CHANGE OF START TIME THIS WEEK ONLY
Because we are expecting frost and possibly ice at the usual start time this week we are moving both weekend rides a couple of hours back to 11.00.
Meet in the car park on Brookley Rd, Brockenhurst, 10.50 for an 11.00 A.M start.
According to Strava’s detailed analysis of its 9,000,000 members January the 19th is the day that the most new year’s resolutions go pear- shaped, tits –up, come a cropper and bite the dust. It’s the time when the New Year train of hope is most likely to smash headlong into the buffers of disappointment or when the peach of dreams is smashed pitilessly beneath Dwayne ‘the rock’ Johnsons mallet of reality.
Strava tactfully refers to this as ‘quitter’s day’.
Here at the New Forest Cycling Club however we don’t know the meaning of the word quitter, nor quisquitious and are universally dedicated to ramping up our training regimes in order to be racing fit for the summer.
With that in mind and in order to keep us all buzzing with New Year’s excitement I have planned out a new route to try out. I know that the thrill of riding on largely familiar roads in a slightly different order or sometimes even in reverse will be almost too much for some to bear but dig in and we’ll get through it together.
We head out of Brock via Sway Rd, hang a right towards Sway, left and then left again on Pitmore lane before re-joining Sway Rd. a quick left on the main rd to take the right onto Marsh lane, hang a left over the water before joining S. Baddesley Rd, through South Baddesley itself and left through the East End on the Lymington Rd. Up to East Boldre and Hatchet Pond.
From hatchet Pond we turn right, pass Beaulieu and follow Hatchet lane all the way to Lyndhurst passing Boltons Bench on our right.
Folklore has it that a dragon was slain locally by the valiant Knight Berkeley and his dog. The Dragon’s corpse turning into the hill at Bolton’s Bench . The Knight, mentally broken by the fight went there to die atop his foe, turning into the Yew tree which can still be seen there today. Pilgrims still flock here today to leave votive offerings in gratitude for his sacrifice. Anything from bottles and cans, individual gloves and deep in the hedgerows fertility balloons can often be stumbled upon by our pious visitors. Food is an abundant offering with Sliced gherkins and flaccid ketchup drowned chips sprinkled in holy vinegar particularly popular. The symbolism tragically lost to history. Berkeley’s dog Bolton never left the Knights side and died upon the spot where the bench sits today, whether out of loyalty or due to the ready supply of calorie-dense foods we’ll never know.
Popping around the national treasure that is the Lyndhurst one-way system we head west on the A35 before taking the right turn to Emery Down. From Emery Down we turn left passing the iconic Portuguese fireplace up the arse-end of Bolderwood to the top of the hill. Regroup if necessary at the top of Bolderwood before taking a sharp left back down to the A35. Cross over and back to the retirement village of Brockenhurst for Vittles.
Looks very chilly but fair on Sunday so I hope to see a great turnout.
Phil H
