One of the advantages, or should that be disadvantages, of using Zoundry to create my posts off-line is that I tend to add more pictures. On reviewing the pictures I can easily remember how wonderful it looked but on looking at the posts they all to tend to look a little the same.
The weatherman here in the Flatlands of East Anglia got it wrong - showers, maybe even thunder storms were predicted. In the end the weather was gorgeous. Too nice to stay in and too nice to spend too much time cycling on the roads. I had a quick look at the map and then set of looking for interesting by-ways to cycle along.
Although there were closer grass lanes I cycled to Great Wilbraham and took a path that I first cycled along in '91 in the snow on my Diamondback Mountain Bike, only no snow this time - but I did take the same bike. Although the paths are clearly used, they are never very busy and given the dry weather we have had very easy to cycle along on my fatter tyred MTB
Although there are not very many signposts it is quite easy to follow as it is a path with hedgerows each side. At one point it crosses a road which heads off to 6 Mile Bottom. Being close to Newmarket there is a distinct Racing influence to the names.
After a bit of zig-zagging the path arrives at the A11 road which heads on up to Norwich. The road has been upgraded to a dual-carriageway since we first arrived in Cambridge. Fortunately when they increased the size of the road they built bridges for farmers and path users to cross by. Up on the A14 towards Kettering they seem not to have bothered and footpath users have to take their lives into their hands and run across the A14 which is also a dual-carriageway. In my mind that was an abuse of the rights of way and a clear demonstration of the perceived superiority of the motor traffic and sod everyone else.
The path in the picture was not the one I used, but I must try it out and see where it goes next time I am up that way.
Here is the bridge, I assume the blocks are to prevent Travellers from passing to set up their caravans on the land - or perhaps 4x4s from ripping up the paths. There was a recent article in the Cambridge Evening News about 4x4s ripping up the Roman Road (Cambridge to Balsham)
Not a lot of traffic but I assume it would get busier as people head home at the end of the three-day weekend.
The path then came out on a road - but conveniently carried on as a gravelled road. Looking back along the path from the road - more blocks and a no motor vehicles sign. This bit of the route required a bit of concentration as there were drainage ruts every now and then. They were not deep enough to be anything other than painful if you had not braced for the bump. (Remember only around 14 weeks since my collar bone was broken so it still jars a little.)
After crossing the road the path became a gravelled road, ultimately heading to a place called Westley Waterless.
At one point it was necessary to cross the Ipswich to Cambridge railway line. It is not a busy line - one train each way every hour I think and there is only a single track. I still kept an eye out for trains though. I saw one later on in my travels as it headed off to Newmarket Station.
After the Level Crossing the track became a road - but one with no traffic that day. When I got to Westley Waterless there were Oil Seed Rape fields still in "bloom", in most other places the flowers have gone over.
The village of Westley Waterless has its Sign. I could not readily find a link to more information on the village so here is one to their Church
The road stopped at a T-junction but the path carried on. and again with a bit of zig-zagging I did not have to cycle for long on the roads.To the east of the Flatlands the countryside is more undulating and there are more bits of woodland around.
I am not sure why this signpost partially obscures the names - perhaps they think that we are due an invasion.
The previous path again had reached a road, as I cycled along it I noticed another interesting path towards the woodland - but another one for a future ride. I had decided to head for a by-way I had noticed on the map at Wood Ditton a short cycle ride up the road.
The path was a revelation, completely different to any of the other by-ways I had cycled on in the region. It opened out onto gently rolling hills and as you can see there was barely a cloud in the sky.
Look at this for a path to cycle along, tremendous views across towards Newmarket and no-one or vehicle in sight.
The path just carried on - I assume that it carries some traffic as it was in a very good state of repair - presumably farmers use it.
This was one of the fields alongside the path.
It just kept on going I think I had to cross one road - but not a hassle.
Eventually the track turned off - this is a view looking back long it.I had my GPS unit with me so knew that my path carried straight on, but whoever owns this beautiful bit of countryside had stuck up a Private sign to ensure now one erred.
The track became a mud track, but still very easy to cycle along on such a dry day.
It then passed a pine wood and turned into a grass track - there was a lovely smell of pine resin in the air. At the edge of the wood were signs reminding users of the track that the wood was private and part of the Stetchworth Estate.
All good things come to an end and the path reached one of the roads into Newmarket. It amazes me how dozy some drivers are, they pass me cycling with a small gap but carry on moving to the other side of the road once they are past me. I think that the ugly truth is that they do not notice cyclists until they are practically upon them and then swerve at the last moment. Not all drivers do some give plenty of clearance. The UK Highway code suggests when overtaking a bicycle you should leave as much room as if overtaking a car and has a picture that shows a car on the other side of the road as it passes a cyclist. Clearly most drivers have forgotten the highway code.
When I got to Newmarket I stopped for a drink (lemon squash) and then headed of to Exning and on to Landwade, that allowed me to take another by-way on through to Burwell, a path I had explored before. The fields were looking very dry and irrigation pipes had been laid.
Here are a whole bunch of thirsty looking potato plants.
The path from Landwade to Burwell was a more traditional narrow path with hedgerows each side. It was good to see some wildflowers - one of the dangers of farming mono-cultures is that seems to compromise the variety of plant life to be found.
Here is some clover - when I was a boy we used to pull out the flower bits and suck on the bottom for the sweetness. We didn't pick flowers from the middle of the path though - no telling how many dogs have been through.
After crossing the Burwell to Fordham road there was a more recently used farm track, which was easy to negotiate on my MTB. It would be a bit trickier when wet though.
Looking back I saw the one cloud in the sky so had to take a picture of it to prove that it was there.
I liked the way the lines of plants led the eye up to the sky - although I can't say it looks so striking in the photograph.
Here is the cloud from a different angle.
When I reached Burwell, a place I have often cycled though, as it is on Sustrans Route 51 up to Wicken Fen and Ely in one direction and Cambridge in the other I noticed this plaque. I wonder if Wise Woman was a euphemism for Witch? There were others along the road with snippets of local Burwell history
As I was on my MTB rather than follow the Sustrans Route I cycled around the back of Reach along another by-way and then took a short cut across to White Fen using this by-way. It appears to have been smoothed over - the loose soil was tricky in places.
All in all I cycled around 50Km/30 miles, although it seemed longer, mind you I did stop and take quite a few photographs. Of the route around 55% was on road and 45% on tracks and green roads and by-ways.
No comments:
Post a Comment