Gardening: Petersfield Circuit

After a very busy week I managed to find time for a most enjoyable ride today Sunday 11th May. It was so different in character to last week's special event.

As most of my recent rides seem to have been North or West I decided to head East and South to ride some roads I'd not ridden for some time. Was this a good idea with the strong westerly wind meaning I would be riding into it when I was getting tired?

I had an early minor scare as I rode through Bishop's Sutton when two squirrels ran across the road one just in front of me, the second stopping just in time and then going behind me.

From Ropley I decided to pass Stapley Lane leading to West Tisted and took the next turn up Soames Lane which I thought would be less steep. My mistake it was the steepest of the day at 12.3 %!
I should have taken Smugglers Lane which is the next one off the Petersfield.Road. I next headed towards Privett, past the Angel Inn.

As I passed Basing Park, through a gap in the thick newly leafed beech hedge, I spotted some bright colours. When I stopped to have a closer look this is what I discovered.

The first Rhododendrons and Azaleas.

A lovely sight!
All along the lanes there were cow parsley, stitch-wort, bluebells, wild garlic, red campion as well as the ubiquitous dandelions and buttercups. The air was filled with the scents of the flowers, some very enjoyable like that of the bluebells, others less so, like that of the somewhat more pungent garlic!

I descended Stoner Hill as far as the village of the aptly named Steep. Here I turned off past the church and down into Sheet. I crossed the A272 and entered Petersfield Town Centre from the east past the Heath with its large pond.

In the square a number of stalls were offering craft work of all kinds, pictures, sculptures, jewelry, items carved from wood etc.

What attracted me more was the Cloisters Coffee shop where I chatted with two other cyclists while I enjoyed a coffee and Danish pastry.

My route home was far from direct. First I headed southwards to Buriton, then I passed under the A3 and along Ramsdean Lane. This interesting structure caught my attention. Looks like one of Kevin McCloud's Grand Designs.

Grand Design Home?

In East Meon a group of twitchers were photographing a rare bird. I think they thought it was an

Italian Sparrow. It looked pretty ordinary to me! But then what do I know?

It seemed too straight forward to go along the valley to West Meon so I took the country route through Coombe. When I stopped at Coombe Cross for a refreshment break I met a whole crowd of walkers doing the South Downs Way.

I decided to go via Wheeley Down, theorising that it would be easier to do one long climb rather than the several ones which I would encounter if I went via Woodlands. Hmmm!?

One of the scent makers for the day was the may flowers (Hawthorn) in many of the hedges like this splendid example near the Milbury's Inn.

May Flower Bush.

I continued with my theme of not taking the obvious route home and from Cheriton I took the Battle Field route to be confronted by these ladies off to enjoy their tea and provide milk in return.