Inn on the Pond to Godstone
With no email reminder about the early ride, it was encouraging to have 7 of us prepared to do a few extra miles before the main ride. Setting off at a good pace we took the NCR21 along the familiar route up to the A22 where they have built a new bridge. A fast decent into Godstone ensured that we arrived in good time for the main ride.
Richard Sterry
Godstone to Warlingham
The ride started from Godstone Green with 23 riders, we were joined by Vicki and Dave on their first ride with the club.
Going behind Godstone Green took us to West parallel with the A25 crossing the aforementioned at North Park Farm where the lane crosses the motorway and heads up onto the North Downs.
Gaining the top of the ridge we turned West along War Coppice Road and took the lane to Willey Farm, a fast descent brought us back down to Roffes Lane and a right turn took us up and over Stanstead Road.
The bridleway goes ahead for a short distance and a lookout has to be kept for a barely seen bridle path on the right that leads steeply down to Harestone Valley Road (next time we’ll give advance warning to Andrew, hope you got back OK mate)
From Harestone Valley alongside the school is the a slab footpath (dare I call it Frank’s slab) that has a gradient of no more than 1 in 3 and what’s more has at some points uneven slabs which call for extra effort to get over.
The routes follows the familiar way to the bridge crossing on the A22 and down the steps at Godstone Quarry.( I at last managed the bottom step without disgracing myself)
The route through Marden Park was marked by Alan’s freewheel hub giving up on him resulting in his turning back, and brought us to the “posh” tearooms at Woldingham.
The second serious climb of the day occurred after the tea stop where we left the N21 and took the very steep bridleway up behind Woldingham Garden Village. This was a hill too far for Vicki and Dave who decided to take the more direct route back to Godstone.
From Woldingham Village a short detour down Slines Oak Road brought us to the final hard climb of the day (give or take) back up to South Hawk, a swift descent down Flower Lane had us rejoining the bridleway system that lead eventually to the top of Marden Park and back to Godstone Quarry.
The group split at this point with the Inn on the Pond starters going back over Gravel Hill.
Frank