The weather forecast looked good and with the bike loaded I headed off to meet Lawrie and start our ride to Brighton.
We headed to Staines through Harmondsworth, Longford and Stanwell Moor to join the Thames towpath. It was an enjoyable ride alone the river to Chertsey where having crossed the bridge we stopped at The Bridge Hotel for elevenses.
The route on was as Frances’s ride last week across Chertsey Mead, through Addlestone to join the Wey Navigation at Coxes Lock and Mill.
WE followed the Wey past new Haw Lock to the junction of the Basingstoke Canal where we crossed a footbridge onto the canal towpath which has a nice tarmac surface. We cycled on up the Woodham flight flight of six locks which raise the canal about 40 feet in about a mile then through Woking and on up the St John’s flight of five locks which raise the canal about 30 feet in about about three quarters of a mile. At Kiln Bridge where St John’s Road crosses the canal we took to the road to find The Rowbarge PH and lunch.
After lunch we returned to the canal and continued on to Hermitage Road Bridge where crossing the canal we turned into Blackhorse Road. We continued on across Smart Heath to Burdensott Road and just short of The Jolly Farmer we turned off to follow what Google Maps call a cycle route across Whitmoor Common, a tad overgrown and muddy in places with a section of heath where the track consisted of fine sand and tree roots.
Once out of the wilderness and on the outskirts of Guildford we followed Grange and Manor Roads down to the footbridge across the A3 and A25 from where it was a short ride to the River Wey where once again we took to the towpath. Cycling through Guildford we came across The Britannia PH, a convenient place for refreshments. Refreshed we made our way across a footbridge and joined the navigation at Millmead Lock. The condition of the towpath varied and where the river flows past St Catherine’s Hill a sand slide has almost washed the path into the river.
Leaving the Wey at the A248 along which we travelled on a cycle path until we joined the Downs Link which we followed to the site of Bramley Station. Here we left the trail to Find our overnight stop at The Wheatsheaf PH.
The Wheatsheaf did not serve evening meals so we had to walk at least 150 yards to The Jolly Farmer which had beer and food a’plenty.