Bimble south of Stevenage.

I went for a ride today. After setting off I decided to record it by taking a photograph every kilometre. This is the result:

1 km. Fairlands Way, Stevenage.

2km. At Fairlands Lakes, Stevenage.

                  

3km. Six Hills Way, Stevenage. Collens Wood to the right.

4km. Aston End.

5km. Bareleigh. Overlooking the Beane Valley.

6km. Watton turnpike, looking back towards Bareleigh. It is much steeper than it appears here.

7km. Further south along the Watton turnpike.

8km. Further south still.  Near White Hall.

       

9km. The same road. Frogmore House may be glimpsed through the trees.

10km. The A602, Watton by-pass.

11km. Watton-at-Stone village pump.

Five views of Watton-at-Stone.

12km. Field with horse-blanket. Watton-at-Stone.

13km. Perrywood Lane.

14km. Perrywood Lane continued.

15km. Bramfield Woods.

16km. Looking east from Bramfield Woods.

17km. Queen Hoo Lane.

Two photographs of Queen Hoo.

18km. Hazy ahead over WGC, Hatfield and beyond.

18km. Tewin Hill, looking back.

19km. Tewin.

Tewin Orchard, HMWT Reserve. 

20km. Tewin Orchard (the way out)

21km. Burnham Green.

Told you!

22km. Whitehorse Lane.

23km. Whitehorse Lane, looking back.

24km. Datchworth Green, looking back.

25km. Brookbridge Lane, Datchworth.

26km. Datchworth church and mounting block.

27km. Top of Bragbury Lane looking over Stevenage.

28 and-a-bit km. (nowhere safe to stop on the hill).   Hertford Loop bridge at Bragbury End.

29km. A602, Broadhall Way, Stevenage.

30km. As above.

31 km. Same road. Stevenage has some bad infrastructure. This is not it.

32km. Broadhall Way is a long road!

33km. Monkswood Way / Jennings Close.

34km. Lytton Way / Six Hills Way junction. Grade separated.

35km. Lytton Way / Fairlands Way junction. Grade separated.

 

36km. Going back up Fairlands Way as at km1. Nearly home.

37km. Back at Bimble Towers.

Village Bimble.

I went out this morning and rode through some small villages around the south of Stevenage.
Not an exciting trip, but pleasant, sunny and relaxed. I covered 35km and arrived back for a late lunch.

Two views of wildflowers at Fairlands Lakes.

The Beane Valley from the Watton to Walkern road.

Watton at Stone.

Harmer Green.

Three more views in the Harmer Green area.

Distant views of Datchworth.

Woolmer Green in foreground. Stevenage on the horizon.

Thrre views of Mardley Heath.

Views of Knebworth village (2).

Village 1 was near the church and was cleared to improve the Lyrtton family's view and protect their delicate upper-class sensibilities.

Village 3 is at the base of the hill on the Great North Road.

I'm still a sad little bimbler.

Big things are just around the corner (metaphorically).

Wednesday 14th May. Therfield Heath and Ashwell

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.

Walkern ford.

Roe Green, Sandon.

Pasque flower.

Along Ashwell Street.

Ashwell spring. A source of the River Cam.

Ashwell. Hard to find a few not polluted with cars.

Abandoned truck in hedge.

Ashwell museum.

Easter Monday

On Easter Monday I walked to Knebworth Park with my wife to watch the jousting. I had hoped that thee would be some kind of medieval fair going on with perhaps a hog roast and crafts, but it was just brightly clothed blokes on horses pretending to fight. 
It was really good fun though!

The performers are known as the Knights of Arkley, and are well worth seeing if you
get the opportunity