Sunday Club Ride 1st December 2019

Meet as usual at the main car park in Brookley Rd, Brockenhurst 8.50 a.m for a 9.00 a.m start.

This weeks route meanders along the familiar terrain of Rhinefield Rd before crossing the A35 to begin the ascent of Col de Bolderwood. We then take a right turn downhill towards Emery Down passing the 'Portuguese fireplace', a Tourist attraction only rivalled as a 'Honey-pot spectacular by the forests own Rufus Stone and the hanging gardens of Babylon.

At Emery Down we turn left before taking a right towards Minstead, then left again to the A337. We cross over to Beechwood rd and pass through Bartley, At the heart of Bartley we reach the rightly famous "Tin Church" about which this poem was actually written by a sober adult in the 1980's.

Poem by the late Pam Brenton about the church.

I have been reading about Bartley Tin Church
it really must be quite old.
Now it is under new management
so new stories will unfold.

Some folk look at it as a landmark
I think it is rather quaint.
Soon it will be in use again
after hard work and a lot of paint.

I remember when it was a church
where people did sing and pray
great to know it has a future again
with forthcoming events on the way.

It is not a very big building
the tower is not very tall
God bless all who toiled for it
good luck to the new village hall.

!

Turning right we head towards Woodlands then then right to Ashurst. From here we turn left onto the A35 before taking the right turn down Deerlepe lane to Ipley Cross. From here we head towards and by-pass the hotbed of feudalism that is Beaulieu before returning to Brock via Hatchet pond,

I am away this Sunday so the poem recital will have to go ahead without me.

Current forecast is particularly cold but sunny so hopefully another respectable turnout.

download the route here.

https://www.strava.com/routes/14921234

Phil H

NFCC Club Ride – Saturday 30th November

Usual format for a winter ride this week. Meet at 0850 for 0900 depart from the main car park in Brookley Road, Brockenhurst. (I won’t be at the start as I’m helping Julie first thing but will aim to meet you at the top of Bolderwood so as not to be accused of hill avoidance!).

Out via Balmer Lawn to Hatchet Pond, past Beaulieu and onto Lyndhurst. Take Phil B’s shortcut through the garage and then onto Emery Down and up to Bolderwood. Across Ocknells Plain then Roger Penney Way, hopefully devoid of caravans this time of year and down to Fordingbridge. Up to Sandleheath and then turn back towards Alderholt. Then usual way back to Brock via Harbridge, Moyles Court, Red Shoot Bolderwood, Ornamental with coffee stop at the end after 85Km.

Probably back at Setts unless we need a bigger café.

Route at https://www.strava.com/routes/22786647

Aiming to keep pace to around 26KmH this time of year.

Barry

NFCC Sunday Club Ride- 24th November 2019

Meet as usual at main car park in Brookley Rd, Brockenhurst 8.50 a.m for a 9.00 a.m start.

This week the plan is to ride out of Brockenhurst along Rhinefield drive to the A35. From here we cross over to summit Mt Bolderwood then take a left past the old airfield.

We navigate the new traffic calming measures and if everyone survives, drop through Linwood before arriving at Moyles court. Moyles court is famous for having been the home of Alice Lisle who was the last English women to have been beheaded by judicial sentence. Her crime was to give refuge to some ne'er-do-well after the battle of Sedgemoor.

Alice was sentenced by the 'Hanging' Judge Jeffrey's. As his name suggests he was reputedly a particularly chilled out character who like nothing more than blissing out and getting mellow with his homies.

On this occasion however Jeffrey's reportedly 'lost his shit' when Alice repeatedly fell asleep during the trial. In mitigation Lisles defence team stated that Jeffrey's should just take a chill pill, loosen-up and 'take a taxi to the tranquility lounge'. This backfired badly.

Onwards to High Wood lane, through Poulner and along Ringwood lane. From there we ride up the dreaded Braggers lane before once more heading into Burley which has an increasingly poor reputation thanks to scandalous rumours being spread about it’s nightlife. From the fleshpots of Burley we enter Station rd, go up Wilverley rise and down back into into Brockenhurst to complete the 50K route.

Forecast is a bit meh but do-able.

Course is downloadable here.

https://www.strava.com/routes/14884866

Phil H

Club Ride – Saturday 23rd November

Forecast a bit miserable for this Saturday so keeping the ride to a two loop route to give us choices if it is too grim.

Usual meet at 0850 for an 0900 depart from the main car park in Brookley Road, Brockenhurst. Lap 1 out via Wilverley, Burley, Crow, Poulner, Ogdens and back to Brock via Red Shoot and Bolderwood. Then planned coffee stop at The Sett after about 2 hours steady riding. Then decision on Lap 2 around Hatchet Pond, East Boldre, Pilley, Sway and back to Brock for the full ride of 83KM.

Keeping to winter pace of around 26Km/H

Route at https://www.strava.com/routes/22711021

Barry

Sunday Club Ride 17th November 2019

Meet at main car park in Brookley Rd, Brockenhurst 8.50 a.m for a 9.00 a.m start.

This week’s ride heads west out of Brock via Burley rd then turns left down to the B3055. Turn right towards Sway before taking the left turn along Pitmore lane. Sway is perhaps best known for Sway Tower (not a very inviting name for those suffering from vertigo). It is a known by many as "Peterson's Folly"

Petersons folly is constructed entirely out of concrete made with Portland cement and at 200ft remains the tallest non-reinforced concrete structure in the world, big wows..

It was originally designed as a mausoleum, however this was not allowed as it was thought the light would confuse shipping (doh). It also served to publicise the superiority of Portland cement; even then not fully accepted. All in all, a bit of a howler.

We follow Pitmore down to Sway Rd to meet the A337. After a brief and joyless ride north we exit the road of doom with a right turn up Boldre lane to, unsurprisingly Boldre. According to Wikipedia Boldre boasts a pub and used to have a school and a post office, 'the post box can still be seen today'.. After we have taken the selfies here we move onwards to Pilley and then Norleywood. North to East Boldre, South to St Leonards before heading North once more towards Beaulieu. From here we hope for a tailwind along Beaulieu rd back into Brockenhurst for tiffins and vittels.

Forecast is cold but fair, hope to see a good turnout. Details of the route are downloadable here;

https://www.strava.com/routes/14895739

Phil H

Club Ride – Saturday 16th November

Looks like we’ll be blessed with a dry ride for once this week So plan for a fairly standard 3.5 hour loop of the forest with a coffee stop after halfway.

Usual meet at 0850 for an 0900 depart from the main car park in Brookley Road, Brockenhurst.

Out via Rhinefield, Bolderwood, Red Shoot, Moyles Court and onto Stuckton. Turn up the hill to Godshill and along the Roger Penny Way and a sharp left at Deadmans Hill back towards Lover. Then through Hamptworth, Nomansland, Copythorne, Bartley, Woodlands and coffee stop at Ashurst at Merritts Coffee Lounge. Please bring a small café lock if you have one in case we need to leave bikes outside (last time the proprietor kindly let us wheel them through the café to the garden but cannot guarantee that again).

Then back via Colbury, Ipley Cross, Beaulieu, Hatchet Piond and Brock for 85Km. Will be keeping it to winter pace.

Route at https://www.strava.com/routes/22632103

Barry