To avoid the advertised road closure in Boddington (apparently not closed at weekends anyway), we took the A38 to Treddington. I thought we were moving at a brisk pace, but obviously the driver of one Land Rover Discovery didn’t agree, and wound his window down to tell us we shouldn’t be on the road.
Bozzards Lane led to a surprisingly easy crossing of the main road, then the usual “3G” road to Winchcombe. This is where the “fun” started, with the brutal Soudley Castle Hill. Luckily the ride leader was too far behind to hear the comments that were being made about him, but the muttering was still going on when we regrouped at the top.
A gentle descent to Guiting Power quelled any rebellous thoughts, although there were still two climbs to coffee at a very busy Notgrove cafe. Our cake expert declared that the Lemon Drizzle was the best option, but that there were only two slices left. However, the cafe must have managed to get three slices out of it, as she looked a little disappointed when it arrived, and was envious of my large piece of chocolate cake, and even more so of Helen’s cheese sandwich.
After a bit of Kite spotting we were all refreshed; we set off back to Turkdean, and the hilly lane to Hazleton, which split the group up. It was getting very muggy as the tail group arrived back, but no rain was encountered. A challenging day out, particularly for those coming back after a long break.