Reading to Heathrow (via Windsor) and back

02/03/23 Reading to Heathrow via Windsor

Left around 8.30. I was going to cycle with Joseph as the route is on his way to work but he was not going to the office that day.

Took 2 water bottles, a banana and a cereal energy bar. The plan was to head for the Witherspoons in Windsor for a full English breakfast.

Usual route out through Reading that I know so well: Along the Bath Road, down Castle Hill, past the Sally (sic) Army with all the drunks with their morning hangovers, through the Oracle Riverside then bypassing the town centre via the Kennet and Avon canal to where it meets the Thames. 

Horseshoe Bridge Reading

I was hoping to see a black swan at horseshoe bridge but only white swans today.

I followed the Thames for 1/4 mile then head inland through the Oracle Corporation campus (Thames Valley Park) and through the Shepherds House Lane tunnel. Shepherd's Hill was hard work today. It was sunny but there was an easterly headwind which was cold and in my face all the way to Heathrow. 

 

At the top of Shepherd Hill is the start of one of my favourite detours; the Old Bath Road. It runs parallel to the (New) Bath Road which is a dual carriageway and not at all suitable for cycling. One can follow it all the way to the Sonning/Woodley turn off. Teresa May (ex. UK Prime Minister) lives very near there in Mustard Lane. I cycled past here house a few years ago when she was Prime Minister. The multiple black range rovers in the driveway made it pretty easy to identify where she lived.

At the Sonning turn off you cross over the A4 and travel on a cycle path (on the north side) which runs to the left of the road to the next junction, the turn-off for Twyford (also the old bath road). I did not like this section and had a bit of a close pass with a car. I think it was an Audi soft-top. It always seems to be those kind of cars; they always seem to be in a hurry to get everywhere. I came across something I might try in the future.  Its a magnetic sign to attach to the pannier of the bike which looks like the image below. It is called PassPixi and looks interesting.

 Cycled through Twyford and on the eastern side stopped in a local churchyard where there were lots of spring flowers; crocuses and daffodils just starting to bloom.

The next milestone was a place called Paley Street but it was alot further than I had remembered. One has to travel passed Waltham St. Lawrence and White Waltham before approaching a bridge which crosses the M4; just after that is Paley Street.

There used to be a pub there called The Royal Oak but it closed at the start of the Covid19 Pandemic in 2020. I stopped there about 5 years ago - I had cycled to Harrow Middlesex and was returning quite late. It was early autumn and the night was closing in. I cycled as hard as I could to see if I could make Twyford but at Paley Street had to abandon the attempt. The dark was closing in and I had no lights. I had to get my wife to drive out from Reading and rescue me while I took refuge in the Royal Oak with a pint of Guinness and a bag of crisps.

Apparently, then-Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron had lunch there in 2018. Now it's boarded up!

next - the massive heads (picture) Fifield

 

Oakley Green - right turn

Dedworth

Weird underpass (clarence road)

Clarence Road/Victoria Street

Got a bit lost in Windsor, ended up walking through a park and a tunnel which came out next to Witherspoons. Had a full-english and coffee there.

Decided to head for Heathrow next. I had planned to take the Datchet route but changed my mind and decided to go through Windsor Great Park (no bikes! even walking with a bike).

Selsey Tour 2020 - Day 1 (Sun 06/09/20)

Set off from Reading around midday.

The first leg from Reading to Basingstoke was tried and tested. Just after Burghfield bridge another cyclist came alongside me from Reading cycle club.  He remarked, "Nice bike mate!". He had an identical bike to mine; a (decathlon) BTwin Triban 3. I agreed with him that it is a fantastic bike.  He mentioned that when he had bought it that the salesman had said that it was only good for about 40 miles trips maximum *.  "I rode to Paris and back on it", he said.

* - I do not think they put enough grease in the hubs. If you get the bike serviced - or do it yourself - you need to repack the wheel bearings with plenty of grease and then it is as good as any bike up to £1000.  I have had mine for about 7 years now. It has been a great bike.

Travelling through the woods from Reading the Basingstoke was very straightforward; it took about 60 minutes to reach the outskirts of Basingstoke (link to earlier blog).

Basingstoke

I have only recently been able to finally figure out the road layout around the town centre. It is surrounded by dual-carriageways and is is a bit of a nightmare if you get stuck on one with the usual assortment of BMW's, big lorries, and vans whooshing past. The route I have is via Chineham and through the Kingsland business park; this leads to a road (Gresley Road) which leads under the A339 Ringway and directly into the centre of the town. From here, I cut through Festival Place shopping centre and onto New Road.

I made a mistake here at the fork, and took Hackwood Road instead of Cliddesden Road. This led to a nasty intersection but I managed to work my way back to the planned route cutting through a housing estate and some back alleys. I use the MAPS.ME application on my mobile phone for this. It is an offline map which means I do not need a data connection; I only have pay-as-you-go mobile access.

Got back onto the route (Jays Close) and crossed the M3 via a footbridge on the left just after the Fujitsu offices. I always find it funny how the scenery can change so rapidly from town to country and vice-versa. The footbridge led to the B3046 which felt like a country road.

Hampshire countryside (between Basingstoke and Winchester)

I was not looking forward to this leg of the journey, but I think it ended up being my favourite part. The road meanders through the Hampshire countryside with some spectacular views.  I passed through Cliddesdon, Broadmere, and Nutley and got to Axford much more quickly than expected. The name Farleigh Wallop made me chuckle.

Next were a series of villages ending in Candover; Preston Candover, Chilton Candover and Brown Candover.  Preston Candover was my favourite. Somewhere here I stopped and retrieved a Decathlon bike multi tool which had been dropped by another cyclist; another one to add to my collection.

Arriving at Totford I stopped outside the Woolpack Inn for a drink and a snack. I needed to check the map as I knew I had to make a right turn around Northington. I had a conversation with a man drinking outside who was from Winchester. He confirmed that I needed to take the right turn about 20 yards back, and then carry for about 1 mile until I got to a crossroads; where I should turn left.

Fire Path (alongside M3)

I reached this crossroads but it did not exactly correspond to the route I had planned so I carried straight on. This lead through Micheldever woods and eventually met the M3 where I took a left down a track into the woods.  A green sign indicated 'Fire Path'. This was a mixed blessing as the track eventually degraded into a stony path; I had to get off my bike and walk for about 1/4 mile until the road surface improved back to a paved road.

Then straight though the village if Easton; follow Easton lane which ends in a no-through road, unless you are on a bike where there is a convenient path safely negotiating the busy M3 junction 9.  Past Tesco and follow the cycle path to Alresford Road; then Quarry road to the centre of the town *.

* - I think I will change my route next time and go past the King Alfred the great statue and then along an earlier section of the river Itchen.

I think followed