FUTURE RIDES
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WINKWORTH ARBORETUM , SURREY 18TH OCTOBER 2009
For the third year running out main autumn ride started at the arboretum just south of Godalming. Weather was perfect, a cold night and one of the first frosts of the year combined with ideal autumn colours had the making of a great day. Nine of us set out including several first time riders and the usual Home Counties regulars.
The Arboretum was filling up fast for what the staff reckoned would be their busiest day of the year. Time to move to quieter pastures so we set off to Juniper valley via High Barn a delightful route with many of the trees showing their autumn golds and reds. After a slight mishap involving an unexpectedly locked gate we made for Haydon’s Ball a viewpoint of 179 meters with views towards the South Downs and Black Down Hill.
It was while descending that my front wheel decided to lock throwing me from the bike (unhurt). The front mudguard would not be doing any more work and the forks had an interesting double bend in them. By way of consolation I was told some people pay good money for ‘funny frames’ eg Hetchins and Bates. Still the bike was just rideable so we continued south off Vann Hill by an easy bridleway with good views of the hills took us to Loxhill. From here it was lanes to Dunsfold and via tracks to Cranleigh for lunch following the Wey navigation. After lunch (slightly delayed by punctures) we took the Downslink path towards Bramley. This is a restored railway track which runs from south of Guildford to the south coast at Shoreham by Sea. I continued to Guildford to train home while Jim Swann expertly led the group back via Hascombe.
OS 186 covers the ride
SANDY TRACKS AROUND HINDHEAD
Hindhead is located about 40 miles south west of London on the Portsmouth road. It's a hilly sandy area with numerous bridleways so providing you don't get sand in your bearings its a great area. It's also the location of one of the last 'simple hostels' in the country, so a couple of members took advantage of the meet to make a weekend of it.
We met at the upmarket National Trust café (used to be a greasy spoon until a couple of years ago) overlooking the deep depression known as the Devils Punch Bowl. Leaving the café, our wallets somewhat lighter, we were straight into what is typical scenery for the area, a mixture of woodland and open country made all the more enjoyable by the heather and gorse in bloom. This is an area rich in historical associations and I had passed one of them on my way to the meeting point. A memorial to the drunken sailor who was robbed whilst on his way back to his ship in Portsmouth. The murderers were captured and hung on a nearby hill, which is called Gibbet Hill. Here there were superb views towards the North Downs, which very neatly hides the sprawling mass of London.
We concentrated on an area south west of Hindhead, between Headley and Grayshott. Richly wooded we passed by old Hammer Ponds (a relic of this area's industrial past). Then to Waggoner's Well and out to open common land with superb views towards Blackdown Hill and the South Downs. Apart from dog walkers there was no one out, a consequence of the dire weather forecast - we had no rain all day. After lunch near Beacon Hill we headed north for some lane riding back by Elstead.
Steve Griffith
