Only sixteen riders at Uxbridge, must have been something to do with the forecast predicting heavy rain.
Nine hardy souls Margaret, Sandra, Brian, John Mac., John W., Paul, Steve C., Steve T., and I headed out of Uxbridge in light rain to Iver. Once through Iver we left the busy main road and turned into Hollybush Lane on the way to Trenches Farm Caravan Site. Onward the route took us along Middlegreen Road and crossing Langley Road followed urban streets to the entrance to Upton Court Park. Leaving the park we crossed Jubilee River to Eton Playing Fields to join Eton High Street then on over the Thames and so to elevenses at The Garden Cafe. While inside the heavens opened and the predicted heavy rain had arrived.
The rain had subsided by the time we left the cafe and we followed NCR4 through quiet streets of Windsor, where we had a short unscheduled stop while John mended a puncture, and into Windsor Great Park where the path led us across the Cavalry Exercise Grounds and on crossing Sheet Street Road passed through The Rangers Gate and traversed the park to exit at Bishops Gate. It was but a short ride along Bishopsgate Rode to Englefield Green and lunch at The Barley Mow. Here we met Alan and Dfor the dog who joined us for lunch and also Tony H. who had arrived by bus.
After lunch we said goodbye to Sandra,Alan, and Tony. The weather had been steadily improving since leaving Windsor and we left Englefield Green under a blue sky and sunshine. We crossed into Barley Mow Road and then followed paths to the top of Coopers Hill. The descent of Coopers Hill Lane, a track, which was a mixture of tarmac sections and unmade sections. The lumpiest section appeared to be on the steepest part which made for an interesting ride on 1.25in wheels. At the bottom we followed the A30 for a short distance before cross in the meadow on a tarmac path and crossing the A308 we gained access to the Thames towpath. We followed the towpath downstream, past Bell Weir Lock, to Staines Bridge on which we crossed the river. We followed the Wraysbury Road round and turned into Moor Lane continuing on to the track to Stanwell Moor and tea at Vermeulen,s Garden Centre. Margaret left us shortly before us reaching the tea stop.
After tea and buns we cycled back through Longford to Harmondsworth, Sipson, Yiewsley making our way back to Uxbridge via Royal Lane and Church Road with the group dispersing along the way.