Breaking new ground (again!)

Having slept for eight hours I was up with the lark and sitting downstairs in front of the computer at just gone 0600hrs writing the post that precedes this one. I went on a bit about 'stuff' and then I made the tea, jumped on a very clean bike, following yesterday's jet clean, and rode to the green where I met Andy.

Close to where we stopped for tea. Pic by Andy Smith.

Where to go? Yesterday, I had suggested riding the lanes towards Beech Farm Road, but taking a track on the left leading down to an area known as Cony Crook. It's the track that takes us down to the so-called 'stile with no purpose'. The idea was to turn right at the stile and follow the continuing off-road track towards the Cottage, stop there for tea and then continue off-road towards the 269 before heading home in the usual fashion. This we did, but when we reached the stile with no purpose we noticed that a gate giving us access to the next field was shut and there was a sign stating 'no footpath'. We'd never seen the sign before, but rather than throw our bikes over the gate and continue on our journey (which we probably could have done, there was nobody about) we turned round and followed the track back towards the stile and onwards, bearing right and travelling across a couple of large fields until we found more gates blocking our way. There was nothing left to do other than stop, have tea and then head back the way we came. Not a problem.

I found myself indulging my ridiculous sleeping rough fantasy as where we had stopped looked like the perfect place to set up camp for the night. If I was homeless, I'd definitely get myself a tent and a sleeping bag and head for the woods rather than sleep on the street and this morning I found myself surveying the woods behind where we had stopped: it was, in short, perfect. I couldn't think of anything better than waking up and hearing the birds chirping and very little else. Fortunately, of course, I'm not homeless, so it's not something that is immediately (if at all) on my agenda. Mind you, I wouldn't mind trying it for one night.

Our bikes, Sunday 13th January 2019 – pic by Andy Smith.

It was a very pleasant ride to a very pleasant place. There's nothing better than peace and quiet and nothing but the sound of birdsong. Everything was still, there wasn't a soul about, the fields were empty as far as we could see and no Lycra monkeys either (their bikes are incapable of traversing such terrain). So we leisurely drank our tea and took in our surroundings before heading back along the track that had brought us here. The wind had been behind us on the outward journey, but now it was hitting us face-on as we rode back towards Cony Crook. Looking at the map, there's a lot of paths and tracks close to where we were and one that goes through Lumberdine Wood (worth exploring). It comes out on the 269, but I think it's the same track that takes us from the 269 to the cottage, but either way Lumberdine Wood looks interesting.

What we could see as we drank our tea. Pic by Andy Smith.

Andy rode back to the green and we stopped at the garage to jet clean the bikes. Mine needed it, but not as badly as Andy's Blast. We rested the bikes against a wall and blasted them with water, getting off any excess mud, of which there was plenty. Then we said goodbye and rode our separate ways back to our respective houses. 

I got back in time for the Andrew Marr Show. It's going to be an interesting week in politics. May's Brexit deal will probably be rejected by Parliament (here's hoping!) and then there's the possibility of a general election. Either that or a second referendum.