uncomfortable high pitched noise that only dogs can hear. Once you leave Oaks Park, the ride starts to become very rural and after crossing the railway at Chipstead station it becomes very picture-postcard, especially on such a clear day.
Fanny's Farm is a delight. A ramshackle collection of farm buildings housing a farm shop, tea room and a motley collection of animals including a couple of pigs that roam freely. The treehouse is fantastic. There's just enough space for the 11 of us and the sandwiches were already laid out. We added some bottles of apple juice from the nearby Godstone Vineyard to go with the tea and coffee. As an extra surprise, we'd arranged for a cake to be made with a bicycle iced on and 'We'll Miss You'. Scones with clotted cream and jam rounded the lunch off and left us feeling slightly too heavy for the incline back to High Road although we were buoyed by the idea of 90% of the ride back being downhill.
We touched into Beddington Park just one hour after leaving Fanny's and spent a few windy minutes polishing off the remains of our lunch that we'd panniered back with us. Then it was along the Beddington sewer path, over Mitcham common and through the Pollards Hill estate for farewells outside Commonside.
There wouldn't be a Pollards Hill Cyclists without Suzanne and all the great events we've been involved in such as Love Yr Bike and Get Cycling Mitcham are her ideas. Thanks to everyone who donated stuff or bought stuff at the Love Yr Bike cycle jumble and enabled us to raise some money to afford to do this. We'll really miss her but we wish her well for her new venture in Scotland and hopefully we'll catch a train up there later in the year so she can show us what Edinburgh has to offer! Out for 7 hours, 26 miles. See some photos from today on Flickr
Sunday 12th March BEAVER WATER WORLD An overnight change of heart regarding the route turned today into one of our toughest and longest rides. I'd advertised that we would ride down Croham Road but it just didn't fit in with our policy of avoiding busy roads and heavy traffic. Plus it is uphill for about 4 miles. So I got the map out, plotted a better but longer route and took a gamble on a few bridleways that were new to me and hoped they were passable after the recent rain.
5 of us set off towards the old lido in Croydon for a breakfast tea stop. I'd announced the change of route and extra miles but everyone fancied the challenge. It was always going to be a hilly ride - our destination is virtually the highest point in Greater London - but I tried to avoid any unnecessary climbs by studiously checking the contour lines on the OS map. Using the urban bridleway at Haling Grove on the way to Purley Oaks saved us from dropping down only to go up again. Brancaster Lane kept us in the bottom of the valley for longer on the way to Riddlesdown but we paid for that with a short steep climb on Coombe Wood Hill. You can see the Croydon skyline from the summit, with the Gherkin and central London directly behind. Beautiful clear day.
Riddlesdown is a long thin remote Corporation of London common, high above the A22, with great views of Happy Valley and Kenley. We took a chance on the bridleway to Hamsey Green and found it to be fairly decent until you pass over the open grassland of Dipsley's Shaw where it got a bit muddy. A lone policeman with LAPD-style shades filmed a motorist and pulled him over. Speeding. We pushed on into Kingswood Lane and another new bridleway for all of us. It skirted Moseshill Shaw, dropped down so steeply that some of us opted to walk, got a bit boggy at the bottom and then climbed back up to Farleigh Common where we hit the rural lanes. A brief stop to see the 1083AD church and then a chain broke. In two places! Swiftly fixed, we rode to the top of Hesiers Hill, flew down and ambled up the long slow rise of Beddlestead Lane. This is really rural countryside, despite only being a few miles from New Addington.
I'd spotted a bridleway on the map that would save us 3 miles. Although it was signed with a wooden fingerpost, it was nothing more than a ploughed field. I got so muddy in 10 yards that my wheel wouldn't turn. Heavy London clay. This meant we had to use the roads so it was well after 2pm by the time we hit Beaver Water World, a small Reptile Zoo run as a charity. The cafe is under new management but it's still a cheap greasy spoon with limited options. I'm happy with a jacket potato and some cake so it's fine.
Avoid the hills and keep the slight wind behind us. Those were the requests for the return. Lusted Hall Lane gave us a great downhill headstart and with the wind behind, we sailed down Oaklands Lane but there's no avoiding Jewel Hill. The closed section of Park Road, now part of NCN21 to Eastbourne is always a pleasure. The vegetation has grown over the road but the tarmac with the white lines in the middle is still visible. Everyone always enjoys the 2 mile sweep down Featherbed Lane but Spout Hill is short, steep and unforgiving. However, the summit means that it's all downhill through South Norwood Country Park and along the quiet suburban streets back to Pollards Hill. An unprecedented 36 miles (we try to stay under 30), out for 8 hours. See some photos from today on Flickr
Sunday 5th March CROYDON LIDO (and beyond) A family ride with no families. 8 people at the library enjoyed the early
spring sunshine for Suzanne's final duty as a Ride Leader. One rider jokily
sporting an SOS appeal: Save Our Suzanne!
The initial route from Pollards Hill took in Mitcham Common, and a
particularly jubilant group of starlings singing out their pleasure at
seeing the sun again. The scenic route to Beddington Park is mostly
traffic-free. We meandered at a leisurely pace beside the Thames Water
works, although we didn't see the usual groups of bird watchers scanning the
skies for the interesting inhabitants of the site.
The proposed lunch at the former Croydon Lido became an early cake stop as it
was unanimously decided to increase the mileage slightly and push on for
lunch in Oaks Park. But first, on the day that the test flight of the
Spitfire was re-enacted, we visited the birthplace of modern civil aviation,
Croydon Airport. It's open on the first Sunday of every month, free entry,
suggested donation of £1. It's changed from the last time any of us visited
and you can no longer wander freely around. Instead we had a short talk from
a former aviation engineer before we were allowed into the old control tower
where radio communications for aircraft were pioneered. Anyone interested in
aviation history should make a point of visiting Croydon Airport and talk to
the fascinating tour guides, several of them former pilots or engineers who
served time at Croydon.
An attempt to reduce the climb to the rural Little Woodcote estate found us
in a private road with a set of very effective anti-cycling barriers.
Suddenly the advantages of a light bike become clear! The tarmac bridleways
were nice and quiet. It's astonishingly rural out there, the Gherkin
building in central London looks miles away on the clear horizon and there
are just fields in the other direction.
As the sun shone on, we wound our way towards Oaks Park for a very pleasant
lunch stop, despite the slightly indifferent service! We decided to check
out the craft centre. Closed. Why??
Woodmansterne Lane is a traffic-calmed B-Road that is downhill all the way
to the lovely Carshalton Ponds. We picked up the Wandle Trail and finished
the day with an overdue ride alongside the depleted Seven Islands Pond on
Mitcham Common and made it back to Pollards Hill just before 4pm, still with
some sun in sight. An enjoyable Sunday amble. Almost 18 miles, out for 5 and a half hours. See some photos from today on Flickr
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