Disappointed that no one was at the Square for the advertised gravel ride, I set off with the steady group bound for Caudle Green and deleted the gravel route from my bike computer. Along Painswick Road, though, a late arrival came seeking the gravel peloton. Now lacking a route to follow I made one up as we went along, adding a frisson of uncertainty to the endeavour. Unknown to me, this left another graveller (is there a better name?) waiting in vain on the published route. Fortunately for him he was picked up instead by the steady riders’ route and was able to join them. My apologies go to him.
Up the hill past Springbank stables then across the golf course to Cranham before taking to the trails through Saltridge and Lord’s Woods where a terrific display of bluebells entertained us. In and out (or should that be down and up?) of Sheepscombe, then Blackstable Wood took us to Folly Lane for the descent into Stroud. We followed a cargo bike carrying two children down the hill, hitting a brisk 30mph, before slowing for a gentle ride along the bike trail by the Nailsworth stream.
Seeing the sign for Tetbury Lane reassured us that we were on the right road, but excitement was tempered by its qualifying No Through Road sign. Undeterred we passed the alpacas grazing at Ringfield Farm and, ironically, met two cars descending the rough stuff from Shipton’s Grave Lane, so named after a local man whose grave lies at the crossroads of Tetbury Lane. He was executed for stealing sheep to provide for a starving family.
On the final stretch now, we passed the 191m trig point, dipped in and out of Ledgemore Bottom where we hit mud, our first and only such encounter, from an overflowing drinking trough, and sped downhill past Chavenage House into Tetbury.
The steady riders were already well settled in the Engine Shed auditorium, seated like King Arthur’s knights at a round table. We were squeezed in to make the number up to an appropriate dozen diners but were left to ourselves when they left in search of the (gr)ale.
Deciding that our legs had suffered enough for the day an easier route home through Avening and Minchinhampton was called for. We hadn’t done with the climbing though, and approaching Minch’s Golf Club, we noted 10,000ft of climbing in 30 miles.
Here we met a second set of woolly animals, rarer still than alpacas. Since Lincolnshire Curly Coat pigs were last seen in Britain in 1962 the woolly breed we saw is the Hungarian pig called the Mangalitza, introduced to the UK in 2006 but nonetheless coming from the same Lincolnshire blood line.
Soon after, the metric odometer revealed 1,000m in 55km. Tired legs were to be expected but the bikes were complaining too, one clicking and the other creaking. Dry and dusty conditions obviously did not suit, so an appointment with WD40 was made, but only after riders and machines had taken a well-deserved night’s rest.
MT
