D2DH - photos and wrap up - Part 2 Days 4..7 Bath to Haywards Heath

D2DH - photos and wrap up Part 2.

Part 1 of this story is here. Between Monday 11th September 2018 and Sunday 16th 2018 Clive cycled from Bideford in North Devon over to Dad's house in Haywards Heath, West Sussex. Staying in AirB&B, at friends house and pub it took seven days to complete the 382 mile ride. Here are some of the photos and sights seen along the way. Preparations, map links and motivation for ride here. Great sponsorship and support from friends & family far and near enabled the raising over £2000 being 130% of target.

Day 4 Bath to Hungerford

This was a really great day. Jeff joined me by the cold and misty Pulteney bridge and we set off through the Georgian architecture of Bath to find the Kennet and Avon canal tow path. Great ride catching up with chat and drifting past the resting canal boats. The Caen hill flight of locks being the only hill on the way. After coffee at the top + Karina (Jeff’s other half) we pushed on up NCN 4 to Devizes and beyond. The trail splits from the canal path on to rural Wiltshire roads with rolling but gentle hills. Jeff bailed after buying me lunch at Pewsey while I headed to overnight at Hungerford.
Was great to ride out with friend, the weather was warm with fluffy clouds. A really really great day. Tucked up in the Weatsheaf pub for dinner and tiny crinkly cottage b&b.

This would have been an easier way to go

Milton Lilbourne

All your ground transport options at one location at Grafton.

Heritage Motoring near Hungerford.

The Weatsheaf at Chilton Foliat that actually has a weatsheaf on the door. ( With great food & welcome inside )

Day 5 Hungerford to Wargrave

Today is Friday and this stretch took in more of the rough canal side Kennet and Avon canal towpath. Stuck by a lifting bridge as the canal boats went by. A very strange section went underneath the M4 motorway. Came across a small Monjac deer in the urban wild space between canal and Aldermaston. Dropped in for Fish and chip lunch and chat with ex-colleges at Veritas. Strange that my old commute has taken from Monday to Friday lunchtime. Mind you I never used to be in the office on Fridays anyway. A short afternoon session to Wargrave for tonight staying with friends.

 

Yes it really is over 100 Miles back to Bristol

    

Goose Patrol on the Thames

Day 5 Wargrave to Slinford

Another fantastic weather day started with some country Berkshire trails. Then a slice of pure suburbia and pure history at Eaton, Windsor town & Windsor great park. Big statue of queen on top of hill only seen due to map reading error. Some personal nostalgia as I passed by the old crib in Woking (home of McLaren) and the Martians then onto Guildford for pasty+samosa lunch power up.  The last section today was on the recycled rail line now known as Downs link trail to The Red Lyon pub for overnight in Slinford. Was good to see a typical used car lot in Staines and RAF memorial along the way.

 

 
 

 

Queen Elizabeth statue in Windsor Great Park

 

RAF Memorial Near Egham

Used Car lot in Staines

Woking home to advanced technology and apparently Martian Tripods

 

Guildford Guildhall

New home of the Pasty power-up and Samosa strengthener 

And onto the fantastic Downs Link Ex-Railway 37 miles of track from Guildford to Shoreham on the south coast

Day 5 Slinford To Haywards Heath and finish

Lovely day today. Further on the Downs link recycled railway to meet sister Jayne Leaney and we travelled together down to Partridge Green. Distracted by coffee and flapjack Jayne stole my panniers and made the rest of journey lighter. Onwards to Shoreham on the south coast and the end of the Downs link. Deep into the port and along the grimest bit of the trail arrived in Brighton. This is familiar town from the 80s, visited a few old haunts and on past the pavilion to the route north to dad’s house.  A bit of a slog up the trail along side the A23 main road into West Sussex and past Hickstead horse place and onto Haywards Heath. The best door of the week is Dads house door and the end of the ride.
Thanks for your support- a great ride so enjoyable from the places visited and people met along the way.

 #d2dh

Stan's Bike Shack - Great break for Coffee and flapjack

Nice doors shame about the signs

Route goes deep into Shoreham harbour

Brighton - ex home town

 

 

Nearly there now ..

Arrived inside the final door

If I knew Jayne was baking a cake I would have pedalled faster to get there.

Lunch with Dad on Monday up at his local golf club along with a few friends finished off the adventure. It certainly was an enjoyable ride along some really interesting trails to see many of the places I had only previously wizzed past in the car. 

This from the local paper ...

Final Fundraising total from
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/d2dh