The book not only describes the routes (36 in total!), but also suggests great places to stop for lunch, or tea and cake - thats my kind of cycling! What makes using the routes even easier is that you can download the GPS of the route for free, and access the maps and instructions online to print out.
We got the train from Waterloo to Westhumble, which is basically at the bottom of Box Hill, a little concerning but I was assured that there would be no extreme uphill. The route snaked around the flat plains of the surrounding farmland, and although we crossed a few big roads, in general we were on peaceful quiet lanes. There was even a portion of off road track, which we were very glad was dry!
About two thirds of the way around this circular route I was about to feint with hunger, and so as we were feeling rather pleased with ourselves for cycling so far we stopped for a pub lunch. The Plough at Leigh had loads of outside seating, so we could soak up the rays on this beautiful day. The menu had something for everyone and the food was delicious, as was the beer. The landlady was super friendly, and there was even a pub dog! Excellent.
After stuffing our faces we headed quite slowly back to the train station, passing a field with so many deer it is, it looked like that scene from Jurassic Parl (you know the one?) We also passed a small field of alpacas, and about a billion beautiful pheasants. The whole route was around 23 miles, not including our trip to and from Waterloo station, and it felt totally manageable.
We are really looking forward to getting out of London again and trying out some other routes, next stop Essex!
No comments:
Post a Comment