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Saturday Special 9.00am 21 June - Riding part of the TdF route with cake
Earlier this week Tom H & I rode part of the TdF route from Littlebury (near Saffron Walden) via Finchingfield down to Rayne (near Braintree).
As well as familiarising yourself with a scenic part of the route, some of the road on this section has been resurfaced and its worth the ride down there to ride on this section of road alone.
Depending upon where you start, riding as far as Finchingfield (very picturesque) is about a 70 mile round trip. Riding down to Rayne is about an 87 mile round trip.
We rode down to Rayne and used part of The Flitch Way, a SUSTRANS (old railway line) route almost to Great Dunmow and then on to Great Bardfield & Thaxted. However my MmR route here uses road only.
Cake stop at Finchingfield and for anyone riding to Rayne we can recommend the Booking Hall all day Breakfast Sandwich. One of these and another cake stop at Thaxted got us both back home!
To Finchingfield: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/422839010
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1511803-d3242967-Reviews-The_Picture_Pot_Tea_Shop-Finchingfield_Essex_England.html
To Rayne: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/edit/422847512/
TdF Essex section: http://www.essex.gov.uk/Documents/tdf-TheRoute.pdf
The Booking Hall Cafe: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1601863-d1526973-Reviews-Booking_Hall_Cafe-Rayne_Essex_England.html
The 9.30 am Club Ride will take place as normal.
As well as familiarising yourself with a scenic part of the route, some of the road on this section has been resurfaced and its worth the ride down there to ride on this section of road alone.
Depending upon where you start, riding as far as Finchingfield (very picturesque) is about a 70 mile round trip. Riding down to Rayne is about an 87 mile round trip.
We rode down to Rayne and used part of The Flitch Way, a SUSTRANS (old railway line) route almost to Great Dunmow and then on to Great Bardfield & Thaxted. However my MmR route here uses road only.
Cake stop at Finchingfield and for anyone riding to Rayne we can recommend the Booking Hall all day Breakfast Sandwich. One of these and another cake stop at Thaxted got us both back home!
To Finchingfield: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/422839010
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1511803-d3242967-Reviews-The_Picture_Pot_Tea_Shop-Finchingfield_Essex_England.html
To Rayne: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/edit/422847512/
TdF Essex section: http://www.essex.gov.uk/Documents/tdf-TheRoute.pdf
The Booking Hall Cafe: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1601863-d1526973-Reviews-Booking_Hall_Cafe-Rayne_Essex_England.html
The 9.30 am Club Ride will take place as normal.
Comments
Thanks,
Susan.
Thank you for your interest in this ride. Yes, you can join at Royston Heath Sporting Club (free parking) which is where I will be joining the ride from at 9.30 am.
For anyone else out this way, we will also have a joining point at Great Chishill at the cross roads next to the church at 9.50 am.
Bob has agreed to navigate from Ashwell leaving at 9.00 am (sharp!) to Royston Heath.
Depending upon how many we get on, we can break the group to suit the pace.
Fingers crossed for no rain!
Susan
Is someone prepared to navigate from Ashwell to Royston? If so times are as follows:
9.00 am Tuns Ashwell
9.30 am Royston Heath
9.50 am Great Chishill - cross roads next to the church.
At this stage the weather forecast is good.
If anyone wants to join me let me know and we can set a meeting place/time.
They were busy fixing the pot holes in Saffron Walden earlier this week and according to another sign that I noticed when I was over there yesterday, they are closing the road into Saffron Walden from Littlebury tomorrow (Sunday 22nd) to fix even more potholes.
Now, isn't that nice of them...!
Stuart
Did a 56mile loop that way with Holly today, drove to Littlebury Green, stopped for Apple Pie at The Booking Hall Cafe (very recommended) then along the Flitch way.
Great ride though my routing gave us a few miles touring cornfields to Holly's disgust.
Andrew R & Holly, I was pleased to learn you were able to get down there again Sunday to continue with the route. Did you stay with the TdF route down to Rayne via Great Shalford and Great Saling, before picking up the SUSTRANS Flitch Way? Good caf
Yes we continued the TdF route down to Rayne - it just kept on rolling so really nice riding.
The High Street in Saffron Walden was closed for major road surface work.