Three riders at Nonsuch today to begin with: Dave Rapson, Dave Clarke and myself leading. We headed out through the south east side of Cheam to Carshalton Ponds to pick up Sean Slammon and Mick Curtis before joining the Wandle Trail heading for Wandsworth.
The weather was being kind today and it was a typical sunny autumnal day, with the temperature around 12°C and very little wind. The River Wandle was looking healthy after last night’s deluge of rain and we even saw a fellow in waders fishing in the middle of it in the Mill Green area.
The ride towards Earlsfield was uneventful although there were at least three grumpy people encountered today moaning without any provocation from us. I guess some people just can’t resist a moan about the minutiae! After leaving Earlsfield we entered a very busy Wimbledon Park and skirted the edge on the path to exit onto Church Road, home of the famous ‘Lawn Tennis Club’ before climbing Bathgate Road to enter the common.
Elevenses were taken at a very well run Wimbledon Tea Rooms in the warmish sunshine. After appetites were satisfied we dropped down slowly to the depleted Queen’s Mere pond and onto the bridle path heading south west for Robin Hood Gate, Richmond Park.
In the park the deer were on the move and cautious progress was required as the nervous does continued to decide whether or not to follow each other across the road. Further along the roads the stags were bellowing and foolish photographers were getting way, way too close. Expecting an ‘antler related bloodbath’ any moment we cycled on briskly and left them to their folly.
Leaving Ham Gate it was into the residential area of Ham and we popped out on the bank of the Thames Towpath at Teddington. The cycle path from here to Kingston is around three miles and a section of it is purely for cyclists, although you wouldn’t realise it with the amount of people walking on it!
Kingston has slowly, but surely become busier over the last few months as people gain confidence and venture out after the Covid crisis. The roads were certainly busy, however I think that the train strike also added to that.
We left the busy Kingston and made our way to the Hogsmill River, our watery, quiet artery back to Cheam. In the Chessington area, the two Daves, Sean and I parted company with Mick, who headed back to Carshalton, whilst we headed up into Horton Country park to partake of coffee at the nice little French coffee van in the car park near my car.
Good ride chaps –
32 miles for me.