Michael's Blog of Stuff.: May 2014

I had planned to cycle today, but was, as usual, reluctant to actually start. I really must move to a more interesting part of the country. I finally forced myself out of the house at 10h15.

I rode east along the main road to Walkern, then turned north along the High Street.
I stopped to take photographs at the ford by the church, then continued on through
Cromer, Rushden and Redhill. At the junction of the Sandon road
four female fallow deer came trotting around the corner. I have never been
so close to deer, but they completely ignored me, turned right, then leapt
the verge and carried on towards Wallington.

I climbed the hill to Roe Green with very little (for me) effort, rode through the village of
Sandon, then stopped for a drink at Kelshall.
I continued through Therfield then turned north again to reach Therfield Heath.

I locked my bike to the fence by the stile. This was not very satisfactory, but was all I could do, then wandered the heath and woodland.
I found the last two pasque flowers still in bloom, which pleased me as I had
thought I would have been too late to see them. I also spotted some white helleborine
in the woodland; a new species for me.

I rode down the hill to the Royston road. The headwind (just) prevented me from
even reaching 50kmh. At the bottom I turned left, then right towards Litlington.
I rode some distance, then turned left onto what I though was Ashwell Street. It
wasn't, but I discovered Litlington's own chalk grassland nature reserve. I
will visit it on a future ride.

I found Ashwell Street and set off west towards the village itself. Halfway along
I saw a female wheatear. The track itself was very dry and rideable, and I would recommend it for anyone nervous about riding on roads.

I Ashwell I stopped and sat by the springs to eat my lunch. I took a few photographs
in the village, then rode the short distance along Hinxworth Road to the HMWT
Ashwell Quarry Pit reserve. This was just a short visit as there was nowhere
to leave my bike (a shortcoming common at County Wildlife Trust reserves).
Also I did not notice until I left that access to the reserve is by permit only. Whoops!

I returned to the village then rode up Partridge Lane to visit Arbury Banks. On the
way I found the very rusty and delapidated remains of a truck in the hedge. It
was so old that it had solid tyres.
At the hillfort I read the information board, but the site itself was fenced off. It was
a very clear site; I assume a local farmer cuts it for hay.
I rode the very bumpy and rutted bridleway to the Bygrave road, then continued through
Baldock, where I had to stop to buy a drink.
After struggling up the ridiculously steep Weston Hills, I rode through the village of
Weston itself, then back into Ste Evenege.
A very pleasant day, very little physical effort and 62km covered.