Meet: 09:15 London Bridge Station for the 09:32 train to Headcorn

Distance: 35 miles

Phone: Ian - 07986 872 205

An easy paced ride through this flat area formed by the tributaries of the River Medway, the River Beult and River Teisse, passing many oast houses and fruit orchards The ride starts and finishes in Headcorn and passes through the villages of Staplehurst, Yalding and Horsmonden. We'll find a pub for lunch.

Ride Report

Craig met me at London Bridge – an Australian who wanted to know a ride in the rain would be like. Today’s forecast was for rain all day so he was going to find out. Clearly the majority of you who normally come on these rides knew what riding in the rain is like and you know what you like. When we arrived at Headcorn it was a pleasant surprise to find another rider waiting for us in the cat park. So just three of us today - Ian, Craig and Paul.

Satellites acquired and we were away heading west to east on our loop in an anti clockwise direction. It’s just the way I drew it out on the map. The pace was steady, but a glance over my shoulder saw Craig and Paul drop away quickly behind me. I slowed down to let them catch me and they reluctantly got a little closer. My wide deep cut tyres and no mudguards were apparently throwing up an arc of spray 6 feet into the air and about 30 feet long. Yeah well, that’s an advantage of being the leader. That aside, it is anti social and I need to look at getting a rear mudguard.  Fortunately although the rain was persistent the Kent lanes were their customary quiet self and for much of the ride we were able to ride side by side.

We wouldn’t be passing through many villages on this ride, really only three of any considerable size, so when we reached Yalding, we decided even though it was still before midday, it would be a good place to stop for lunch. The Walnut Tree provided a very cute 15^th Century Inn provided us with our fare of roast lamb and roast pheasant, Guinness and coffee and it was served very quickly, arriving barely ten minutes after we had ordered. The food tasted great, the very authentic chefs we had seen through the kitchen window in the car park at the rear had proved to be a good sign - kind of expensive though, £12 for the roast pheasant.

Warmed by the log fire and the great food we were on our way again travelling south over the longest medieval bridge in Kent, which crosses the puny looking River Beult, probably more of a torrent in medieval times worthy of a majestic stone bridge like this. Our, ahem not today, driest winter for 20 years seems to have reduced the Beult to a stream.

Watch out for a ride to come that runs from Tonbridge to Ashford and back along the north and south banks of the Medway and Beult. It will be about 60 flat miles.

On we go into the few little hills on this ride up into the old iron working village of Horsmonden before dropping back to the orchard strewn flatlands of the Weald. This should be a nice ride to do in May when the apple trees are in blossom.

At Curtisden Green we have to stop to mend a puncture. Although the tyre is searched thoroughly for the offending sharp object it isn’t found and the same wheel punctures again a couple of miles later. It’s a slowy and three or four more stops for air see us back to Headcorn.

Our arrival at Headcorn is timed nicely. The once an hour train arrives as we step onto the platform.

Well Craig, how did you like riding in the rain?

Ask Craig when he leads his first ever ride, to Richmond on February Saturday 18^th, 2006.

Thanks guys, it was a good day out.

Sorry there aren’t many photos this time, it never stopped raining all day and it was a little too wet to risk the expensive electronics. The Garmin GPS worked fine all day despite being in the rain continually.

The photos I did take should be on the web site later today.

Ian Pendleton

Lewisham Cyclists