Meeting Points

Meet New Cross Gate ticket Hall at 8:15 for the 08:40 train. Arrive early to maximise chances of Groupsave 4 for 2 deal. We change at East Croydon, arriving at 08:59 and leaving at 09:07 to arrive at Reedham at 09:16. Feel free to meet us at East Croydon or Reedham but be there on time.

The Ride

For those of you not absolutely in love with Crawley, I should stress that Crawley is just the farthest reach of this rather interesting loop, but it does have some good bits and I think our rather nice lunch stop is within the borough. Also some pretty good cycle facilities.

The ride features mostly quiet lanes and a fair bit of it is even traffic free. No serious or long real off-road surface but you may prefer to leave your full-on racer at home if you have a hybrid/city bike as well.

What will you see? – A frontline Battle of Britain fighter station, a windmill, the Worth Way, some of the saner bits of National Cycle routes 21 and 22, a large mill pond beside an historic watermill, a rather nice lunchtime pub beside a 13th century church, Gatwick Airport, some bemused cows, a strange approach to a rather well known bike company, and the pleasures, after a climb, of Farthing Downs above Happy Valley.

What you won’t be seeing/experiencing after a last minute reccie which revealed certain inaccuracies/unclear bits on my map is a climb over a security fence into a restricted area or the Saturday afternoon delights of acting as cannon fodder for the Sussex Police on their weapons training ground.

This ride does involve a climb over the North Downs, and back again.

Some steep descents on this ride – PLEASE CHECK YOUR BRAKES – you’ll need them. As always, please check your tyres for part-worked-in debris before the ride as well.

45 miles, lunch after about 26.

Apologies for the fairly early start – it’s to make sure that we get to the pub in comfortable time. Should make for a fairly early return though, unless we stop at another pub .....

More info from Paul: 07957 209322 – NO TEXTS - I love your voice

Report

photos

Gabriel and Gig at New Cross Gate for an early start on what some may have taken to be a rainy rainy day. Call from Bill on the train to let us know that he’d be seeing us at Reedham Central with Jo and William.

Out of the station, through a few houses, then immediately climbing through countryside to Kenley Aerodrome, one of the three front-line Battle of Britain stations which defended Lewisham, London, Britain etc. Generally reckoned to be the best preserved Battle of Britain station, and on other rides we’ve passed the church in the bottom which contains RAF graves of several nationalities, some from that period.

More at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Kenley

and a thoroughly recommended book – available at London Libraries and Amazon

Either it was too early for the gliders or it was too misty, so we were free to do a few runs in shoddy formation along the old runways without fear of being chopped in half by the falling line which winches them up.

Then a quick double back down a muddy path (why not?), a bit of up and down and then, just as we turned to climb up to the top of the North Downs, we found that we’d lost Bill. A quick call but he couldn’t be tempted back on course, so we flew down the other side without him.

Outwood's windmill, another bit of off road, towards Turners Hill, then on to the traffic-free Worth Way towards the splendours of Crawley, its pretty extensive cycle tracks and eventually, via a watermill, to our pub stop at Ifield. A great pub for sitting outside but not today so we retreated inside.

Then off through the lanes to Gatwick, ducking under planes taking off. A bit up a wonky footpath besides the A23 and we were on a farm track. Back in deepest countryside it seemed until, just after passing a line of caged cows, we emerged in front of the Evans Gatwick branch, birthplace of my Cannondale with its problematically fixed rack. That’s another story, but a tip: next time bodge it yourself.

On to the national cycle route, past the somewhat unlikely lift that takes you straight into the Gatwick airport terminal, we managed to persuade Gabriel, who had an appointment back in town, to press on to Redhill.

At Redhill, Gabriel left to head back and Gig decided, that with time getting on, the climb back over the North Downs was maybe a bit much. So, just William, Jo and me. As we left Redhill the rain set in and after the day's leisurely progress visions of crossing the North Downs in rain and darkness threatened.

But a touch of speed, and somehow, out of nowhere, the sun broke through as we hit the top of Farthing Downs. William and Jo had never seen it before – general agreement that it was gorgeous and that you’d never think that at its bottom lay London suburbia. And you just have to love something which embraces Happy Valley.

Tempted to do a shortish picnic bike ride there one summer evening. Maybe a pint before or afterwards to calm us in case of encounters with giant snails:

The Guardian

Down to the bottom and as I paused a driver sidled up, lowered her window and, smiling and clearly impressed, asked us what it was she’d just driven over. “It’s Farthing Downs”, I told her, “don’t you know?” “Well my GPS just took me over here”.

Then a slightly perverse bit of extra climbing through suburban hills to miss out traffic and we flew back down to Reedham. Perfect timing,. Train in ten minutes and as we hit the sheltered platform, the heavens opened and pelted everything with hail. Swift train back for all of us. Total mileage more like 50 than the promised 45 apparently. Sorry – I had to reccie this in bits.

Thanks to all for coming. I intend to do a longer version of this route soonish – more country lanes after lunch, hopefully sit outside the pub, maybe sample more of the Badger Beer.

Paul