Test Valley Weekend. Sunday 27 August

Today we did a loop from and back to Andover taking in many quiet Hampshire lanes with old villages full of thatched houses. Weather was sunny and warm up to about 21C with a brisk NW breeze.

We headed out of Andover on lanes to the north via Charlton and up Charlton down. Then down the valley of the Bourne Rivulet a currently dry tributary of the Test. We stopped for coffee at a Pub at St Mary Bourne Village.

Then on down to the Test with a good tailwind. We took a loop on byroads round to Longparish and came across a Ford Sam knew of on a side road with an adjacent footbridge. All of us thought it was too deep to cycle except Phil and Mary who decided to give it a go and provided us with our mid-morning entertainment. Momentum soon evaporated in water 2 foot deep and they had to wade across. A couple of the many pictures I took are below.

We continued on a scenic byroad via Longstock to stop for lunch at Stockbridge where Phil and Mary laid their socks out to dry in the sun.

After lunch we continued south on byroads via Hougton and then a little lane Sam told us was known as puncture alley. I duly obliged by gaining the only puncture of the day. The others were grateful for a post lunch snooze in the sun.

We continued down to Mottisfont 6 miles NW of Romsey and then north on more lanes and some climbing to Broughton where we stopped at the Greyhound Inn for Tea.

Then back to Andover on lanes near Middle Wallop airfield with gliders swooping in to land. 52 miles for the day.

Edwin